Tuesday, May 4, 2010
A main priority we have worked on is institutionalizing OSWatch. We are emphasizing that a certain level of commitment is expected of members, not only through the regular attendance of meetings, but also through assuming one's fair share of the committee's responsibilities. Also, in order to adequately document OSWatch’s activities, we have kept minutes of each OSWatch monthly meeting (which takes place on the first Tuesday of every month). Moreover, for the sake of transparency and in order to provide the community with full access to such documentation, all meeting minutes have been placed on the OSCA web site. Guests of course also are welcome to attend OSWatch meetings and to make presentations to OSWatch or discuss with it matters of concern to them, but those who wish to become voting members will need to regularly attend meetings for a specified period of time. In addition, since the inauguration of the new OSCA web site, we have been announcing our meetings there.
OSWatch members Brian Tansey and Gary Shechtman have organized two meetings discussing developments along the OOS stretch of Bank Street. The meeting aims at achieving a better understanding of the pattern of development there and exploring ways through which the community may encourage a more vibrant retail environment and also increasing the number of upper-floor apartment units along this stretch of Bank Street. All of this would allow the community to become a more pedestrian-friendly one, make more services available within walking distance, and provide new housing options in OOS. One meeting was organized in October 2009 and the second in April 2010. Notes on both meetings are available on the OSWatch page of the OSCA web site.
OSWatch had requested from the City about two years ago to carry out a Community Design Plan (CDP) for OOS. We are still in queue for the CDP. While we are waiting for it, we recently have begun exploring the possibility of commissioning a smaller zoning / infill study. The study would particularly explore strategies and mechanisms for regulating the spread of infills in the neighborhood, particularly those that are eroding its pedestrian-friendly quality by developing housing units where the front façades are primarily overtaken by garage doors.
A good deal of our energies at OSWatch over the past year has concentrated on the proposed project for Lansdowne Park. In addition to our reservations about it as a sole-sourced project that will have negative financial impacts on the residents of the city, we also are concerned about the horribly disruptive effect it will have on traffic in the community. This will particularly be apparent along main thoroughfares such as Bank and Sunnyside, but will spill to affect numerous other streets. We have consulted regularly on the project with the OSCA board and have been active in our opposition to the project as presented. We have articulated our opposition at various meetings organized by the City. We also organized one community-wide meeting on Lansdowne. In addition, we have been coordinating positions on Lansdowne with other community organizations affected by the projects (and all opposed to it) as well as with wider-level organizations such as the Friends of Lansdowne and the Federation of Community Organizations. The upcoming City Council vote on the project is schedule for late June.
OSWatch co-chairs
Mohammad al-Asad and Brendan McCoy