As a lover of Centertown, I am confused....how an Art Gallery can harm the area?

[Loralee Reach 245]

:-(:confused: Community association fears artists in their backyard

By Teghan Beaudette

 

 

 

Not-in-my-backyard-ism has an entirely new ? and disappointing ? meaning in Centretown these days.

The unusual target for Ottawa?s embarrassing brand of NIMBY-ism? An art gallery.

The Dalhousie Community Association recently attacked a proposal that will see a residential home at 73 Aberdeen St. converted to an art gallery, studio space and rental unit.

The association has no doubt run out of legitimate things to complain about and has been quite vocal in its opposition to the plan.

Most residents would see an art gallery as a positive addition to their community, but the community association president, Eric Darwin, says that ?the character of the neighbourhood goes downhill.? It?s very difficult to believe that an art gallery could diminish the character of the neighbourhood. Art galleries do not historically bring down property values or attract unseemly characters.

It?s not as if there was a proposal to rezone the residential home to make room for a noise all-hours night club or a safe needle-exchange. It?s an art gallery. The art crowd in Ottawa isn?t known for its loose morals and extreme partying. It?s hard to see how the art gallery could lower the neighbourhood?s character.

On the contary, an art gallery attracts an engaging, lively and community-oriented group of local artists and art appreciators. It creates a dialogue and exchange between community members and opens up the lines of communication between citizens in a meaningful way.

Far from providing a challenge to the community?s character, an art gallery should only add to it.

It also seems that the community association has forgotten that it represents the entire community, not just the residential home owners on Aberdeen Street.

Its opposition to the project shows an under-appreciation of the needs of our community?s artists, many of whom languish for months or even years on waitlists for studio space.

Had the association consulted local artists, it would have found that they are struggling to find studio space.

Wait times for studio space in in downtown Ottawa is more than a year. In fact, some artists wait several years to get their projects off their living room floors and into a proper space.

Supporting a project which would help local artists find studio space and also gives them an opportunity to showcase their work is a no brainer.

It?s difficult to understand the motivation for the criticisms association has levelled against the project.

While maintaining the status quo is always more comfortable, and change can be difficult, the gallery has the potential to bring vibrancy to and strengthen the community.

If nothing else, there are many more legitimate causes in need of attention and a voice.

The Dalhousie Community Association would do well to lend its voice and target its efforts to a cause which poses a real threat to the community. An art gallery does not fit that bill.

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

The objection was not to an art gallery per se, but to the precedent of rezoning any property on residential streets for commercial use. The Association seems to believe that the inclusion of the apartment in the gallery proposal was a zoning "trick" (if you will) that may now be used by other commercial interests to further infiltrate and destroy their residential neighbourhoods.

The commercial properties key to Preston Street?s lively character are spilling over into residential surroundings [...]

 

"With permissive zoning, or if the city lets this stuff go on, then eventually it becomes unattractive as a residential street because every second or fifth house is a business," contends Darwin ...

 

Darwin claims the "token one-bedroom apartment" was included as part of the renovation plans to persuade city planner Douglas James to rezone the property for commercial use.

http://centretownnewsonline.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1999&Itemid=97

 

From the Community Association's blog:

73 Aberdeen: lots of time was spent during the summer on this proposal. Proponent won rezoning to convert house to a two-storey art gallery with commercial-looking storefront, plus an art school, including one one-bedroom apt. on the ground floor. City interprets CDP and neighborhood plans calling for mixed use intensified development near transit stations as

meaning residences can be converted to commercial uses provided some residential uses are retained.

Suggest we investigate further as part of CDP process as that addresses neighborhood zoning.

We want to preserve residential areas and focus commercial uses on mainstreets.

http://dalhousiecommunityassociation.blogspot.com/　

 

Having lost the battle to keep 73 Aberdeen residential, the DCA shifted ground to support exterior renovations to the house to help it fit into the neighbourhood.

 

http://centretownnewsonline.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1999&Itemid=97

[Loralee Reach 245]

;)Thanks for all the research you carried on to enlight me with regards to this issue. I hope when you are in Ottawa we can go together and see the Preston area, and we can celebrate the success of a new artistic endeavour!

Happy New Year my fellow Cerbite! and thanks once again for being here!!

LoraLee

[E.D. man 691]

I'm sorry we don't need the cost of a new one. Are taxes are way too high.

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

I see no indication that this is anything other than a privately-funded commercial business. As such, it would actually generate more tax revenue for the City than it would as a simple residence. I stand to be corrected if I've missed something?

[E.D. man 691]

it was talk of putting another one on wellington here in ottawa or one in calgary funded by the fedral gov't. depends what city you live in.

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

Those are huge Public Museums. The gallery on Aberdeen is something completely different -- a private commercial gallery. There are dozens of them in Ottawa.

[Peachka 4334]

Aberdeen St., west of Preston, already contains an office building & an auto repair shop so I fail to see how an Art Gallery would 'commercialize' the area.

 

What is the Dalhousie Community Association? I have never heard of them and don't know why they would have any jurisdiction in 'Little Italy'. Sounds like a bunch of insignificant hot air fluffers that are trying to seem important.

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

Little Italy falls within the bounds of what used to be Dalhousie Ward. According to their blog, the Dalhousie Community Association was founded in 1984, consists of volunteers, and represents local residents within that area:

 

http://dalhousiecommunityassociation.blogspot.com/search/label/About

[waterrat 1261]

The difficulty in Ontario is that zoning is a blunt instrument. We need more nuances. Most people would not object to a commercial art gallery. But they might not feel the same way about an office tower. We need to be able to distinguish between commercial artesianal small retail and other retail, between retail and office space, between restaurants and pubs etc. Many people would be happy to see a "local" pub on the corner provided that there was no on street parking issue, limited off street parking and closing was not at 3 am. It would give people a place to WALK to rather then drink and drive.

 

In the same way a small gallery would be fine but neighbours do not want a residential street being taken over by scores of cars attending a vernissage every month.

[Loralee Reach 245]

I want to go to a vernissage every week Waterrat!!!!! and I can not understand how a pub or a mall can be accepted, even with the zoning issue, and not an Art spot for experienced and amateur artists to be seen....Even in Dallas the steel and glass city has Art Galleries in between the malls and offices....I can not understand it!:-(