A city committee paved the way for sidewalks to be built on some residential streets in Ottawa’s Manor Park neighbourhood, despite opposition from the area councillor and some residents. The debate over sidewalks in Manor Park has been going on since last summer, with Coun. Rawlson King announcing in last September that the plan to install sidewalks will be deferred. On Monday, councillors on the public works and infrastructure committee approved plans to install sidewalks on four streets as part of road, sewer and watermain work. A motion from King to defer the sidewalks was defeated by a vote of seven to five. The sidewalks will be built along sections of Arundel Avenue, Kilbarry Crescent, Braemar Street and Jeffery Avenue. Manor Park residents for and against the sidewalks appeared before the committee to have their say on the plan. “In my mind, pavement invokes dark, dirty back alleys full of loading zones and garbage strewn about,” Henry Lu said. “Sidewalks invoke quiet, calm places with gardens, trees, and people. Personally, I would love to walk down freshly laid sidewalk with my family than on the pavement that exists today.” Eugenie Waters of the group For Our Kids Ottawa-Gatineau said sidewalks make it “safer for all abilities to walk where they need to go.” “Sidewalks separate kids from moving cars and increase kids’ visibility to drivers,” Watters said. “The proposed sidewalks will provide children now and decades to come with continuous safe routes to Manor Park Public School, the park and the community centre. The fact that this is even up for debate is unconscionable.” The president of the Manor Park Community Association said while the association is not against sidewalks in Manor Park, there is opposition to the current plan. “Our interpretation of the Official Plan and the Transportation Master Plan is there isn’t 100 per cent mandate of having sidewalks everywhere and that the city can look at the context of the neighbourhood and see whether sidewalk installation is the best alternative,” Natalie Belovic said. “We’ve been advocating for a sidewalk around Manor Park School and around the park for the last two years. We are not an anti-sidewalk advocacy group; we are a, ‘Can the city spend their money where we really want and need the sidewalks.’” The $13.9 million budget for the Manor Park road, water and sewer project include $180,000 for sidewalk installation. Staff said if the sidewalks were constructed as stand-alone projects, the cost would be between $500,000 and $700,000.
