Residents of Sandy Hill, the neighbourhood closest to the University of Ottawa (U of O), are opposing the university’s proposed plan to build residences in their community.
Action Sandy Hill (ASH), a community association, began circulating a petition from mid-September to mid-October, accumulating over 1,100 signatures or about 10 per cent of the community.
These residents and students united in hopes of halting proposed plans of building new student housing as they have concerns for the already highly student-concentrated community.
“Our main concern is in maintaining a balance in the neighbourhood,” François Bregha, a former board member of ASH, said. “We are worried that when one specific demographic starts to dominate it will drive others away.”
U of O, whose student population has had a growth of about 10,000 students since the year 2000, has been unable to provide access to student housing at the same rate of this growth, according to Bregha. Unable to stay in residence, many students look for a place to reside in Sandy Hill.
The proposal for the new residences would allow up to 2,000 beds to be established for these students over the course of three years, according to Bregha. However, the university said the exact amount is not yet determined as plans for the residences are still in the early stages of planning.
Bregha said ASH sees these new housing accommodations as a threat to the community, saying 2,000 students would make up 18 per cent of the current population of Sandy Hill.
“The community already has a substantial student population,” Bregha said. “We welcome [the university’s] decision to build a residence but build it on campus and not in our neighbourhood.”
Although the community has been welcoming to students, several concerns have led ASH to oppose the university’s housing plans, the group said. Excessive noise, late night partying, garbage, and parking are all issues that have been raised within the neighbourhood.
With the demand for student housing being so large, some property owners have converted their houses into multi-apartment buildings, housing 20 students or more at a time.
“The neighbourhood that once used to be characterized by single family housing suddenly has three or four story buildings that overlook your backyard,” Bregha said. “This has changed the real estate as families with young children are leaving.”
U of O housing director Michel Guilbeault said the university’s plan would not be as grand as it is believed to be by Sandy Hill residents.
“We could comfortably add around 500 students,” Guilbeault said. “We have no interest in building a large residence in the heart of Sandy Hill. That would make no sense for the university, for Sandy Hill, or our students.”
The university is also looking into other housing projects on campus, which are already in the process of being undertaken, Guilbeault said. For instance, a new residence on Henderson Avenue is looking to house another 165 students.
“The university is also undergoing an exercise looking at the campus as a whole as we’ve acquired more land on Lees Avenue,” Guilbeault said. “We have our own projects on campus that we are looking to start in the next two to seven years.”
Guilbeault said U of O would work with Sandy Hill residents to ensure their concerns are heard.
“We are well aware of the concerns of the Sandy Hill community and we are working with them to hear their concerns and take that into account with whatever we decide,” he said. “We see ourselves as partners with the community and as a result we have ongoing discussions with them.”