Suburban growth dominates Stittsville debate

Brisk growth in the city's west end has Stittsville candidates facing difficult questions about how they plan tomake sure infrastructure keeps up with development.

Residents complainof heavy traffic on roads that can't handle the volume, poor pedestrian infrastructure and inadequate transit service to the suburban ward.

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At a recent all-candidates debate, incumbentcouncillorShad Qadri described the work he's done to improve road infrastructure in Stittsville, including several environmental assessments forimprovements to key routes including Carp Road and Robert Grant.

The funding for those projects aren't yet in place.

Easing growing pains

Challenger Glen Gower suggested that either development needs to slow down or theinfrastructure improvements need to be sped up as communities grow.

"I think the city has bought into this strange idea that the only way to pay for growth is more growth," Gower said after the debate.

"We've tried that and we're not seeing any kind of economic advantage to that. We're not seeing an improvement to traffic."

He emphasized the need forpedestrian routes and transit service to arrive in step with new development.

Qadri said building a city is nothing like the Sim City video game. It comes down to money.

"I think we need to look at our development charges," he said. "Do we need to increase them?Do we need to adjust them in terms of what [development charges] pay for?"

Council will review development charges in the next term of council.

More from the Stittsville debate: