CARP – The Carp Road Corridor Business Improvement Area says the City of Ottawa can improve local business simply by removing some pre-existing “constraints.”

‘Successful small businesses can grow into successful larger businesses,” the BIA released in a statement May 30.

 Job growth in the Corridor has been a “healthy” four per cent since 2004. 

“The city’s Official Plan and Rural Economic Development projects are exciting city building projects and the business association has been participating at all opportunities and advocating for positive developments for corridor businesses,” the BIA said. “While there will be many new and exciting ideas on how the city might stimulate economic development, the Corridor BIA and members might advise that one good strategy and well within the control of the city is simply removing constraints from existing businesses. Corridor business owners have a long list and have expressed their views to the BIA, at the Annual General Meeting and to our councillors (Eli El-Chantiry and Scott Moffat). A priority of the BIA has been extension of municipal water – the kind of project which has resulted in substantial economic activity at the airport.”

Other issues corridor businesses list as constraints to growth include lack of transit; growing traffic without long scheduled improvements (four-laning of Carp Road south of 417, a turning circle at Huntmar and Richardson Side Road); holding tax ratios while property values increase; new costs (and services) such as the stormwater levy; the role development approval fees and uncertainty of approval timing may play in constraining economic development; and the prohibition of rural business signage.”