If the Fire Department has to answer a call that’s in a cul-de-sac it has to have room to turn its fire trucks around. That’s the issue at the heart of a dispute, of sorts, between the Ottawa Fire Department and the Community Development Department. The Fire Department now has bigger trucks and want new cul-de-sacs to be 96 feet, while Community Development appears willing to settle for 80 feet, up from the current 70 feet. During the Ottawa Planning Commission Study Session, Commission member, Steven Bradley, and others debated a possible compromise.
Everyone agrees that ending cul-de-sacs is not realistic. The Planning Commission tabled the matter until their next meeting.
