By Warren H. Waters
This year our planning committee set ourselves three priorities. First, a community benefit agreement (CBA) has been signed between Ottawa Community Benefit Network and Ottawa Community Housing (OCH), but its first pilot implementation is yet to start. We hope lessons learnt from the pilot to test the CBA approach will assist OCH to be welcomed more warmly in all neighbourhoods in our city, rather than concentrating all affordable housing in a few areas.
Second, the ByWard Market secondary plan: after six months of asking the City, we were finally told in mid-May that:
The ByWard Market secondary plan, although on a list with other required secondary plans, is not presently resourced, but should Council elevate it as a priority and identify new resources (staff and funds) to support it, then our department would undertake the work.
The Lowertown Community Association (LCA) is disappointed since it had been asking for such a plan since 2012 and since it believes the City should prioritize the planning of its declining downtown.
The City is changing the role of ByWard from a mixed use residential-commercial district into an entertainment district. The Public Realm Plan adopted (but unfunded) last year confirms this direction: consultations on the Public Realm Plan were never permitted to look at the larger issues of land-use planning. The New Official Plan just takes the implicit vision for ByWard contained in the Public Realm Plan and only promises a secondary plan to connect other policies and initiatives. Until then the current ad-hoc approach will likely only continue to provide band-aids.
Thirdly, city-wide rezoning discussion papers are at https://engage.ottawa.ca/zoning. Unfortunately, discussion papers are written as staff-preferred outcomes, not to promote any discussion. No options are provided, conveying the clear impression of predetermined outcomes. While increasing housing density is clearly desirable, considerations of liveability are ignored. Surveys for the rezoning leave residents wondering whether public views are wanted. There is limited ability to provide meaningful responses. We have requested City Planning to meet and discuss the rezoning implications for Lowertown but the City has yet to agree to meet. Going forward we hope to see more useful and appropriate discussion of options.
Specific development applications
112 and 134 Nelson (near Rideau) – Applications for Zoning By-law Amendment and Site Plan Control were submitted. The LCA opposed the application because of its density, small unit size, heritage impacts, privacy concerns, unsafe design, and security and parking impacts on local streets. City File lead informed us that a revised submission is expected, and the developer promised to involve their neighbours in developing a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design plan. File lead Phone: 613-580-2424 x21607 Adrian.vanWyk@ottawa.ca
200 and 201 Friel (at Chapel and Beausoleil) – Applications for Zoning By-law Amendment and Site Plan Control were submitted by Ottawa Community Housing. LCA sent our concerns about the excessive height, safety and security, lack of parking and lack of family-sized units. File lead Phone: 613-580-2424 x27967 Erin.OConnell@ottawa.ca
253, 255 and 257 York Street and 78 and 80 Nelson (at York) – Application for Zoning By-law Amendment to permit conversion of two buildings to one building containing 57 dwelling units and 38 rooming units. Currently the two buildings have 37 dwelling units and 7 rooming units. This application was scheduled for the City Planning Committee February 27 but was withdrawn at the last minute when the owner made changes to the application. The planner promised to send the LCA its revised report before it goes back to the City planning committee. File lead Phone: 613-580-2424 x27629 Jean-Charles.Renaud@ottawa.ca
109-115 Dalhousie (near Bolton) – Applications for Zoning By-law Amendment and Site Plan Control submitted. Staff provided feedback in July 2022 and is waiting on the applicant’s response. File lead Phone: 613-580-2424 x25193 Nader.Kadri@ottawa.ca
275 King Edward (at Murray) – Zoning By-law Amendment was appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal. We have been waiting on decision from the Tribunal related to discussion between the applicant and appellants since August 2022. File lead Phone: 613-580-2424 x27790 Seana.Turkington@ottawa.ca
641 Rideau (near Cummings Bridge) – Applications for Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment approved in Spring 2022. No Site Plan Control application has been submitted. File lead Phone: 613-580-2424 x15641 Simon.Deiaco@ottawa.ca
Warren H. Waters is the Vice-President and Chair, Planning for the Lowertown Community Association.