By George Brown, Ottawa Citizen, May 24, 2019
If we want to do LeBreton Flats right, here’s where to start.
Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) are legally-binding contractual agreements negotiated between a community coalition and developers or public institutions to ensure the benefits of a development are shared equitably among local residents and institutions.
The agreements supersede the traditional non-binding approach of stakeholder consultation.
(...)The National Capital Commission’s “re-set” for LeBreton Flats represents an opportunity to use a CBA to create a vibrant urban village integrated into the surrounding communities, while at the same time providing an exciting national asset of which the capital can be proud. Over the next decade, billions of dollars of public and private money will be invested in LeBreton Flats. A CBA is essential for this to be done right.
(...)· Community and environmental assets (both national and local in the case of LeBreton): Targets and minimum levels for green space; child-care space; land trusts; community financing and ownership; energy and environmental performance; museums and other public spaces; and an Indigenous presence
· Environment: An integrated electricity services resource plan (including maximum use of distributed renewable power generation and power storage) as well as strong environmental standards for buildings and waste
https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/brown-getting-lebreton-flats-right-with-a-legally-binding-agreement