Rural landowners ask city for right to develop properties
By Kate Porter, CBC News Ottawa, January 25, 2021
Property owners and developers whose lands didn't make the City of
Ottawa's cut for being included inside a new urban boundary tried to make the
case Monday for why they should be let in.
City staff released a map of which 1,011 hectares should be urbanized to meet
the needs of a growing population, and nearly 50 people weighed in during a
joint meeting of the planning and agricultural affairs committees.
(...)The Algonquins of Ontario were the first to address councillors, and
argued they should be allowed to develop a vast parcel of some 2,000 hectares
in the rural south-east now, instead of waiting years longer.
They have been working with developers Taggart on a sustainable community of
up to 45,000 residents they call Tewin, and have held several meetings with
the city.
(...)Coun. Eli El-Chantiry praised the idea as a way to protect food
production and keep urban areas from encroaching on rural villages through to
the end of the century.
But many delegations said the "Gold Belt" came as a surprise
that could cause home owners to move beyond Ottawa's city limits.
"Are we setting ourselves up for leapfrogging yet again? Are Carleton Place
and Rockland going to send us a thank you card because now they can have that
many more residents interested in coming?" asked Kevin Yemm, vice-president of
land development for Richcraft.
Others welcomed the idea, but worried the Gold Belt left large gaps where tens
of thousands more homes could be built.
"It's more like a very loosely fitted sash. This worries me," said Daniel
Buckles of A People's Official Plan for Ottawa's Climate Emergency.
Councillors will reconvene Tuesday to ask questions of staff and vote
on recommendations.
...On Wednesday, city councillors will address whether the city should move ahead with its bid. The property is owned by Taggart Miller Environmental Services Inc. and is being put up for sale in a confidential bidding process.
wo weeks ago, the city disclosed through a report to its finance and corporate services committee that it made a "non-binding" bid to Taggart Miller.
Now the city is seeking councillors' blessing to get deeper into the bidding process.
The bid's opponents, including some residents who live near the site, as well as a number of city councillors, have raisedenvironmental and traffic concerns. They've also expressed reservations about the compressed timeline leading to Wednesday's council vote.
By Randy Boswell, Ottawa Citizen, November 24, 2023
The City of Ottawa’s auditor general has slammed municipal officials for mishandling a major housing development in Barrhaven that involved extensive alterations of the Jock River floodplain to accommodate a sprawling new subdivision with nearly 1,000 new homes.
Auditor General Nathalie Gougeon has released a scathing, 14-page report detailing her team’s investigation into the project after allegations of mismanagement were made through the city’s fraud and waste hotline. The report has been tabled for discussion at the city’s audit committee meeting on Monday.
...The plan involved cutting away more than 100,000 cubic metres of soil along the north shore of the Jock and depositing more than 400,000 cubic metres of soil on adjacent land immediately to the north so houses could be safely built there, beyond any flood risk.
By Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen, November 25, 2023
In a head-spinning move that has angered some community groups, Ottawa is asking the province to reverse its decision to override the city’s official plan on building heights.
A motion, approved by council this week in a 19-2 vote, instructs city officials to ask Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra to reinstate rules allowing higher buildings heights along minor road corridors. It’s something the city’s planning committee rejected two years ago, when it approved Ottawa’s new official plan.
At the time, city staff had recommended higher buildings, but council bowed to pressure and limited buildings along minor corridor roads to four storeys.