One of the changes to the Planning Act that came about in 2006 is that, in principle, changes to the Urban Boundary cannot be made or a refusal to make changes cannot be appealed unless the change is made as part of a 5-year review of the Official Plan. This is therefore an issue which will be discussed in 2008.
To start things off, on the agenda of Planning and Environment Committee of January 8 is the 2006 Update of the Vacant Residential Urban Land Survey. By law, the City must maintain at least a 10-year supply of available urban land. This Survey shows that there is at least a 23-year supply at present. (This takes into account the population projections that Council has approved in November 2007. See Population Projections for the Official Plan.)
The staff report is at
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2008/01-08/ACS2008-PTE-PLA-0010.htm
Media coverage: Jake Rupert in <The Ottawa Citizen, January 8, 2008>, page B1.
E.D.
8 January 2008
