Category: OPA 150 and its aftermath

On November 22, as per instructions by Planning Committee on November 8, staff released an “omnibus motion” for consideration by Council at its meeting of November 26.  These latest changes in staff’s proposals for amending the Official Plan contained a surprise in section 3.7.2 dealing with the policy on Country Lot Estates.  In short, the City made a deal with Cavanagh: Cavanagh would drop its appeal of the 2009 Moratorium

Staff came to Planning Committee on March 26, seeking direction to table a draft in June, confirmation that there was no need for more employment and other non-residential land, to let them know that the LEAR update is delayed, and to table two important reports: an update of the Comparative Municipal Fiscal Impact Analysis by Hemson Consulting Limited (680 KB, 81 pp.), and an update of the Employment Lands Study,

“Building a Liveable Ottawa 2031” was launched at City Hall on January 29.  From an environmental protection point of view, the best news coming out of the event was that once again staff is proposing to forbid country lot subdivisions in any form. (Even so, some immediate concerns arise, noted below.) The other good news is that, in response to a question, Planning Committee chair Peter Hume ensured that mapping

On December 11, 2013, Council passed the By-law giving formal approval to the new Official Plan approved on November 26.  It is now sent off to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.  When it comes back with “Ministerial Modifications” a Notice will follow and a 20-day appeal period will start.  (The by-law is item “cc)” on Council’s list of by-laws adopted “in third reading.” Its official name is: “cc)

Erwin spoke at Committee and posted the following report to the GA List on 15 November; published on the web site, slightly revised, on 3 December:   In sharp contrast to the Planning Committee meeting of November 8, all but 6 of the 37 delegations that came forward represented community organizations or were private individuals.  Also, Committee followed an orderly and transparent process: a 15-minute staff presentation (reporting on the

Erwin posted the following report to the GA List on November 11 (published to the web site, slightly revised, on 2 December 2013): The official “public meeting” for the new Official Plan was held on November 8, 2013.  It was remarkable on two accounts: 1. There was not a single public delegation registered for the first agenda item, the Infrastructure Master Plan.  There was no staff presentation. Nor was there

On September 5, 2013 the Alliance sent in six pages of comments to the proposed Official Plan Amendment tabled by staff on June 25.  Staff will need to take these comments into account in its report to Planning Committee and Council in advance of the formal public meeting of October 22. [Ed.:] The staff proposal is no longer available online. Important supplementary documents were: – the methodology staff employed to

A Panel discussion on natural linkages (eco-corridors) in and around Ottawa, organized by the Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital, was held on Saturday morning, June 8, 2013, at the Hintonburg Community Centre. Brought together were Professor Emeritus Gray Merriam, landscape ecologist; Dr. Gary Bell, program manager for Eastern Ontario at the Nature Conservancy of Canada; François Cyr, senior manager of the Greenbelt at the National Capital Commission; Dr. Nick Stow, senior

On January 10, 2013, the Federation of Citizens’ Associations organized a workshop on the Official Plan review. It was attended by about 35 people from all over the city. FCA has two representatives on the City’s “Community Panel” which was to have its first substantive meeting on January 23. Please go to the FCA web site for an overview of the outcome of the workshop. Remarkable in the summary of