13.    SOUTH NEPEAN TOWN CENTRE COMMUNITY DESIGN PLAN
AND OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT

modification au plan de conception communautaire
du centre-ville de NEPEAN-sud et au plan officiel

 

 

Committee recommendations

 

That Council:

 

1.   Approve the South Nepean Town Centre Community Design Plan in Document 8, which has been submitted under separate cover.

 

2.   Adopt Official Plan Amendment No. XX to the City of Ottawa Official Plan (2003), as detailed in Document 5, to implement the Community Design Plan.

 

 

Recommandations du Comité

 

Que le Conseil :

 

1.   approuve le plan de conception communautaire du centre-ville de Nepean-Sud figurant dans le Document 8 et présenté sous pli séparé.

 

2.   adopte la modification no XX au Plan officiel de la Ville d'Ottawa (2003),telle qu'exposée en détail dans le Document 5, de manière à mettre en oeuvre le plan de conception communautaire.

 

 

 

 

 

Documentation

 

1.         Deputy City Manager's report (Planning and Growth Management) dated
12 May 2006 (ACS2006-PGM-POL-0050).

 

 

 

Report to/Rapport au :

 

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

 

12 May 2006 / le 12 mai 2006

 

Submitted by/Soumis par : Ned Lathrop, Deputy City Manager/

Directeur municipal adjoint,

Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance 

 

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Richard Kilstrom, Manager,

Community Planning and Design Division

Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Policy/Politiques d’urbanisme,

d’environnement et d’infrastructure

(613) 580-2424 x 22653, Richard.Kilstrom@ottawa.ca

 

Bell South-Nepean (3)

Ref N°: ACS2006-PGM-POL-0050

 

 

SUBJECT:

SOUTH NEPEAN TOWN CENTRE  COMMUNITY DESIGN

PLAN AND OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT (D01-01-06-0007)

 

 

OBJET :

modification au plan de conception communautaire du centre-ville de NEPEAN-sud et au plan officiel

 

 

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

 

That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend that Council:

 

1.         Approve the South Nepean Town Centre Community Design Plan in Document 8, which has been submitted under separate cover.

 

2.         Adopt Official Plan Amendment No. XX to the City of Ottawa Official Plan (2003), as detailed in Document 5, to implement the Community Design Plan.

 

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

 

Que le Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement recommande ce qui suit au Conseil :

 

1.         Approuver le plan de conception communautaire du centre-ville de Nepean-Sud figurant dans le Document 8 et présenté sous pli séparé.

 

2.         Adopter la modification no XX au Plan officiel de la Ville d'Ottawa (2003),telle qu'exposée en détail dans le Document 5, de manière à mettre en oeuvre le plan de conception communautaire.

 

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

Assumptions and Analysis:

 

The South Nepean Town Centre is an area of approximately 165 hectares in size located in the southern portion of the City of Ottawa’s urban area, between Strandherd Drive and the Jock River.  The Town Centre is surrounded by a number of established communities (Barrhaven, Longfields, Stonebridge) and proposed new communities (Barrhaven South and Chapman Mills).  The area is designated as a “Mixed Use Centre” in the Official Plan with a “Town Centre” overlay designation.

 

The South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy was initiated in 2004 to provide an updated direction for the Town Centre from that of the previous 1997 Secondary Plan. The Strategy was completed in 2005 and its recommendations set the basis for the South Nepean Town Centre Community Design Plan (CDP).  The CDP will guide development of the Town Centre as a compact, mixed-use, walkable, pedestrian-scaled, and transit-supportive community. 

 

Based on the proposed planning policies in this CDP, the Town Centre could contain over 20,000 residents and over 12,000 employment opportunities at ultimate build-out.  Lands within the Town Centre are classified into eight different policy areas with differing intents, permitted uses, and policies, including mixed use, residential, community amenity area, and parkland.

 

High quality urban design will be critical for achieving an urban environment with compact and mixed use built form and a strong civic identity for South Nepean.  Urban design policies express the general objectives that must be met by all development, covering such issues as building coverage, orientation, frontage and setbacks.  Urban design guidelines express the City’s expectations as to how these policies can be met, dealing with specific elements within four broad categories: built form, streetscape, landscape and open space, and parking. 

 

The rapid transit network consists of light rail and bus transit routes that will be the focus of the Town Centre.  The road network is organized to connect the Town Centre with surrounding communities and provide regular “urban” blocks.   The parking network will support the development of an urban environment, focused on parking structures and on-street parking in order to avoid the preponderance of large surface parking areas.

 

The wastewater and water supply for the Town Centre will be through extensions of the infrastructure network from surrounding communities.  Two stormwater management ponds will service the Town Centre, including a redesigned Kennedy-Burnett Stormwater Management Facility and a new pond east of Longfields Drive.  The electrical network will be accommodated through underground services with the main trunk lines along major roads like Strandherd Drive, Longfields Drive, Chapman Mills Drive, and Riverside Drive.

 

The plan for implementation establishes policies for administration and interpretation of the CDP, development review and zoning, phasing of development, community improvement, acquisition of greenspace, housing affordability, the process for revisions, and monitoring.  The proposed Official Plan Amendment is the first step of implementing the CDP, by replacing the previous Secondary Plan and revising schedules with the Official Plan to reflect the CDP.

 

Financial Implications:

 

The development of major servicing infrastructure, parks and recreational trails within the South Nepean Town Centre will be financed as per the new City of Ottawa Development Charges By-law.

 

Public Consultation/Input:

 

Six public meetings were held during the processes for the Urban Design Strategy and the Community Design Plan within the South Nepean community.  The purpose of these meeting ranged from concept development to the review of draft documents and plans.  A study mailing list was initiated from the outset to provide updates and meeting notices and the City's website provided additional notice.  Between 50 and 100 participants attended each of the public meetings.  Written submissions are detailed, with responses to how these comments were addressed, are provided in Document 6.

 

 

RÉSUMÉ

 

Hypothèses et analyse :

 

Le centre-ville de Nepean-Sud couvre une superficie d’environ 165 hectares et se trouve dans la partie sud de la zone urbaine d’Ottawa, entre la promenade Strandherd et la rivière Jock. Le centre-ville est entouré de communautés établies (Barrhaven, Longfields, Stonebridge) et de nouveaux quartiers proposés (Barrhaven-Sud et Chapman Mills). Le secteur est désigné centre polyvalent dans le Plan officiel avec une désignation superposée de centre-ville.

 

La stratégie de conception urbaine du centre-ville de Nepean-Sud a été lancée en 2004 afin de proposer pour le centre-ville une orientation plus récente que celle du plan secondaire de 1997. La stratégie a pris fin en 2005 et les recommandations qui en sont issues ont constitué le fondement du plan de conception communautaire (PCC) du centre-ville de Nepean-Sud, qui orientera l’aménagement d’un centre-ville compact, polyvalent, à l’échelle des piétons et propice au transport en commun. 

 

Selon les politiques d’aménagement proposées dans ce PCC, le centre-ville pourrait, à sa pleine capacité, accueillir plus de 20 000 résidents et offrir plus de 12 000 possibilités d’emploi. Les terrains du centre-ville sont classés selon huit zones ayant des fonctions, des utilisations autorisées et des politiques qui leur sont propres, notamment des utilisations mixtes, résidentielles, d'agrément communautaire et de parc.

 

L’adoption d’une conception urbaine de grande qualité sera nécessaire pour réaliser un environnement urbain composé de formes bâties compactes et polyvalentes et pour créer une identité forte à Nepean-Sud. Les politiques d’aménagement urbain expriment les objectifs généraux devant être atteints dans tout aménagement, et abordant des enjeux tels que l’emprise au sol, l’orientation, les façades et les marges de retrait. Les directives d'aménagement urbain expriment quant à elles les attentes de la Ville sur la manière dont ces politiques peuvent être suivies, et traitent d'éléments particuliers relevant de quatre grandes catégories : forme bâtie, paysages de rues, aménagement paysager, espaces ouverts et stationnement. 

 

Le réseau de transport en commun rapide est constitué d’itinéraires de train léger et d’autobus, qui constitueront le point central du centre-ville. Le réseau routier est organisé de manière à relier le centre-ville aux quartiers avoisinants et à former des pâtés « urbains » réguliers. Le réseau de stationnement sera suffisant pour un environnement urbain. Il sera principalement composé de structures et de places de stationnement sur voirie afin d’éviter une abondance de grands parcs de stationnement.

 

Le raccordement des eaux usées et l’approvisionnement en eau seront assurés vers le centre-ville grâce au prolongement du réseau d’infrastructure des quartiers avoisinants. Deux bassins de rétention des eaux pluviales desserviront le centre-ville, c’est-à-dire l’installation réaménagée de gestion des eaux pluviales Kennedy-Burnett et un nouveau bassin à l’est de la promenade Longfields. Le réseau électrique sera acheminé par voie souterraine, avec les lignes principales longeant les grandes artères comme la promenade Strandherd, la promenade Longfields, la promenade Chapman Mills et la promenade Riverside.

 

Le plan de mise en œuvre établit des politiques en matière d’administration et d’interprétation du PCC, d’examen du projet et de zonage, de répartition par étapes de l’aménagement, d’amélioration communautaire, d’acquisition d’espaces verts, de logement abordable, de révision et d’encadrement. La modification proposée au Plan officiel, qui consiste à remplacer le plan secondaire précédent et à réviser les annexes du Plan officiel de manière à ce qu'elles reflètent le PCC, constitue la première étape de la mise en oeuvre du PCC.

 

Répercussions financières :

 

L'aménagement d'importantes infrastructures de viabilisation, de parcs et de sentiers de loisir au centre-ville de Nepean-Sud sera financé conformément au nouveau Règlement municipal sur les redevances d'aménagement de la Ville d'Ottawa.

 

Consultation publique / commentaires :

 

Six réunions publiques ont été tenues dans le quartier de Nepean-Sud au cours de l'élaboration de la stratégie de conception urbaine et du plan de conception communautaire. Ces réunions ont permis aux membres du public de discuter d'aménagement conceptuel et d'examiner les documents et les plans provisoires. Une liste d'envois a été constituée dès le début du processus pour permettre aux personnes qui le souhaitaient de recevoir des mises à jour et des avis de réunion. Le site Web de la Ville a également publié des avis. De 50 à 100 personnes ont participé à chacune des réunions publiques. Les propositions écrites détaillées et les réponses à ces commentaires figurent dans le Document 6.

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

The South Nepean Town Centre is an area of approximately 165 hectares in size located in the southern end of the urban area of the City of Ottawa, as illustrated in Document 1.  The study area's northern boundary is Strandherd Drive, its western boundary is the Kennedy-Burnett Stormwater Management Facility, its eastern boundary is the future extension of Longfields Drive, and its southern boundary is the Jock River.  Although the Official Plan identifies lands south of the Jock River as part of the South Nepean Town Centre, only the lands north of  the Jock River were considered as part of the Community Design Plan.  The lands south of the Jock River were included as part of the Barrhaven South Community Design Plan.  "Town Centre" throughout this report and throughout the Community Design Plan refers only to the lands north of the Jock River. 

 

The Town Centre is surrounded by a number of established communities, including Barrhaven, Longfields, and Stonebridge, and also lands for proposed new communities, such as Barrhaven South and Chapman Mills.  While the large majority of the study area is currently undeveloped, there have been recent developments in the area such as large-format retail projects along Strandherd Drive and a new secondary school on Greenbank Road.

 

Approximately 87% of the total land area within the Town Centre is designated as Mixed Use Centre in the Official Plan.  Mixed Use Centres are sited at strategic locations on the rapid-transit network, are to be focal points of activity within the broader community, and have a high potential for achieving compact and mixed-use development.  The remaining 13% of the total land area, located along the Jock River, is designated as Major Open Space, which are areas intended to provide recreational opportunities for the larger community while protecting the natural environment.  Additionally, the entire area has an overlay Town Centre designation, one of the three such areas in the City, which additionally requires that a minimum of 10,000 jobs must be accommodated within the area.

 

The Official Plan requires the completion of a Community Design Plan (CDP) for all Mixed Use Centres.  Community Design Plans are intended to translate the direction and policies of the City of Ottawa Official Plan (2003) to the community level, by establishing the land use framework of principles, objectives and policies that will guide development within the community.  They are prepared as policy plans that operate between the policies of the Official Plan and the development review process.  In the case of the South Nepean Town Centre, the key sections of the Community Design Plan will be adopted as a statutory Secondary Plan to the Official Plan, through the Official Plan Amendment proposed in Document 5.

 

The Planning and Growth Management Department initiated the South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy, which was undertaken by consultants to the City, in February 2004 to provide the basis for a Community Design Plan.  The South Nepean Town Centre Community Design Plan (CDP) was initiated by City staff in November 2005 following the completion of the Urban Design Strategy.  The CDP provides the detailed land use policies, urban design policies and guidelines, servicing and transportation policies, and implementation guidelines for the Town Centre.  The CDP was completed in May 2006.

 

This report seeks approval of the South Nepean Town Centre CDP and the proposed Official Plan Amendment that would: (1) replace the existing Area 7 Secondary Plan with a new South Nepean Town Centre Secondary Plan; and (2) would make revisions to the Official Plan's schedules to reflect the CDP.  The approval of the South Nepean Town Centre CDP is required in order to support the proposed Official Plan Amendment.

 

 

DISCUSSION

 

The South Nepean Town Centre has long been envisaged as the "downtown" for the broader South Nepean area.  The  Area 7 Secondary Plan is the existing policy document that has guided land use planning decisions concerning the Town Centre since 1997.  The South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy was completed in October 2005 to provide a revised land use and urban design vision for the Town Centre to account for the current realities within the area, such as new large format retail developments and new directions regarding land use policy, rapid transit, and urban design.  The  South Nepean Town Centre Community Design Plan was completed in May 2006 based on the recommendations and will guide future development in the Town Centre.  The Area 7 Secondary Plan, Urban Design Strategy and Community Design Plan are discussed in further detail below.

 

Area 7 Secondary Plan

The former City of Nepean initiated detailed visioning and planning for the Town Centre in the early 1990s.  Nepean City Council endorsed the Nepean South Urban Activity Centre Concept Design Report in 1994 as the guiding vision for the Town Centre’s future development.  The Concept Design Report was undertaken as part an integrated planning program of transportation, servicing, environmental, and land use studies.  The Concept Design Report formed the basis for the preparation of the Area 7 Secondary Plan, which Nepean City Council approved in 1997.  The Area 7 Secondary Plan has remained as the statutory planning document guiding development within the Town Centre since its approval in 1997, after being readopted by the City of Ottawa in 2002 and reconfirmed in the Official Plan (May 2003), Volume 2A.

 

The Area 7 Secondary Plan established a land use plan and policies, residential densities, built form requirements and urban design guidelines to direct development applications for lands within the Town Centre.  The land use plan's key organizing elements (Document 2) include two significant commercial districts along Strandherd Drive; a north-south mixed-use civic axis along Greenbank Road; an east-west mixed-use main street running through the centre of the community; four residential quadrants defined by the intersection of the civic axis and the main street and each organized around a neighbourhood park; a community park on both sides of Jock River; and the opportunity for both east-west and north-south rapid transit routes.  The Secondary Plan set ultimate build out targets of approximately 3,700 residential units and 8,000 residents at ultimate build-out based on the established land use policies.

 

Urban Design Strategy

The South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy was initiated in 2004 to update the land use and design vision for the Town Centre, which was necessary given new issues such as the Official Plan's new land use, transit and urban design direction.  A multi-disciplinary consulting team, guided by the City's technical advisory committee, carried out the Urban Design Strategy between February 2004 and October 2005 and involved a substantial consultation process as described in the "Consultation" section of this report.  The final document for the Strategy was submitted in October 2005 and set the framework upon which the CDP was prepared.

 

The final report for the Urban Design Strategy is comprised of four main components: development principles that express the fundamental premises for     development; a community structure plan that highlights the main structuring elements around which the community is organized; urban design principles that provide direction for the design of the built environment's components; and a direction for implementation that highlights a series of implementation lessons and priority action steps for achieving the established vision.

 

The community structure plan (Document 3) within the Urban Design Strategy closely follows the major elements of the land use plan in the Area 7 Secondary Plan, including major road alignments, park locations, and rapid transit route alignments.  However, the Urban Design Strategy did have some noticeable differences from the Secondary Plan.  These differences included a finer level of detail for the local road and development block pattern; a detailed vision for the higher density uses and civic uses around the "transit hub"; a phasing strategy for the existing large-format retail areas; and a mixed-use area north of Chapman Mills Drive that is broader and more flexible in terms of permitted uses.

 

Community Design Plan

The South Nepean Town Centre CDP was prepared by the Planning and Growth Management Department between November 2005 and May 2006.  The CDP builds on the vision provided by the Urban Design Strategy in establishing the policies and guidelines that will direct future land use planning decisions concerning the Town Centre.

 

Four key revisions to the structure plan proposed by the Urban Design Strategy were made in the CDP's land use plan (Document 4) to account for new information and directions provided by several Environmental Assessments that became available after the completion of the Urban Design Strategy.  These revisions include: (1) Shifting Chapman Mills Drive, and the light rail corridor contained within it, to the south to be consistent with the alignment of Chapman Mills Drive east of Longfields Drive; (2) Shifting Greenbank Road slightly to the west near the bridge crossing of the Jock River and widening the right-of-way to accommodate rapid transit within its medianed central lanes; (3) Re-routing the South-West Transitway Extension within the medianed central lanes on Chapman Mills Drive and Greenbank Road; and (4) Shifting Longfields Drive south of Chapman Mills Drive slightly to west.

 

The South Nepean Town Centre is intended to be a showcase for mixed-use, walkable, transit-oriented neighbourhoods.  The overall land use and design vision for the South Nepean Town Centre is based on six elements, as follows.

 

(1)  Development that is in a "urban" form, including:

·          Buildings close to the street and maximizing site frontage and coverage;

·          Buildings between 2 and 12 storeys in height depending on the area;

·          Built form oriented to the pedestrian realm;

·          Transit-oriented development surrounding transit stops;

·          An emphasis on structured parking and surface parking in the rear. 

 

(2)  Development based on high quality urban design standards, including:

·          Parks surrounded and fronted by built form;

·          Attractive, tree-lined streetscapes along all streets; 

·          Transitions in intensity between different areas within the community;

·          Significant amounts of building façade articulation and windows along public streets.

 

(3)  A broad range of land uses in a variety of forms, including:

·          Office, retail, service, institutional, open space, and residential uses;

·          A flexible range of uses within different areas;

·          A regular pattern of blocks accommodates a range of uses in various forms;

·          An emphasis on mixed-use both vertically in the same building or horizontally on the same block;

·          Employment opportunities to enable live-work potential within the community.

 

(4)  A diverse greenspace network, including:

·          A range of recreational opportunities for different types of users;

·          Parks designed to complement the urban form;

·          Urban squares and plazas as the focus of  different neighbourhoods;

·          A large district park along the Jock River in its natural state.

 

(5)  An efficient transportation system, including:

·          A "transit hub" where two rapid transit routes meet as the civic focus of the community;

·          A regular grid pattern of interconnected arterial, collector and local streets;

·          A continuous network of sidewalks on both sides of all streets.

 

(6)  A logical progression from the current to the ultimate built form, including:

·          Phasing to allow future infilling and redevelopment on blocks;

·          Redevelopment opportunities for existing large format retail sites;

·          The protection of future public right-of-ways and parks during development;

·          A range of development potential in terms of density and height to encourage redevelopment over time.

 

The CDP contains five main sections: land use, urban design, transportation, servicing, and implementation.  A summary of these sections is provided below.

 

Land Use

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Urban Design

 

o         Maximizing building coverage;

o         Providing limits for building height of at least 2 storeys;

o         Orienting building façades to the public street;

o         Orienting primary building entrances to the primary public street;

o         Siting buildings parallel to the public street;

o         Setting back building between 0 to 5.0 metres depending on use;

o         Maximizing building frontage along public streets;

o         Providing at-grade uses that enhance the streetscape;

o         Creating variation in architectural elements along building façades;

o         Providing a comfortable pedestrian realm;

o         Minimizing the physical and aesthetic impact of mechanical equipment;

o         Minimizing the aesthetic impact on the streetscape of parking areas; and

o         Providing "landmark" buildings at key locations in terms of design and massing. 

 

o         Built form - including entrances, orientation, corner sites, building stepping, signage, lighting, awnings, architectural continuity, setbacks, windows, unit variation.

o         Streetscape - including amenities, bicycle parking, sidewalks, crosswalks, transit stops, landscaping, tree location and planting.

o         Parking and Loading - including service areas, utility equipment, surface parking and screening, garage entrances, parking structures.

o         Open Space and Connections - including mature trees, mid-block walkways, active public space, park design, stormwater management areas, outdoor amenity areas, trails and pathways, patios.

 

Transportation

·          The rapid transit network will consist of a light rail transit (LRT) route running east-west in the centre, medianed lanes of Chapman Mills Drive and a bus rapid transit (BRT) route running north-south through the existing large-format retail developments on Strandherd, in the medianed lanes of Chapman Mills Drive, and in the medianed lanes of Greenbank Road.

 

·          Three stops for the light rail transit and three stops for the bus rapid transit are proposed within the Town Centre.  The focus of the transit network is the transit centre where the BRT and LRT routes cross each other.

 

·          Greenbank Road and Longfields Drive are the major arterial roads that run north-south within the Town Centre, and Strandherd Drive is the major arterial road that runs east-west.  Chapman Mills Drive is the major collector road that runs east-west through the Town Centre and is the "main street" of the community.  Numerous collectors and local roads run throughout the Town Centre organized in highly connected and permeable grid pattern.

 

·          Pedestrians will be accommodated with sidewalks on both sides of all streets and also mid-block walkways where necessary.  Cyclists will be accommodated on the major roads with dedicated bike lanes and also minor collectors that extend across the community.

 

·          Parking within the Town Centre will support the development of an urban environment and will be focused on parking structures and on-street parking in order to avoid the preponderance of large surface parking areas. 

 

Servicing

 

 

 

 

Implementation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proposed Official Plan Amendment

The proposed Official Plan Amendment in Document 5 is the first step of implementing the South Nepean Town Centre CDP.  The Amendment would replace the Area 7 Secondary Plan in Volume 2A of the Official Plan with a new South Nepean Town Centre Secondary Plan, which would be the new statutory planning document that would guide all future development within the Town Centre.  The South Nepean Town Centre Secondary Plan is a shortened version of the Community Design Plan and only contains the statutory portions of the Community Design Plan, which include Section 2.0 - Goals and Objectives; Section 4.0 - Land Use; Section 5.0 - Urban Design (not including the Design Guidelines); Section 6.0 - Transportation; Section 7.0 - Servicing; Section 8.0 - Implementation; and Schedules 1 through 6.  The Sections and Schedules identified above will be identical in both the Secondary Plan and the Community Design Plan.  The Community Design Plan will be the document used to guide development applications, given that it contains the urban design guidelines that City staff and proponents will use during the development review process. 

 

The Amendment would also make six revisions to the schedules within the Official Plan to account for revisions to the transportation network made as part of the CDP, and supported by  three concurrent Environmental Assessment studies, and also to incorporate a recommendation from the Urban Natural Feature Environmental Evaluation Study.  The revisions to the schedules within the Town Centre include:

 

 

While the lands identified as Mixed Use Centre on Schedule B of the Official Plan, located south of  Jock River, have historically been identified as being part of the Town Centre, they were not considered as part of the CDP study.  It was determined early in the study process that these lands would be more appropriately dealt with as part of the planning study for all of the lands south of the Jock River, the Barrhaven South Community Design Plan.  An Official Plan Amendment for the Barrhaven South CDP will redesignate these lands from Mixed Use Centre to General Urban Area.

 

 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

 

The Urban Natural Areas Environmental Evaluation Study identified Urban Natural Area #49, located along the Jock River, as a site worthy of protection.  The portion on the north side of the Jock River is largely owned by the City and, together with the remaining area, will be preserved as part of the District Park policy area that applies to the land within the CDP.  The proposed Official Plan Amendment in Document 5 seeks to redesignate these lands from "Major Open Space" to "Urban Natural Feature".  The larger portion of Urban Natural Area #49 that is south of the Jock River is being retained as part of the Barrhaven South Community Design Plan.

 

The large majority of the limited amount of existing tree cover in the Town Centre is located within the area identified as "Community Park".  The intent is to retain this area as a green and passive community level park.  The City currently owns a large portion of these lands and the CDP directs that the remainder of the land will be acquired through various means.

 

 

CONSULTATION

 

Altogether, six public meetings were held within the South Nepean community for both the Urban Design Strategy and the Community Design Plan.  Written comments received from these public meetings or throughout the process in general together with staff responses are summarized in Document 6.  Councillor Harder has been involved throughout the processes of both the Urban Design Strategy and the Community Design Plan.

 

Notification of the public meetings for both the Urban Design Strategy and the Community Design Plan was undertaken through general flyers, the study's mailing list, and the City's public consultation website.  Notification for the proposed Official Plan Amendment No. XX was carried out in accordance with the Public Notification and Public Consultation Policy approved by City Council for Official Plan Amendments.

 

The first and second public meetings were held as part of a design workshop held on March 31 and April 1, 2004 at the Jockvale Heritage Community Building and the Walter Baker Centre.  At this workshop, participants had the opportunity to examine the existing conditions, establish fundamental design principles, and develop and review preliminary land use concepts.  Approximately 50 people attended the workshop.

 

The third public meeting was an open house held on June 23, 2004 at the Walter Baker Centre.  At this open house, an evaluation of the optional concepts, a preliminary land use plan, and a set of draft recommendations were presented for review and comment.  Approximately 50 people attended the open house.

 

The fourth public meeting was an open house held on October 6, 2005 at the Walter Baker Centre, as part of the Ward Councillor's community open house.  At this open house, the final draft version of the Urban Design Strategy document and the next steps for the Community Design Plan were presented for review and comment and copies of the draft Urban Design Strategy were available.  Approximately 60 people attended the Town Centre exhibit at the open house.

 

The fifth public meeting was an open house held on January 26, 2005 as part of the Ward Councillor's community open house.  At this open house, the projected changes to the community structure plan and the next steps for the Community Design Plan were identified.  Copies of the final Urban Design Strategy were available.  Approximately 50 people attended the Town Centre exhibit at the open house .

 

The sixth public meeting was held on April 6, 2006 at the Walter Baker Centre as part of the Ward Councillor's community open house.  At this open house, the  draft version of the Community Design Plan was presented for review and comment.  Copies of the draft Community Design Plan were available to those interested.  Approximately 100 people attended the Town Centre exhibit at the open house.

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

Development Charges - General

The development of major servicing infrastructure, parks and recreational trails within the South Nepean Town Centre will be financed as per the new City of Ottawa Development Charges By-law.

 

Development Charges - Parks

In any particular year, new park construction within the Town Centre and Barrhaven South will be implemented based on availability of DC revenues from growth, needs in the area, and other priorities that may arise from time to time.  Based on current unit projections in both growth areas and anticipated park development costs, all proposed parks within the Town Centre and Barrhaven South can be implemented without an impact to other park development accounts.

 

Civic Complex

The City of Ottawa's Recreation Infrastructure Strategy and Project Listing includes a new recreation complex in Southeast Nepean to service growth.  The time horizon for implementation will be dependent on growth patterns and Long Range Financial Plan funding availability.  This complex is not likely to be funded for construction until at least 2011. 

 

The Parks and Recreation Department expects the need for additional destination types of civic installations, such as a library, a theatre, and cultural program spaces, within the interim and ultimate build out of the Town Centre.  The site reserved for a Civic Complex may prove to be the most suitable site for such installations as well.  Only the funding of the recreation component of the Civic Complex is eligible for recovery of development charges.  The funding of the other civic installations is ineligible for the recovery of development charges and is currently not included in the Long Range Financial Plan and therefore will be subject to future budget considerations.

 

Infrastructure and Utilities

The Town Centre's envisioned urban form will likely incur additional costs for development in terms of street infrastructure and utilities compared to traditional suburban communities.  The initial capital costs of emplacing all infrastructure will be covered by a combination of the conditions of development and development charges.

 

Street infrastructure

The CDP proposes two elements for street infrastructure that depart from traditional suburban development practices in Ottawa:

(1)   Rear lanes, either privately or publicly owned, are one preferred method in the CDP for vehicular access to development blocks, in order to improve the pedestrian realm and the overall aesthetics of the streetscape.  The Town Centre will not be entirely rear lane based given other methods of access are also permitted, depending on market preference, such as rear parking areas accessed from the public street.  The estimated incremental cost for operations and maintenance for any publicly-owned rear lanes is approximately $9,600 per kilometre, which includes $7,120 for snow removal, $1,370 for general maintenance, and $1,100 for streetlighting.  The estimated incremental cost for capital rehabilitation and replacement for publicly-owned rear lanes is $10,000 per kilometre per year, which would be reflected through adjustments in the Long Range Financial Plan. 

(2)   The CDP, following the existing policy direction in the Area 7 Secondary Plan, proposes sidewalks on both sides of all local streets. This policy is based on fact that densities in the Town Centre will generally be between three to ten times greater than those in traditional suburban communities and thus pedestrian activity will be much higher.    The estimated incremental costs for operations and maintenance of an additional sidewalk is $3,000 per kilometre, but may be up to $8,000 per kilometre depending on the configuration of the right-of-way.  The estimated incremental cost for capital rehabilitation and replacement is $2,500 per kilometre per year.

 

Utilities

The CDP is based on the full burial of main trunk hydro lines within the Town Centre, with the exception of the line along Strandherd Drive.  As per Hydro Ottawa’s electrical expansion assessment of the Town Centre four new trunk lines would be needed: one along Greenbank Road, one along Chapman Mills Drive, one along the Longfields Drive, and one in the southern portion of the Town Centre between Greenbank Road and Longfields Drive. A commitment has already been made regarding the burial of the trunk line along Chapman Mills Drive, given the requirements of the LRT route.  Hydro Ottawa has confirmed that they will continue to work with the City in implementing the burial of underground lines within the Town Centre to achieve the CDPs design objectives, provided that funding is available for such initiatives.  Following the approval of the CDP, funding mechanisms would have to be established to cover the additional expenses.

 

 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

 

Document 1 -   Map of South Nepean Town Centre CDP study area

Document 2 -   Area 7 Secondary Plan – Land Use Plan

Document 3 -   South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy – Structure Plan

Document 4 -   South Nepean Town Centre CDP – Land Use Plan and Urban Design Demonstration Plan

Document 5 -   Proposed Official Plan Amendment No. XX

Document 6 -   Summary of Submitted Comments

Document 7 -   Civic Facilities

Document 8 -   South Nepean Town Centre Community Design Plan (submitted under separate cover)

 

 

DISPOSITION

 

1.         Department of Corporate Services, Secretariat Services shall forward the South Nepean Community Design Plan to Council for approval prior to its approval of Official Plan Amendment No. XX.

 

2.         Department of Corporate Services shall forward the implementing by-law to City Council, upon request from the Planning and Growth Management Department, as per Recommendation 2 of this report.

 

3.         Planning and Growth Management Department shall issue the Notice of Decision within 15 days of City Council adopting the implementing by-law for Official Plan Amendment No. XX.

 

4.                  Planning and Growth Management Department, through the next general update of Official Plan, shall revise Annex 3 to the Official Plan to indicate that the South Nepean Town Centre is subject to a Community Design Plan.

 

DOCUMENT 1

 

MAPS OF SOUTH NEPEAN TOWN CENTRE CDP STUDY AREA                                         

 

Map of study area within South Nepean community

 

Map of study area within Official Plan - Schedule B

DOCUMENT 2

 

AREA 7 SECONDARY PLAN – LAND USE PLAN

(ADAPTED FROM SCHEDULE A2)                                                                                            

 

The Land Use Plan from the Area 7 Secondary Plan represents the existing, approved land use policy that applies for lands within the Town Centre.  Nepean City Council approved the Area 7 Secondary Plan in 1997.  The Area 7 Secondary Plan has remained as the statutory planning document guiding development within the Town Centre since its approval in 1997, after being readopted by the City of Ottawa in 2002 and reconfirmed in the Official Plan (May 2003), Volume 2A.

 

DOCUMENT 3

 

SOUTH NEPEAN TOWN CENTRE URBAN DESIGN STRATEGY –

STRUCTURE PLAN                                                                                                                        

 

The Urban Design Strategy was initiated as a land use and design study that would inform the preparation of the South Nepean Town Centre Community Design Plan.  The final document for the Urban Design Strategy is only considered a background document, and is not considered policy.  The Structure Plan within the document shown here illustrates the potential ultimate buildout of the Town Centre based on the recommended built form.

 

DOCUMENT 4

 

SOUTH NEPEAN TOWN CENTRE CDP - LAND USE PLAN AND

URBAN DESIGN DEMONSTRATION PLAN                                                                            

 

The South Nepean Town Centre CDP represents the new land use and policy direction for the Town Centre, based on the recommendations of the Urban Design Strategy.  The Land Use Plan provides the land use policy framework for future development, while the Urban Design Demonstration Plan illustrates the potential ultimate buildout based on the land use policies, urban design policies and urban design guidelines expressed within the CDP.

 

Land Use Plan

Urban Design Demonstration Plan

 

DOCUMENT 5

 

PROPOSED OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. XX                                                            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Official Plan Amendment XX Modifications du Plan directeur

 

To the Official Plan of the City of Ottawa

 

 

 

 

 

Land use

Utilisation du sol

 

INDEX

 

                                                                                            Page

THE STATEMENT OF COMPONENTS                              

 

PART A - THE PREAMBLE

1.0       Purpose                                                                       

2.0       Location                                                                      

3.0       Basis                                                                           

 

 

PART B - THE AMENDMENT

1.0       Introduction                                                                 

2.0       Details                                                                         

3.0       Implementation                                                

 

 

ATTACHMENT 1                                                                  

 

SCHEDULE 1                                                                        

SCHEDULE 2                                                                        

SCHEDULE 3                                                                        

SCHEDULE 4                                                                        

SCHEDULE 5                                                                        

 

THE STATEMENT OF COMPONENTS

 

PART A – THE PREAMBLE, introduces the actual Amendment but does not constitute part of Amendment No. XX to the Official Plan (2003) of the City of Ottawa.

 

PART B – THE AMENDMENT, consisting of text and schedules, constitutes the actual Amendment No. XX to the Official Plan (2003) of the City of Ottawa.

 

PART A - THE PREAMBLE

 

1.0       Purpose

The purpose of Amendment No. XX is to replace the existing Secondary Plan for the South Nepean Town Centre (Area 7) within Volume 2A of the Official Plan (2003) with the South Nepean Town Centre Community Design Plan, a new Secondary Plan for the area, and also to make revisions to four schedules within the Official Plan, regarding cycling, transit, road and recreational routes, resulting from the new transportation network proposed within the Town Centre.

 

2.0       Location

The subject lands are located within the South Nepean Town Centre between Strandherd Drive to the north, the Jock River to the south, the Kennedy Burnett Stormwater Management Facility to the west, and the future extension of Jockvale-Longfields Drive to the east.  The subject lands are approximately 165 hectares in size.  The subject lands are largely designated as Mixed Use Centre (Town Centre) within the Official Plan while lands along the Jock River are designated as Major Open Space.

 

3.0       Basis

The former City of Nepean adopted the “Secondary Plan for South Nepean Area 7” in 1997 following an integrated planning program that included transportation, servicing, environmental, and land use planning studies.  This Secondary Plan has been the statutory planning document that has guided development within the Town Centre since 1997. 

 

In February 2004, the City initiated the South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy to provide an updated direction for the Town Centre, given several issues that emerged since the Secondary Plan’s adoption such as the Official Plan’s new policy direction and new proposed rapid transit routes within the Town Centre.  The Urban Design Strategy was completed in December 2005.  Following the Urban Design Strategy’s completion, in January 2006 City staff initiated the South Nepean Town Centre Community Design Plan (CDP) based on the recommendations of the Urban Design Strategy.  The CDP will guide the development of the Town Centre as a compact, mixed-use, walkable, pedestrian-scaled, and transit-supportive community. 

 

The Planning and Growth Management Department are proposing that the key components of the CDP be adopted as a Secondary Plan to the City of Ottawa Official Plan (2003), which would be the statutory land use planning document guiding future decisions concerning the Town Centre.  The Department is seeking to adopt parts of the CDP as a new Secondary Plan in order to give the same status as the previous planning document, the Area 7 Secondary Plan, given the importance of certain elements of the Plan, such as minimum heights or the road pattern, for achieving the overall vision for the Town Centre.

 

Official Plan Amendment No. XX will implement the new policy direction by replacing the existing Secondary Plan in Volume 2A of the Official Plan with the new South Nepean Town Centre Secondary Plan and also by revising certain schedules in the Official Plan to reflect Secondary Plan.  The changes to the schedules include:

 

·          Redesignating some lands on Schedule B north of the Jock River from "Major Open Space" to "Urban Natural Feature", reflecting Urban Natural Feature #49 from the Urban Natural Features Environmental Assessment Study;

·          Changing “On-Road Cycling Routes” on Schedule C to follow the future alignments of Longfields Drive and Greenbank Road;

·          Realigning the "Future Transit Corridors: Alignment Undefined" on Schedule D to along both the future Southwest Transit Corridor/Greenbank Road and also along the future Chapman Mills Drive;

·          Adding "Proposed Collectors" on Schedule E for five roads within the Town Centre;

·          Changing the “Proposed Major Collector” to "Proposed Collector" on Schedule E reflecting the 'new' Jockvale Road; and

·          Removing the “Major Recreational Pathway” on Schedule I along existing Greenbank Road and Jockvale Road within the Town Centre.

 

PART B - THE AMENDMENT

 

1.0       Introduction

All of this part of this document entitled Part B – THE AMENDMENT, consisting of the following changes, constitutes Amendment No. XX to the Official Plan (2003) of the City of Ottawa.

 

2.0       Details

The City of Ottawa Official Plan is hereby amended as follows:

(1)   Volume 2A of the Official Plan is amended by removing the “Secondary Plan for the South Nepean Area 7”;

(2)   Volume 2A of the Official Plan is amended by adding the “South Nepean Town Centre Secondary Plan” in Attachment 1 of this Amendment as a Secondary Plan to the Official Plan;

(3)   Schedule B of the Official Plan is amended to reflect Schedule 1 of this Amendment;

(4)   Schedule C of the Official Plan is amended to reflect Schedule 2 of this Amendment;

(5)   Schedule D of the Official Plan is amended to reflect Schedule 3 of this Amendment;

(6)   Schedule E of the Official Plan is amended to reflect Schedule 4 of this Amendment; and

(7)   Schedule I of the Official Plan is amended to reflect Schedule 5 of this Amendment.

 

3.0       Implementation

The amendment shall be implemented by the powers conferred upon the City of Ottawa by the Planning Act, Municipal Act, and any other statutes that may apply.

 

Attachment 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


South Nepean Town Centre

Secondary Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 2006

 

Community Planning and Design Division

Planning and Growth Management Department

 

 

 

Section 1.0 – Introduction

1.1       Secondary Plan Area

The South Nepean Town Centre is an area of approximately 165 hectares in size located in the southern portion of the City of Ottawa’s urban area.  The Town Centre’s northern boundary is Strandherd Drive, its western boundary is the Kennedy-Burnett Stormwater Management Facility, its eastern boundary is the future extension of Longfields Drive, and its southern boundary is the Jock River.  The established residential communities of Barrhaven and Longfields surround the Town Centre to the north; the partially developed Chapman Mills community and established Heart’s Desire community is adjacent to the east; the existing Stonebridge community is to the southeast; the proposed Barrhaven South community is to the southwest; and the undeveloped “Area 8” lands are to the west.

 

The large majority of the study area is currently undeveloped.  The Barrhaven Town Centre and RioCan Marketplace, large-format retail projects to the west and east of Greenbank Road, respectively, have been substantially completed along Strandherd Drive and St. Joseph Secondary School was recently constructed along Greenbank Road.  There are existing residences along Greenbank Road, both in the centre of the Town Centre and further south adjacent to the Jock River.  Existing farm operations and commercial businesses make up the remainder of land uses within the Town Centre.  The study area is largely comprised of unwooded field areas, with the exception of wooded areas immediately surrounding the Jock River.

 

1.2       Background

The former City of Nepean initiated a detailed visioning exercise for the Town Centre in the early 1990s.  Resulting from this exercise, Nepean City Council endorsed the Nepean South Urban Activity Centre Concept Design Report in 1994 as the vision for the Town Centre’s future development.  Subsequently, Nepean undertook an integrated planning program, including transportation, servicing, environmental, and land use planning studies that resulted in the adoption of the Area 7 Secondary Plan by Nepean City Council in 1997.  The Secondary Plan established land use policies, residential densities, built form requirements and urban design guidelines.  The Area 7 Secondary Plan has remained as the statutory planning document guiding development within the Town Centre since its approval in 1997, after being readopted by the City of Ottawa in 2002 and reconfirmed in the Official Plan (May 2003), Volume 2A.

 

However much has changed since the approval of the Area 7 Secondary Plan in 1997. Several significant large-format retail projects have been constructed along Strandherd Drive, a new land use policy direction was established in the Official Plan with a particular emphasis on urban design, and new strategic directions for rapid transit routes have been established for the Town Centre.  The emergence of these issues necessitated the preparation of an updated land use and design vision for the Town Centre. 

 

The South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy was initiated in 2004 to provide this updated vision.  The Urban Design Strategy outlines the goals and objectives, describes the land use structure plan and its structuring elements, identifies a series of urban design principles to follow, and provides direction for implementation.  The Urban Design Strategy was completed in 2005 and was the visioning document that guided the preparation of the South Nepean Town Centre Community Design Plan (CDP).  The Urban Design Strategy is not considered planning policy. 

 

The Town Centre CDP was prepared based on the recommendations of the Urban Design Strategy.  As part of the Town Centre CDP process, some modifications to the Strategy’s land use vision were required to account for new street and transit alignments that were provided by several Environmental Assessment (EA) studies after the completion of the Strategy.  These EA studies provided more detailed direction for Chapman Mills Drive (North-South Light Rail EA), Greenbank Road (Greenbank Road EA), Longfields Drive (Jockvale-Longfields Extension EA), and the Southwest Transitway corridor (Southwest Transitway Extension EA).  These modifications to the Town Centre structure were made in keeping with the overall vision presented by the Urban Design Strategy. 

 

The South Nepean Town Centre Secondary Plan is based entirely on the key components of the South Nepean Town Centre Community Design Plan.  All goals, objectives, policies and schedules are the same in both documents.  The Community Design Plan contains non-statutory components such as urban design guidelines.

 

 

Section 2.0 – Goals and Objectives

The foundation of the Secondary Plan is a set of goals and objectives that provide the framework for future development in the Town Centre, based on the Urban Design Strategy.  The goals and objectives expressed in Sections 2.1 to 2.6 are not prioritized and are overlapping, thus they must be considered together when making land use and design decisions regarding the Town Centre.

 

2.1   Goal 1 – Compact Urban Form

Goal:     Development that reflects a dense, compact and transit-supportive built form.

Objectives:

(1)   To develop a focal point within South Nepean to provide a common identity and focus for surrounding communities;

(2)   To support the viability of transit by coordinating land use, transportation infrastructure and urban design in a mutually complementary manner;

(3)   To facilitate the development, intensification, and redevelopment of the Town Centre in an urban fashion, including buildings, streetscapes and open spaces; and

(4)   To provide flexibility for the use of land, including opportunities for retail and office commercial, residential, institutional and community buildings.

 

2.2   Goal 2 – High Quality Urban Design

Goal:     High-quality urban design for all development, both public and private.

Objectives:

(1)   To achieve high quality urban design for development that reflects the role of the Town Centre as South Nepean focus;

(2)   To create a strong community image by enhancing the character of the built environment including building design and massing, signage, and planting;

(3)   To provide a transition between areas with different densities within the Town Centre and also between the Town Centre and adjacent lower density communities;

(4)   To develop attractive streetscapes during the design of the public realm, built form, streetscapes and other public areas; and

(5)   To encourage the use of ‘green’ technologies in the design of new buildings and infrastructure.

 

2.3   Goal 3 – Mixture of Land Uses

Goal:     Provision of a broad range of retail, office, institutional, and residential uses.

Objectives:

(1)   To promote the development of a mixed-use area to create an attractive working and living atmosphere;

(2)   To provide a variety of low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise building forms in order to provide different household types with housing choices;

(3)   To provide an adequate supply of affordable housing for moderate-income and low-income households within the Town Centre;

(4)   To ensure that residential and non-residential uses are compatible and complementary to each other;

(5)   To encourage the establishment of social services, parks, public facilities and public transit services in locations which are conveniently accessible; and

(6)   To provide a sufficient number of employment opportunities within the Town Centre to enable residents in South Nepean to work within the community.

 

2.4   Goal 4 – Diverse Greenspace Network

Goal:     Provision of a diverse greenspace network.

Objectives:

(1)   To establish a range of recreation opportunities to meet the needs of the resident and worker population;

(2)   To design parks and open spaces to complement a compact, urban environment;

(3)   To develop a pedestrian and bicycle network that connects parks, public buildings, stormwater management areas, local streets, the Jock River and surrounding communities; and

(4)   To protect the ecological health and integrity of the Jock River and surrounding natural features.

 

2.5   Goal 5 – Efficient Transportation System

Goal:   Provision of an efficient, multi-modal transportation network.

Objectives:

(1)   To incorporate rapid transit routes within a compact, urban built environment in order to increase public transit ridership and to reduce traffic congestion, energy costs and pollution.

(2)   To develop a grid of continuous and interconnected arterial, collector and local streets and laneways facilitating efficient movement by all modes of transportation.

(3)   To develop a pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined, and bicycle-friendly system of streets that is well connected to public facilities, parks, commercial areas and surrounding communities.

(4)   To provide a system of on-street parking to support ground floor uses, particularly retail commercial uses, while avoiding large surface parking areas.

 

2.6   Goal 6 – Anticipation of Growth

Goal:   A logical progression of development from initial phases to a mature state reflecting the envisioned urban form.   

Objectives:

(1)   To permit interim forms of development to occur while protecting for the achievement of the Town Centre’s ultimate built form; and

(2)   To ensure that infrastructure improvements are comprehensively planned to address the needs of development within the Town Centre; and

(3)   To ensure that the City promotes and participates in the early development of the public realm, including public buildings, high order transit services, on-street parking, and urban squares and plazas; and

(4)   To ensure that the establishment of the Town Centre as a transit focal point for South Nepean is maintained and protected.

 

 

 

 

 

Section 3.0 – Land Use Plan

The land use policies in this Section set the framework for land use planning within the Town Centre.  Based on these policies, the Town Centre could accommodate over 22,000 residents and over 12,000 employment opportunities (see Tables 2 and 3) at ultimate build-out.  The success of the Town Centre will not be judged in the short term, but will be determined in the long-term timeframe when the ultimate build-out as envisioned by this Secondary Plan would occur. 

 

3.1   General Land Use Policies

The land use plan contained in Schedule 1 is comprised of eight land use policy areas, described in Sections 3.2 through 3.9.  These policy areas identify the intent, permitted uses, and land use policies for specific areas of the Town Centre.  The general land use policies in this Section apply to all eight policy areas within the Town Centre.

 

Policies

For all lands within the Town Centre:

(1)   The “Generally Permitted Uses” in Section 3.1 of the Official Plan are permitted in all of the policy areas.  Additionally, all municipal facilities and utilities shall be permitted in all land use policy areas.

(2)   Parking standards will be determined by the Zoning By-law and will be guided by Section 3.4 (7).

(3)   Affordable housing targets for residential developments are expressed in Section 8.6.

(4)   The density targets identified in Sections 3.2 through 3.6 are ultimate build out targets and are to be considered on an area basis and not by each development block.  While these targets may not be achieved from the outset, it must be demonstrated, as per Section 8.3, how these targets could be met in the long-term timeframe.

(5)   The urban design policies and urban design guidelines in Section 4.0 apply to all development, subject to Sections 3.2(7) and 3.3(5).

(6)   The following uses are not permitted, except for sites within the “Strandherd Retail District” that have existing zoning or master site plan permissions permitting such uses:

(a)    Individual retail uses in stand-alone buildings with ground floor plates greater than 5,750 square metres;

(b)   Gas stations;

(c)    Drive-through facilities; and,

(d)   Retail uses that require outdoor storage, with the exception of a seasonal garden centre ancillary to another permitted retail use.

(7)   Private plazas will be encouraged for all private sector developments.  Their actual size, configuration and design will be subject to confirmation by the City during the approval process.  Private plazas:

(a)    Include a range of forms, such as patios, terraces, and courtyards;

(b)   Will not be used as part of parkland dedication;

(c)    Will not be designated as separate open space blocks on the land use plan; and

(d)   Will be encouraged to be surrounded by built form edges and be connected with landscaped mid-block connections or pedestrian mews. 


Table 1 – Land Use Distribution

Policy Area

Net Area (hectares)

% of Total Area

High Rise Mixed-Use

26.5

16.1%

Mid Rise Mixed-Use

34.2

20.7%

High Rise Residential

3.4

2.1%

Mid Rise Residential

21.9

13.2%

School

7.9

4.8%

Civic Complex

2.2

1.3%

District Park

21.6

13.1%

Neighbourhood Park

4.5

2.7%

Streets

42.8

25.9%

Total

165.0

100.0%

 

Table 2 – Dwelling Type Distribution

Dwelling Type

# of Dwellings

% of Total Dwellings

Phase 2

 

 

Street Townhouses

1,000

14%

Stacked Townhouses

750

10%

Apartments

5,500

76%

Total

7,250

100%

 

 

 

Phase 3

 

 

Street Townhouses

1,000

9%

Stacked Townhouses

750

7%

Apartments

9,300

84%

Total

11,050

100%

 

Table 3 – Land Use Statistics

Phase

Retail Gross Floor Area (m2)

Office Gross Floor Area (m2)

# of Dwelling Units

Population

Employment

Phase 1 – Initial

78,000

1,000

0

0

1,000

Phase 2 – Interim Built Out

208,250

158,250

7,250

14,500

7,300

Phase 3 – Ultimate Build Out

217,000

350,500

11,050

22,500

12,600

 

Notes:

(1)   Tables 2 and 3 indicate projections of different build out scenarios.  Given the long-term nature of the scenarios, these figures should only be considered as potential build out projections based on permissions by the policies in this CDP.

(2)   Numbers for each phase are total, not cumulative.

(3)   Phase 1 does not include the limited residential units currently within the Town Centre.

(4)   The type of units identified in Table 2 are intended to only illustrate the intensity of units, and not necessarily limit the form of units.

 

3.2   Policy Area – High Rise Mixed-Use

The High Rise Mixed-Use policy area represents the primary retail and mixed-use development area within the Town Centre.  The High Rise Mixed-Use policy area will be a lively and active mixed-use shopping district, with an emphasis on commercial and residential uses in the same building with retail uses located at-grade, but also single use retail and office commercial uses and residential apartments.

 

Policies

For the High Rise Mixed-Use policy area:

(1)   Apartments, a broad variety of retail, office and service commercial activities, public and institutional uses, schools, places of worship, and community facilities are permitted.

(2)   The minimum building height is 6 storeys and the maximum building height is 12 storeys.

(3)   The net density target for residential uses is 250 units per hectare.

(4)   The maximum lot coverage for stand-alone residential buildings is 30% of the total area of any block.

(5)   All building frontage along Greenbank Road and Chapman Mills Drive must have non-residential uses at grade.

(6)   The City will encourage that all buildings along the BRT route north of Chapman Mills Drive incorporate the route as much as possible into the design of the building, through such means as clear windows or secondary doors.

(7)   The above policies in Section 3.2 or the policies and guidelines of Section 4.0 do not apply to future development in the “Strandherd Retail District” that is permitted by existing zoning or master site plans, provided that this development does not jeopardize the long-term acquisition of the public streets identified on Schedule 2 or public parkland identified on Schedule 5.  For this new development, the City will still encourage the consideration of the urban design policies and guidelines in Section 4.0, as they may apply, during the development review process.

 

3.3   Policy Area – Mid Rise Mixed-Use

The Mid Rise Mixed-Use policy area represents a lower scale, mixed-use area within the Town Centre with the intent of establishing opportunities for live-work units and medium density housing forms.  The Mid Rise Mixed-Use policy area is intended to be a transition between the High Rise Mixed-Use policy area and the adjacent lower density residential neighbourhoods, both within the Town Centre an in surrounding communities.

 

Policies

For the Mid Rise Mixed-Use policy area:

(1)   Apartments, live-work units, retail, office and service commercial uses, public and institutional uses, schools, places of worship and community facilities are permitted.

(2)   The minimum building height is 4 storeys and the maximum building height is 6 storeys.

(3)   The net density target for residential uses is 200 units per hectare.

(4)   The maximum lot coverage for stand-alone residential buildings is 50% of the total area of any block.

(5)   The above policies in Section 3.3 or the policies and guidelines of Section 4.0 do not apply to future development in the “Strandherd Retail District” that is permitted by existing zoning or master site plans, provided that such development does not jeopardize the long-term acquisition of the public streets identified on Schedule 2 or public parkland identified on Schedule 5.  For this new development, the City will still encourage the consideration of the urban design policies and guidelines in Section 5.0, as they may apply, during the development review process.

 

3.4   Policy Area – High Rise Residential

The High Rise Residential policy area identifies sites within the Town Centre that will accommodate the highest density residential uses, located in proximity to the transit “hub”.  Apartment buildings will be the only residential type permitted.

 

Policies

For the High Rise Residential policy area:

(1)   Apartments are the only permitted use.  As part of an apartment building, retail, office and commercial uses at grade are also permitted.

(2)   The minimum building height is 6 storeys and the maximum building height is 12 storeys.

(3)   The net density target for residential uses is 300 units per hectare.

(4)   At least 90% of required parking for each development must be provided in parking structures, either above-grade or below-grade.

 

3.5   Policy Area – Mid Rise Residential

The Mid Rise Residential policy area is intended to accommodate the majority of the Town Centre’s ground-oriented multiple unit dwellings.  This policy area will provide an appropriate transition between the low density neighbourhoods surrounding the Town Centre to the higher intensity uses within it.

 

Policies

For the Mid Rise Residential policy area:

(1)   Apartments, street, block and stacked townhouses, public and institutional uses, schools, places of worship and community facilities are permitted.  Ground floor retail uses within a mixed-use building with residential uses above are permitted along Greenbank Road.

(2)   The minimum building height is 2 storeys and the maximum building height is 4 storeys.

(3)   The net density target for residential uses is 100 units per hectare.

 

3.6   Policy Area – Neighbourhood Park

The Neighbourhood Park policy area will include both public parks and public plazas.  The five public parks within the Town Centre will be designed to support the area’s urban nature, as accessible amenities with open frontages and clearly defined entrances that work within the grid pattern of streets and blocks.  The two public plazas within the Town Centre will be designed as predominately hard surfaced areas fronted by buildings in order to create a built form edge and generate pedestrian activity.

 

Policies

For the Neighbourhood Park policy area:

(1)   Public parks, public plazas, community facilities, and conservation uses are permitted.

(2)   The locations of the five public parks and the two public plazas are identified on Schedule 5. 

(3)   Acquisition of all neighbourhood parks will be as per Section 8.4 and Schedule 5.

(4)   Public parks must:

(a)    Generally be between 0.4 and 1.0 hectares of level land;

(b)   Have at least three sides that are entirely open to the street;

(c)    Not have rear or side yards adjacent on their fourth side;

(d)   Be designed with an emphasis on hard surfacing and seating areas as compared to traditional suburban neighbourhood parks; and

(e)    Not contain sports fields.

(5)   Public plazas must:

(a)    Generally be less than 0.4 hectares of level land;

(b)   Be landscaped with street trees and other vegetation and include seating areas with furniture;

(c)    Be considered as locations for public art;

(d)   Be designed with an emphasis on hard surfacing and seating areas as compared to traditional suburban neighbourhood parks; and

(e)    Not accommodate sports fields or traditional suburban play amenities. 

 

3.7   Policy Area – District Park

The District Park policy area will accommodate the establishment of “Half Moon Bay Park”, a large and natural park that is focused on passive recreation areas, but with some opportunities for active recreation uses.  Half Moon Bay Park will extend the entire width of the Town Centre along the Jock River and is intended to be a focal point of the greenspace system in the area, connecting with existing and future greenspace components in surrounding communities. 

 

Policies

For the District Park policy area:

(1)   Public parks, conservation management and control uses, trails, walkways and bicycle paths, educational facilities, sports fields and recreational facilities, existing uses as per Section 3.7(4), and buildings accessory to other permitted uses are permitted.  Active recreation facilities such as sports fields are also permitted as long as the general intent of this park is maintained. 

(2)   For the design of Half Moon Bay Park:

(a)    Pedestrian crossings of the river will be clearly defined;

(b)   Vehicular access will be limited to certain points and parking will be provided in small pods with significant landscaping;

(c)    The use of permeable surfaces for any hard-surfaced areas will be investigated;

(d)   Internal streets will be designed to be rural in character;

(e)    Public works will be located outside of natural features unless it is demonstrated that there is no reasonable alternative and then only if such works meet the requirements of the Official Plan; and

(f)     All uses will be designed to ensure limited disruption to natural features and an Environmental Impact Statement is required to establish the appropriate development buffer from any identified natural features on the site.

(3)   The City will work with the Conservation Authority, local interest groups, and interested advisory committees in the creation of a continuous, interconnected trail system and the protection and rehabilitation of identified natural features within Half Moon Bay Park.

(4)   Existing homes and commercial operations within the Community Park policy area are recognized as conforming uses, as per Section 3.3(4) of the Official Plan.  Landowners have the right to improve the properties in conformity with the existing zoning standards on the property.  The City intends to acquire these properties as per Section 7.4(9).

(5)   Half Moon Bay Drive will be designed as a “parkway” type of street, as per Section 6.2, with development only on its north side to ensure the preservation of views and vista of the park and the Jock River.

 

3.8   Policy Area – School

The School policy area will primarily accommodate school uses, but also can accommodate other community uses.  The School policy area provides the opportunity to locate facilities that will serve an important role in attracting people to the Town Centre, thus generating a high level of social activity.

 

Policies

For the School policy area:

(1)   Schools, community facilities, and places of worship are permitted.

(2)   The minimum building height is 2 storeys and the maximum building height is 6 storeys.

(3)   The alternative policy area for the site west of Greenbank Road is Mid Rise Residential if the site is not utilized for its intended purpose.

 

3.9   Policy Area – Civic Complex

The Civic Complex policy area will accommodate the development of a multi-purpose civic facility that will serve the broader South Nepean community.  The facility is located directly adjacent to the transit hub and together with the central public plaza and surrounding buildings will be the civic focus of the Town Centre.

 

Policies

For the Civic Complex policy area:

(1)   As part of a multi-purpose civic complex, a range of community uses is permitted, such as ice pads, swimming pools, courts, day cares, community halls, theatres, museums, libraries, or public health space, in addition to retail and office uses through joint arrangements with private sector partners.

(2)   The civic complex is intended to be urban in form, with buildings constructed close to the street and a majority of required parking accommodated in structured parking. 

(3)   The minimum building height is 2 storeys and the maximum building height is 6 storeys.

The alternative policy area for the Civic Complex site is High Rise Mixed-Use if the site is not utilized for its intended purpose.

Section 4.0 – Urban Design

High quality urban design within the Town Centre will be critical for achieving an urban environment with a compact built form, a wide range of different uses, a convergence of high order transit routes, and a strong civic identity for South Nepean. The framework for urban design within this Secondary Plan consists of both urban design policies and urban design guidelines.  Appendix C graphically illustrates the potential ultimate build out of the Town Centre based on the urban design policies and guidelines in this Section.  Appendix D illustrates this potential for the different phases of the Strandherd Retail District’s evolution.

 

4.1   Urban Design Policies

The following urban design policies apply to all development within the Town Centre, except where certain design policies would contradict Section 3.2(7) and 3.3(5) regarding the Strandherd Retail District.  They express the general objectives covering broader issues that must be met by all development.  The policies are general in nature to permit flexibility during the design process while ensuring a minimum urban design standard is met.

 

Policies

(1)                   Buildings must maximize the coverage of lots.

(2)                   Buildings must be at least two fully functioning storeys in height, with different areas having greater minimum building heights as per Section 4.0.

(3)                   Buildings must be functionally and visually oriented to the public street and sited to be parallel to the public street and generally aligned with neighbouring buildings.

(4)                   Principal building entrances must be oriented to the public street and not to rear parking areas or lanes.

(5)                   Building design must address issues of adequate sunlight, sky views, and wind conditions.

(6)                   Buildings must be developed with a substantial portion of any visible front façade from a public street within 5.0 metres of the respective property line.

(7)                   Building frontage must be maximized along all public streets.

(8)                   At-grade uses must be flush with grade and provide an active use at grade in order to promote pedestrian activity. 

(9)                   Spaces between the building wall and the street must provide an appropriate transition from the private realm to the public realm.

(10)      Buildings must have dynamic façades with limited areas of blank, featureless walls.

(11)      All parking, including surface, below-grade, and above-grade, must not detract from the aesthetic appearance of any public streetscape.

(12)      Buildings and structures located at key locations must be designed and massed to emphasize their locations.

 

4.2       Urban Design Guidelines

The urban design guidelines provide specific design guidance on particular issues and elements within the Town Centre.  The design guidelines are not considered a “design checklist”, but instead are to be applied on a case-by-case basis.  While not considered policy, the City will use these guidelines during the review of development applications. 

 

Policies:

(1)   All development must have regard to the urban design guidelines in Section 5.2 of the South Nepean Town Centre Community Design Plan. 


Section 5.0 – Transportation

The transportation network in the Town Centre will be an accessible and sustainable system focused on non-automobile modes of transportation, such as public transit, cycling and walking.  This transportation network contains four components: the transit network, the street network, the pedestrian and cyclist network, and the parking network.  The proper design of all components is critical to achieving the built form and urban design objectives for the Town Centre.

 

5.1   Transit Network

Two rapid transit lines will service the Town Centre, one oriented east to west and operated with light rail transit (LRT) and one oriented north to south and operated with bus rapid transit (BRT).  The LRT route will operate in the central lanes of Chapman Mills Drive that are divided from automobile traffic with landscaped medians.  The BRT will operate in a dedicated transit corridor north of Chapman Mills Drive, and in the central lanes of both Chapman Mills Drive and Greenbank Road south of Chapman Mills Drive.

 

Three LRT stations are proposed along Chapman Mills Drive: the eastern station at Longfields Drive; the central station at the LRT and BRT intersection; and the western station at Jockvale Road.  Three stops for the BRT are proposed within the Town Centre: one north of Chapman Mills Drive, one on Chapman Mills Drive, and one south of Chapman Mills Drive.  The transit focus of the South Nepean Town Centre is at the intersection of the LRT and BRT routes.  This transit “hub” will be a public transit focal point for the broader community, at which both residents within the Town Centre and transit users transferring from local buses serving nearby residential and commercial areas can access rapid transit services.  The transit network will evolve over time as the construction of the rapid transit lines, development within the Town Centre, and development within the surrounding residential and commercial areas occurs.

 

Policies

(1)   The proposed LRT and BRT alignments and station locations are identified on Schedule 3.  The alignment of the routes and the location of stations have been identified by Environmental Assessment studies prepared for both the westward extension of the North-South Light Rail Transit project and the Southwest Transitway Extension.

(2)   All development must follow the principles of transit-oriented development, including considerations for Section 4.3 of the Official Plan and urban design policies and guidelines of this Secondary Plan.

(3)   The City will undertake the development of a conceptual design plan for the transit “hub” at the intersection of the LRT and BRT routes, as per Section 7.6.  This design will illustrate how the transit “hub” will accommodate such elements as pedestrian travel routes, buildings close to the street, landscaping, street furniture, and the central public plaza.

(4)   Park & Ride facilities will not be located within the Town Centre in the long-term.

(5)   In the short-term, arterial, major collector, and collector streets will accommodate local transit services that provide service to the existing termini of the rapid transit network.  In the long-term, the rapid transit facilities will carry most of the frequent and long distance services while the local transit service will be changed to local service to the Town Centre and may be removed from some streets altogether.

 

5.2   Street Network

The street network is organized to connect the Town Centre with surrounding communities, provide a pattern of regular development blocks, and integrate different neighbourhoods within the Town Centre.  The basis of the street network is a hierarchical grid pattern of interconnected arterial streets, collector streets, local streets, and rear lanes.  Arterial streets will have the largest capacities for moving traffic throughout and surrounding the Town Centre.  Collector streets will connect different neighbourhoods within the Town Centre and carry traffic between local and arterial streets.  Local streets are shorter in length and primarily function to distribute traffic to individual properties.  Rear lanes are intended only to provide rear access to parking areas and garages for a particular block.  They are intended to carry minimal traffic capacity, and generally perform an urban design function by removing the prominence of driveways and garages from the primary streetscape.

 

Policies

(1)   The proposed street network of arterial, major collector, collector and local streets is shown on Schedule 2.

(2)   Proposed right-of-ways for all streets and lanes within the Town Centre are identified in Table 4.

(3)   All public streets in the Town Centre will be constructed in accordance with approved City of Ottawa standards.  New street standards may need to be approved to match the vision identified by the Secondary Plan.

(4)   Full access intersections with arterial streets will be limited to certain points, as defined through further study as part of the development approval process.  At a minimum, the remaining access points will have “right-in, right-out” functions.

(5)   The grid of arterial, major collector, and collector streets will be built to a design standard that will accommodate convenient regular transit service.  Streets must be configured to ensure that bus operations are not delayed by any auto traffic congestion that may occur.  This includes avoiding the use of bus bulges where there is on-street parking, avoiding the use of bus bays, and using transit priority signals at busy intersections. 

(6)   The City will work with affected landowners during the design of major roads to address issues of access and circulation to existing buildings.

Text Box: Table 4: Proposed right-of-ways for the Town Centre Street Street Type Right-of-way (metres) Greebank Road (south)1 Arterial 41.0 Longfields Drive Arterial 37.5 Greenbank Road (north) 1 Arterial 32.0 Chapman Mills Drive Major Collector 41.0 Commercial Street2 Collector/Local 20.0 Residential Street2 Collector/Local 20.0 Half Moon Bay Drive3 Local 20.0 Commercial Lane Rear lane 9.5 Residential Lane Rear lane 8.5 Notes: 1 The dividing line for north and south on Greebank Road is Chapman Mills Drive. 2 Both collectors and local streets will have 20.0 metre right-of-ways throughout the Town Centre. 2 Half Moon Bay Drive will be entirely single-loaded, with development only on its northern side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.3   Pedestrians and Cyclist Network

The pedestrian and cyclist system will be safe and accessible for all users, it will work well with the surrounding built form, and it will be connected to various destinations within the Town Centre and in adjacent communities.  The pedestrian system within the Town Centre will be comprised of both sidewalks along streets and walking or multi-use trails throughout parks and natural areas, while the bicycle system within the Town Centre will be comprised of both dedicated routes along major streets and also multi-use trails throughout parks and natural areas.

 

Policies

(1)   All streets will have sidewalks on both sides.

(2)   The development of streets must include safe, convenient and attractive facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, with connections to transit stops and linkages between buildings, adjacent sites, surrounding areas and public streets.

(3)   An adequate supply of bicycle parking, as per the applicable zoning by-law, must be provided near transit stops, in high activity areas, in parks, and in locations linked to the pedestrian and cyclist network.

 

5.4   Parking

Parking within the Town Centre will be noticeably different than in conventional suburban sites. Parking within the Town Centre will be largely accommodated by parking structures, both above and below-grade, and on-street parking in order to avoid the preponderance of large surface parking areas that detract from the streetscape aesthetics and to maximize the available land for development. 

 

Policies

(1)   Access for surface parking and loading from rear lanes is preferred for all development and will be encouraged during the development review process.  While this Secondary Plan permits different alternatives for parking and access, parking must:

(a)    Not be located between the public right-of-way and the front of the adjacent building, or the front and exterior side for corner sites;

(b)   Have a limited number of access points from the primary street to reduce conflicts with the pedestrian realm; and

(c)    Not detract from the aesthetic appearance of any streetscape.

(2)   The City will encourage sharing of parking facilities, subject to evaluation.

(3)   Underground parking will be encouraged for all development, regardless of policies in Section 3.0 concerning minimum requirements for underground parking.

(4)   On-street parking on both sides of all streets within the Town Centre is permitted.  Restrictions, such as peak hour restrictions, may be required on major streets in the long-term.  

(5)   Cash-in-lieu of parking will be considered by the City within the Town Centre, with the minimum parking requirements used as the benchmark for the calculation of required parking.

(6)   Parking requirements for any individual non-residential development do not necessarily need to be provided on the same lot, or on a lot contiguous to the development.  Required parking for any development within the Town Centre may be provided within 500 metres of the development that is being served by the parking facility subject to the approval of the City.

(7)   Parking standards throughout the Town Centre will be based on reduced standards in support of transit-oriented development, as determined by the Zoning By-law.  For the Town Centre, the parking targets are as follows:

(a)    A minimum of 3.75 and a maximum of 4.25 spaces per 100 square metres of gross floor area for all retail commercial uses;

(b)   A minimum of 2.5 and a maximum of 3.0 spaces per 100 square metres of gross floor area for all office commercial uses;

(c)    A minimum of 1.0 and a maximum of 1.75 spaces per unit, which includes visitor parking, for all condominium based residential uses; and

(d)   A minimum of 1.0 and maximum of 2.0 spaces per unit for freehold residential uses.

(8)   City staff will prepare a parking strategy for the Town Centre following the approval of this Secondary Plan.  The strategy will provide specific direction for such elements as on-street parking, municipal parking lots or facilities, and reductions in parking requirements.

Section 6.0 – Servicing

6.1   Wastewater and Water Supply

For sanitary requirements, the Town Centre will be serviced through a connection to the existing South Nepean Collector, near the intersection of Jockvale Road with the Jock River.  The City of Ottawa completed a functional design of this connection in 2003 and the first phase to the existing Jockvale Road at the crossing of the Jock River was constructed in 2005.   For water supply requirements, the Town Centre will be serviced with potable water through the reservoir and pumping station on Fallowfield Road.  This is connected to the City of Ottawa’s central purification plant on the Ottawa River through the trunk watermain in Woodroffe Avenue. 

 

Policies

(1)   All development will be undertaken in accordance with the Infrastructure Master Plan, the Serviceability Report prepared in support of the South Nepean Town Centre Design Urban Design Strategy, and City of Ottawa standards for wastewater and water supply servicing.

(2)   The sanitary servicing system illustrated in Schedule 6 is only conceptual given the long timeframe of the Town Centre’s development and that parts of this development may go through stages of redevelopment as the Town Centre matures into its ultimate form. This evolution may require re-consideration of the alignment of the local collection system to accommodate the different phases of development.

 

6.2   Stormwater Management

A redesigned Kennedy-Burnett Stormwater Management Facility will service the western portion of the Town Centre with a trunk storm sewer in the adjacent street to the east of the facility and in the next east-west street north of Half Moon Bay Drive.  A functional redesign of the existing facility will be required in order to service the ultimate area tributary to this facility.  A new facility adjacent to the eastern side of Longfields Drive, north of the Jock River will service the eastern portion of the Town Centre through a trunk storm sewer in Longfields Drive that terminates just south of Strandherd Drive.  The final design of this facility will determine its exact configuration.

 

Policies

(1)   All development must be undertaken in accordance with the Infrastructure Master Plan, the Serviceability Report prepared in support of the South Nepean Town Centre Design Urban Design Strategy, and with current City of Ottawa standards for stormwater management.

(2)   The configuration and sizing for stormwater management facilities will be defined by stormwater management plans as part of subdivision plans for the eastern stormwater management facility, and a functional design study completed by the City for the redesigned Kennedy-Burnett Stormwater Management Facility.

(3)   The stormwater drainage system must be designed to the satisfaction of the City, in consultation with the Conservation Authority, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of the Environment and Energy, as required.

(4)   Stormwater management facilities must be designed as attractive community amenities that maintain environmental and ecological integrity in accordance with the urban design policies and urban design guidelines in Section 4.0.

 

6.3   Utilities

The placement of all utilities to service development will be arranged to support the built form and urban design objectives of the Secondary Plan.  Main hydro trunk lines are expected to be underground, while other utility infrastructure will be designed into the built form, underground, or as part of the streetscape wherever possible.

 

Policies

(1)   The Secondary Plan, with the exception of Strandherd Drive, is based on full underground servicing for electrical utilities.  The City will work will Hydro Ottawa regarding underground servicing and the required main utility infrastructure, including planning for such elements as costing and utility location space requirements.  Changes to the Community Design Plan and Secondary Plan may ultimately be required if this fundamental premise of full underground servicing is not achievable.

(2)   Prior to approval of development, all interested utilities and telecommunications providers must confirm if services can be provided to support the proposed development and must also determine appropriate locations for large utility equipment or utility cluster sites.

(3)   All utility equipment must be designed with consideration for the overall aesthetics of the streetscape, as per the urban design guidelines.

Section 7.0 – Implementation

7.1   Administration and Interpretation

This CDP is a statement of land use planning policy that is intended to guide the development of the South Nepean Town Centre. Some flexibility in interpretation is permitted, provided the general intent of the goals and policies of this Plan are maintained to the City’s satisfaction.

 

Policies

(1)   The entire CDP will be the guiding document used by the City during the development review process, given it includes such elements as urban design guidelines.

(2)   This Secondary Plan will be implemented by the powers conferred upon the City of Ottawa by the Planning Act, the Municipal Act, and any other applicable statutes, and will be implemented in accordance with the applicable policies of the Official Plan (2003) of the City of Ottawa.

(3)   Where lists or examples of permitted uses are provided in Section 3.0 of this Secondary Plan, they are intended to illustrate a general range and type of uses.  Specific uses that are not listed but are considered by the City to be similar to the listed uses and to conform to the general intent of the applicable land use policy area are permitted.

 

7.2   Development Approvals

While implementation of the Secondary Plan will be multi-faceted in approach, traditional land use planning processes, including zoning, plan of subdivision, and site plan processes, will be the primary method of implementing the policies of this Secondary Plan. 

 

Policies

(1)   Development applications must meet the policies identified in Section 4 of the Official Plan, as they may apply.

(2)   The goals, objectives and policies of this Secondary Plan will direct all development applications within the Town Centre.  The urban design guidelines will be used by the City to inform the development review process and provide specific guidance, but are not considered policy. 

(3)   All development in the Town Centre is subject to site plan control in accordance with the City’s Site Plan Control By-law.

(4)   Council must enact a by-law providing zoning categories and standards for lands within the Town Centre to permit new development within the Town Centre.  The City may, when enacting implementing zoning by-laws, use a holding zone to specify the future uses of these lands that, at the present time, are considered premature or inappropriate for development for any one or more of the following reasons:

(a)    The Area Concept Plan as per Section 7.3(2) of this Secondary Plan has not been finalized to the City’s satisfaction;

(b)   Community facilities or servicing infrastructure are insufficient to serve the proposed development;

(c)    The number and location of access points to the site are inadequate to function safely and efficiently;

(d)   An agreement for the funding or equitable cost-share among benefiting landowners for infrastructure or parks has not been reached;

(e)    A site plan agreement is required; or

(f)     Supporting studies are required.

(5)   All new development, with the exception of the Strandherd Retail District as per Section 7.2(6), must as part of its initial development application process proceed by way of plan of subdivision for the full extent of the property, in order to secure any public streets identified on Schedule 2 or any parkland identified on Schedule 5.  Any identified public streets and parkland must be dedicated to the City through the initial plan of subdivision for lands as a condition of approval.

(6)   For the Strandherd Retail District, plans of subdivision would only be required upon redevelopment of sites and are not required for future infilling as per approved master site plans and existing zoning permissions.  Any identified public streets or parkland must be dedicated at the time of redevelopment as part of the initial plan of subdivision. 

(7)   Development agreements may be required by the City as a condition of the approval of development applications, to ensure that the necessary approvals and the required contributions of funds, lands and commitments for services will be in place. Development agreements may address:

(a)    Parks, open space and environmental features.

(b)   Streetscape features as identified through a comprehensive Streetscape Master Plan.

(c)    Water, wastewater collection and storm water management.

(d)   Transit and street infrastructure and widenings.

(e)    Other utilities.

 

7.3   Phasing

The Town Centre will not develop in its ultimate form from the outset, but instead will evolve from its initial phases to a mature state reflecting the form envisioned by the Secondary Plan.  Once the Town Centre has reached its “initial build out”, overtime the larger sites with large format retail stores may redevelop to provide the more fine-grained street pattern and built form that the Secondary Plan identifies.

 

Policies

(1)   Development within the Town Centre will be dependent on the available infrastructure to support development, including sanitary, water supply and stormwater management infrastructure, in addition to the capacities of the arterial street network.

(2)   An “Area Concept Plan” that is approved by the Director of Planning and Infrastructure Approvals is required prior to or concurrent with the initial plan of subdivision required in Sections 7.2(5) or 7.2(6).  The purpose of the Area Concept Plan is to illustrate that all development is coordinated and meets the Secondary Plan’s objectives and policies.  Area Concept Plans must illustrate and discuss:

(a)    The street and block patterns for the subject lands in addition to street and block patterns for surrounding lands, showing either actual street and blocks from approved development applications where they exist or conceptual streets and blocks from this CDP where an approved development application does not exist;

(b)   Land use and density distribution;

(c)    The proposed built form or a concept of the built form on the blocks;

(d)   Any public parkland, public facilities, or social housing sites; and

(e)    How the precinct can be phased from its initial construction to its envisioned mature state, where existing development is present.

(3)   Development on a block may be phased from an initial phase, which may not meet all of the Secondary Plan’s policies, to the ultimate form envisioned by this Secondary Plan.  Initial phases must:

(a)    Still meet the policies regarding minimum building height in Section 4.0;

(b)   Not preclude the achievement of future higher intensity development on the block as envisioned in this CDP; and

(c)    Be supported by the Area Concept Plan, as per Section 7.3(2), that clearly identifies how future phases will meet the policies of the Secondary Plan on each block.

7.4   Greenspace Acquisition and Development

The greenspace system is comprised of a series of five components, each with different functions, characteristics and policies.  The majority of the greenspace system will ultimately be under public ownership.

 

Policies

(1)   Schedule 5 identifies the general location and size of all proposed public parkland within the Town Centre.  The City will acquire this proposed parkland through a combination of measures, including parkland dedication during the subdivision approval process, land exchanges, and land purchases. 

(2)   For parkland dedication, the City will employ the “standard measures” through Section 51.1(1) of the Planning Act for all properties within the Town Centre, and not the “alternative measures” through Section 51.1(2).

(3)   Neighbourhood Park 5 identified on Schedule 5 will be acquired during the plan of subdivision required by Section 7.2(6).

(4)   Lands utilized for stormwater management facilities or lands within the floodplain will not be taken as part of the parkland dedication requirement as per the Planning Act.

(5)   Where a plan of subdivision is proposed for a property that does not contain public parkland as per Schedule 5, the City will require payment-in-lieu of parkland as per Sections 51.1(3) and (4) of the Planning Act.  These payments will be directed to the purchase of the parkland identified on Schedule 5, or once that parkland has been fully acquired will be directed to the purchase of parkland in communities surrounding the Town Centre.  The latter is intended to purchase parkland for active sports fields that would service residents of the Town Centre.

(6)   The City will pursue the acquisition of the properties within the area identified as District Park on Schedule 5 whenever a property is available for purchase, subject to budget and in consultation with the landowners.

(7)   Proceeds from the sale of any City owned property within the Town Centre may be directed to the of purchase parkland, as per Section 7.4(5).  This approach will be further detailed in the land disposition strategy that is required by Section 7.6.

(8)   The City, in cooperation with any directly affected landowner, will secure the lands identified as Civic Complex on Schedule 1 in a timely manner.

 

7.5   Housing Affordability

The Secondary Plan follows the targets of the Official Plan for housing affordability, which establishes that at least 25% of all housing should be affordable housing.  Affordable housing is defined as housing in which a low or moderate-income household pays no more than 30% of its gross annual income.  The policies for housing affordability in this Secondary Plan deal with two types of affordable housing: “market” affordable housing that is provided by the private market and “non-market” affordable housing that is provided by social housing providers.

 

Policies

(1)   At least 18% of residential units in the Town Centre, or approximately 1,950 units of the ultimate build-out total, is targeted as “market” affordable housing, defined as housing that is affordable to households at the 30th income percentile for Ottawa for rental and at the 40th income percentile for ownership. 

(2)   At least 7% of all residential units in the Town Centre, or approximately 750 units of the ultimate build-out total, is targeted as “non-market” affordable housing, defined as housing that is affordable to households at or below the 20th income percentile for Ottawa.  Achieving this target will be subject to the availability of funding from the Federal and Provincial governments. 

(3)   The required housing type and appropriate location for social housing in the Town Centre will be decided at the time of subdivision and site plan approval, subject to Council allocation of funds.  The preferred location for social housing is sites that have convenient access to public transit, shopping and community services.

(4)   The City will support the development of all affordable housing through municipal incentives and direct supports, which may include capital grants, deferral or exemption of fees and charges, density incentives or transfer, flexible zoning or alternative development standards.  Where municipal incentives are provided, the City will enter into agreements with developers to maintain affordability, with mechanisms that will specify the mix of units to be provided, and will typically be registered on title or become a municipal housing facilities by-law.

 

7.6   Future Initiatives

The Town Centre Secondary Plan is the land use policy that will guide all future development within the South Nepean Town Centre.  While it provides the general direction for development, it requires more detailed direction for certain aspects of development to be completed by the City.  Future studies and plans will complement the Secondary Plan regarding such elements as streetscapes, parking and civic facilities. 

 

Policies

(1)   The City will complete the following, at a minimum, after the approval of the Town Centre Secondary Plan:

a)      A parking strategy;

b)      A streetscape master plan;

c)      A plan for the “South Nepean Civic Complex”;

d)      A function design study for Kennedy-Burnett Stormwater Management Facility;

e)      A strategy for the disposition of City-owned lands within the Town Centre;

f)        A strategy for funding mechanisms for such additional costs as providing underground utilities;

g)      A conceptual design of the transit “hub”; and

h)      Any other studies that are deemed necessary.

 

7.7   Revision process

The Town Centre will have a longer timeframe for the achievement of its envisioned ultimate built form than traditional suburban areas.  Although the Town Centre Secondary Plan has been developed to be flexible in terms of permitted uses, built forms and block sizes to allow the development industry to adapt to changing market conditions, changes to the CDP may be necessary over the life of the plan.  The CDP permits revisions to the schedules provided that the CDP’s general intent is maintained.

 

Policies

(1)   Any proposed change to a schedule must reflect the goals, objectives and policies of the Secondary Plan.  Updates to the studies supporting the Secondary Plan may be required in support of any proposed changes.

(2)   Any change that requires an amendment to the Official Plan may also require a corresponding amendment to the South Nepean Town Centre Secondary Plan. 

(3)   Minor modifications to the Secondary Plan that are proposed prior to subdivision plan or site plan approval may be made at the discretion of the Director of Planning and Infrastructure Approvals.  An approval of a subdivision plan or site plan by the City reflecting these changes constitutes approval of the change to the Secondary Plan.  These changes include:

(a)    Minor adjustments to streets, but not the elimination of streets;

(b)   Minor adjustments to development block size or shape;

(c)    Minor adjustments to an approved “Area Concept Plan”, as per Section 7.3(2); and

(d)   Other changes deemed to be minor changes by the Director of Planning and Infrastructure Approvals.

(4)   To initiate the process identified in Section 7.7(3) a proponent must submit to the City an Area Concept Plan as per Section 7.3(2).  The City will circulate copies of the Area Concept Plan to landowners who are directly affected by the proposed changes for comment.  If there are any objections to proposed changes, the Planning and Environment Committee will be the approval authority, otherwise, the Director of Planning and Infrastructure Approvals will be the approval authority.  Each successive change to the Secondary Plan must reflect prior approved changes, which the City will keep on file.  A corresponding amendment to the South Nepean Town Centre Secondary Plan may also be required.

(5)   Major modifications to the Secondary Plan that are proposed prior to subdivision or site plan approval will be subject to approval by Planning and Environment Committee.  These changes include:

(a)    Major deviations to the street and block pattern;

(b)   Any change in a land use policy area, unless an alternative policy area is specified in Section 3.0; or

(c)    Other changes deemed to be major changes by the Director of Planning and Infrastructure Approvals.

(6)   Staff-initiated changes to the Secondary Plan will follow the process identified in Section 7.7(4).

 

7.8   Monitoring

Given the longer timeframe for the full development of the Town Centre, it is crucial for the Town Centre Secondary Plan to be monitored to ensure that its vision, objectives and policies are being met.  The purpose of monitoring will be to ensure that the assumptions underpinning the Secondary Plan continue to be valid, that the policies and guidelines contained in the Secondary Plan are being carried out, and that the policies and guidelines being carried out are having the desired outcomes.

 

Policies

(1)   The total number and form of dwellings will be tracked by the City on a neighbourhood and community-wide basis at the time of development approval to ensure density targets are being met or can be met with future phases.

(2)   City staff will monitor the performance of this Secondary Plan from time to time to assess whether the goals, objectives, policies and guidelines are being achieved.  City staff may need to bring forward amendments to the Secondary Plan and the Secondary Plan to City Council for approval that would better implement the Secondary Plan or should any fundamental assumptions of this Secondary Plan change.

Section 8.0 – Schedules

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOCUMENT 6

 

SUMMARY OF SUBMITTED COMMENTS                                                                              

 

Comments from the Public

Comment: The location of the future elementary school on Greenbank Road may not be an ideal location given traffic, pedestrian safety, and the surrounding mixed-use context.

Response: The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has indicated they are satisfied with the elementary school site as proposed on the west side of Greenbank Road, provided that the challenges of providing on-site parking, setbacks, and bus drop-offs can be effectively worked out during the site plan stage.

 

Comment: Chapman Mills Drive on the west side of Greenbank Road should be shifted northwards slightly so that it straddles the two large parcels equally.

Response: The intent for blocks within the Town Centre is to provide a pattern of regular development blocks that are approximately 80 metres deep and between 150 to 200 metres long.  This is based on the Urban Design Strategy’s recommendations that these sizes are desirable given it provides development blocks that can accommodate a range of different uses and different forms.  The road and block pattern on the west side of Greenbank Road is parallel to Strandherd Drive and uses the block depth of 80 metres consistently, which places Chapman Mills in its proposed location.

 

Comment: The proposed Greenview Presbyterian Church site at the northwest corner of the St. Joseph Secondary School site will require safe access from Greenbank Road both on Sundays and also throughout the week.

Response: The road north of the proposed church site is proposed as a collector road with a full movement intersection at Greenbank Road.  From Greenbank Road, vehicles, pedestrians, and transit users can easily access the church site.

 

Comment: The uses listed in 4.1(7)(a), (c) and (d) are currently permitted according to the current zoning and the Master Site Plan on the site west of Greenbank Road within the “Strandherd Retail District”, and should continue to be permitted.

Response: The wording in Section 4.1(7) was revised in the final version of the CDP to permit the mentioned uses only where allowed by existing zoning and/or an approved master site plan.

 

Comment: Section 8.2(4), requiring development approvals by means of Plans of Subdivision, should not pertain to the “Strandherd Retail District” until after build-out pursuant to the Master Site Plan.

Response: The wording in Section 8.2(4) was revised in the final version of the CDP to clarify that Plans of Subdivision would only be required upon redevelopment of sites within the “Strandherd Retail District”, and would not be required for future infilling as per approved master site plans and current zoning.

 

Comment: Section 8.4(4), addressing the acquisition of Park 5 during any application for redevelopment of the subject lands, should only apply following build-out, since the subject lands will be required for parking during this period.

Response: The wording in Section 8.4(4) was revised in the final version of the CDP to clarify that the acquisition of Park 5 would be during redevelopment of the sites during the subdivision process identified in Section 8.2(4).

 

Comment:  Will rear lanes be public or privately owned?

Response: Rear lanes can be either publicly or privately owned.  To note, rear lanes are the preferred option for the Town Centre but not the only option.

 

Comments from the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board

Comment: In the initial community design plan for the Town Centre in July 2004, the Board was concerned with the proposal to divide Greenbank Road, as it passed in front of our high school, into two, one-way streets.  This issue has now given way to a complete realignment of Greenbank.  Under the current plan, Greenbank would no longer pass in front of the school and our main central road access to the facility will be removed.  This realignment would result in the need to redesign the layout of the school grounds, including parking, in/out access, drop off areas etc., in order to re-establish a central and recognizable “front” to the school.  As noted previously, the high school was designed at the express request of the City, who were instrumental in determining the built form of the school and property, to provide a focus for Greenbank Road.  This request had an impact on every aspect of the school design.  It is therefore disconcerting to discover that in less than three years, the City has completely changed the focus of the street and by extension the design of St. Joseph HS. 

Response: City staff, at the time of writing of this report, are working with the OCCSB to resolve the issues that have been raised for the St. Joseph Secondary School site.

 

Comment: The Board wishes to reiterate that our standard elementary schools are 1-storey buildings.  The continued insistence on behalf of the City that school boards construct 2-storey schools disregards the Board’s school traditional design that meets all of our programming, instructional, recreational, transportation and safety needs. 

Response: The Town Centre CDP maintains that all buildings, both private and public, are to be at least 2 storeys in height.  The minimum heights may be higher depending on the specific area.

 

Comment: Given our previous experience with St. Joseph High School, the Board has some concerns with urban design guidelines in general.  As noted above, the Board complied with previous design guidelines only to be left in the current situation where the design of the school may ultimately be rendered inadequate and require additional expenditures to modify the exterior design.  It is the Board’s opinion that the City’s urban design guidelines do not adequately reflect the specific demands of elementary and secondary schools.  Guidelines such as #10 on page 20 that will require setbacks on all non-residential buildings, including commercial and institutional buildings, be between 0 and 3.0 metres from any front or side yard property is not appropriate or realistic for a school facility.  We request that school buildings be exempted from these types of design requirements as they do not take into account the challenges related to safety, transportation, pedestrians, access, etc., that are specific to a facility that accommodates in excess of 500 young children every day. 

Response:  This is a urban design guideline, and not an urban design policy.  The guideline follows the premise that the Town Centre will be an "urban" community, with a built form, including schools, that is close to street to strengthen the streetscape.  With that said, there is flexibility in the design guidelines to account for issues related to specific design issues that a school site might expect to have.

 

Comment: The current design includes plans for the extension of the Southwest Transitway “from the existing Fallowfield Station, arriving in the Town Centre in a dedicated corridor, traveling west on Chapman Mills Drive in the dedicated centre median, and then south of Greenbank Road in a dedicated centre median.”  Although the Board supports the extension of the Southwest Transitway, the inclusion of the dedicated bus-lane along with a realigned Greenbank Road will increase the difficulties of accessing St. Joseph High School, in direct contravention of earlier City-determined plans.  Our initial site plan discussions included consideration for smart growth principles, where students and others would be walking in a pedestrian-friendly environment, and the design of the school reflected that.  These goals now seem to be contradicted by the latest plan of pushing a large arterial road across the front of the school which forms a barrier to access and neighbourhood cohesion.  The City must strive to ensure that urban design and transit plans make the area a pedestrian-friendly environment.  As noted in the report, the location of bus stations will be determined through Environment Assessment Reports.  Please be advised that the Board wishes to be involved in the discussions pertaining to the location of transit stations that will be in proximity to St. Joseph High School.

Response: One of the community design reasons for shifting the Southwest Transitway to the medianed lanes of Greenbank Road was to provide a better seam between neighbourhoods within the Town Centre, insteading of the divisive effect that the previous dedicated transit corridor had.  Greenbank Road will still be designed and constructed as an "urban" street, although a wider street.  There are several proposed full movement intersections along Greenbank Road, which would facilitate the creation of a pedestrian friendly environment, particularly where transit is concerned.

 

Comment: With regard to municipal services, the Board has implemented temporary services for sanitary, storm and water with the agreement by the City that that we will ultimately be tied into all new City services.  As such, the Board would appreciate being kept informed of the City’s progress with regard to the provision of these new services. 

Response:  The City can keep the OCCSB informed of this progress.

 

Comment: The report indicates that the City will be undertaking a streetscape master plan.  Given our concerns regarding the street network and access to our school site, the Board wishes to play an active role during the development of this master plan.

Response: The streetscape master plan will involve all interested parties, including the OCCSB.

 

Comment: Please be advised that the approved site plan for the high school includes a joint use agreement for the development of the proposed church to the north of the school site.  Included in this agreement is the provision of the east/west road, north of the church/school site, with access to Greenbank Road.  Please be advised that the Board contributed to the cost of this future road and servicing as part of the cost of the site.  This document regarding the City/Board site purchase agreement should be available from your legal staff.  Given the proposed realignment of Greenbank Road, this east-west road north of the school/church will now become a very important access point to both the high school and the church property. 

Response: The road north of the proposed church site is proposed as a collector road with a full movement intersection at Greenbank Road.  From Greenbank Road, vehicles, pedestrians, and transit users can easily access the church site.

 

Comment: With respect to the addition of residential dwelling units along the southern property line of the high school instead of a road, in general we do not object to this but consideration in the site plan process was given to a possible road link to the south.  Until we know how the front of the school will function and how the access might be handled, we must insist on consideration for a possible access road as well as the provision of fencing along the property line, at no cost to the Board.

Response:  A road access has been added along the southern edge of the secondary school site in the final version of the CDP.  The issue of fencing can be dealt with at the time of the development review process.

Comment: We have also noted a discrepancy between Schedule A1 and Schedule D. On Schedule A1, the small parcel of land in front of St. Joseph that has been created as a result of the Greenbank Road realignment is showing as neighbourhood park.  However on Schedule D – Greenspace, it is identified as a public plaza.  The consideration of this parcel is critical to the functioning of the school, as it relates to our review of options with respect to how the access, circulation, busing considerations, parking and other site issues might be accommodated if Greenbank Road is realigned. 

Response: "Neighbourhood Park" on Schedule A1 is name of the land use policy area that applies to both parks and plazas.  Both parks and plazas have a different set of design policies.  Schedule D only shows the difference beween the parks and plazas.  The parcel adjacent to Greenbank Road in front of the secondary school site is a public plaza.

 

Comment: The City has not indicated how access to St. Joseph High School will work.  We are presently reviewing options for how this might work and understand that the City’s Transportation department are also involved.  St. Joseph High School currently has two entrances – one to access the bus loop and one main access for parking (shared with the adjacent Greenview Presbyterian Church as per the approved Site Plan).  These must be maintained in some form, whether via direct access to Greenbank, or via a road across the front of the school where the park/public plaza is shown. We wish to confirm that (a) the City will respect the significant shift that this entails for the operation of the high school; and (b) that the City will be responsible for all reasonable costs associated with modifications necessary to ensure the smooth functioning of access and egress remediation work required. 

Response: City staff, at the time of writing of this report, are working with the OCCSB to resolve the issues that have been raised for the St. Joseph Secondary School site.

 

Comment from the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board

Comment: Given the unique urban design and intensive land uses planned for within the Town Centre, it is understood that the Board's elementary school site will be smaller than the more traditional seven acres normally required.  In combination, the smaller site size and lack of park frontage may present the Board with challenges related to on-site parking requirements, setbacks, bus lay-by location, and other performance standards

Response: These issues can be worked during the site plan approval process.

 

Comments from the Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee

Comment: Section 2.2 Goal 2 High Quality Urban Design: Under Objectives: (5)

Include more specific reference to ‘green’ technologies.

Response: The objectives in this CDP are high level, general statements and noting specific technologies is not warranted here given the green industry is rapidly evolving, that the plan will be implemented over many years, and any reference to specific technologies will become dated.

 

Comment:  Section 3.1 Transit: …The Transit centre is located where these two rapid transit routes intersect… We suggest stating where the transit centre will be located, for clarification. The revised sketch will also help situate this centre.

Response: Section 3.0 is a high level discussion of the elements that structure the organization of the Town Centre.  It speaks to the location of the transit centre at the intersection of the two rapid transit routes.  Section 6.1 and Schedule 3 of the CDP illustrate the specific location of the transit centre in the block pattern.  

 

Comment: Section 3.2 Greenspace: Attention to the Community Park along length of the Jock River to protect its banks and reduce the potential for premature erosion. The Pathways should be permeable and should not be allowed to compromise the environmentally sensitive areas.

Response: This has been added to Section 4.7 of the CDP.

 

Comment: Section 3.3 Density: …The plan is organized to provide an “appropriate between”, ADD “appropriate transition between”.

Response: This has been corrected in the final version of the CDP.

 

Comment: Section 3.4 Streets:

The sketch needs to be revised. In addition, indicate on the sketch what routes the adjacent neighborhoods would likely take to directly access the Town Centre. For instance, it is evident that the existing Barrhaven community north of Strandherd will take Greenbank Road, as will the future community of South Barrhaven. However, what route will residents from Hearts Desire, Stonebridge and Manotick take to quickly reach the Town Centre (Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, Cineplex, Home Depot…)?

Response: Again, Section 3.0 is a high level discussion of the elements that structure the organization of the Town Centre.  Section 3.4 highlights that Town Centre is based on an integrated grid pattern of streets, as indicated by the conceptual sketch.  Showing suggested travel routes from various communities is too detailed for such a sketch.

 

Comment: Section 4.0: The land …that apply to particular areas.  Do what? Your point is unclear, needs clarification.

Response: This section has been revised in the final version of the CDP for clarification purposes.

 

Comment: Section 4.1 General Land Use Policies: Policies (4);  …subject to Policy ( ? ). Permitted Land Uses, and Min/Max Building Height Tables: Where are these tables?

Response: The missing policy number has been added.  These tables were removed from the CDP and this reference in the text has been removed in the final version of the CDP. 

 

Comment: Table 2 – Dwelling Type Distribution: The # of dwellings for both Phase 2 and 3 has increased. Even if the same footprint is used for residential construction, the intensity has augmented vertically, therefore the population of the communities is larger.  Have the parkland and greenspaces been increased to match this growth?

Response: The vision for the Town Centre is one of a high density, compact, urban environment similar in form to that of Ottawa’s downtown and its surrounding residential areas.  In terms of parkland, this CDP is taking the “standard measures” for parkland dedication under the Planning Act  (5% or 2%) for all lands within the Town Centre.  Approximately 16% of the land area within the Town Centre will be parkland.  This in addition to the large areas of District Park adjacent to the south edge of the Town Centre along the south side of the Jock River and the recreation space associated with two stormwater management ponds on the east and west edges of the Town Centre.  This amount meets the Official Plan targets for greenspace.

 

Comment: Table 3 – Land Use Statistics: The Population and Employment numbers have increased. Have the requirements for the civic amenities also increased proportionately?

Response:  The CDP proposes a location for a civic complex that can accommodate a range of different civic uses, both recreational and community uses such as libraries or theatre, once needs are determined (see Document 6 of this report).  This complex is envisioned as multi-storey facility.  One secondary school currently exists within the Town Centre and one elementary school site has been requested.  Other community uses, such as places of worship, are permitted throughout the Town Centre, subject to built form requirements.

 

Comment: Section 4.4 Policy Area – High Rise Residential

“Policies (5);  At least 90% of required parking for each development must be provided in parking structures, either above or below-grade.”  This statement should be revised to state only “below-grade”, as no above parking should be accepted for high rises.

Response: Above-grade parking structures are permitted to provide flexibility for the market in terms of design and cost, in order to promote the development of higher density and higher rise buildings in the Town Centre.  The urban design policies and urban design guidelines in Section 5.0 speak to the design of above-grade parking structures, which are based on appropriate models for integrated above grade parking structures throughout the City.

 

Comment: Section 4.6 Policy: Under Policies (3): For the acquisition of Public park, the City should acquire the land before application for re-development that reflects lower prices of this land.

Response: The majority of the parkland will be acquired through the planning process, where land is generally taken at the pre-registration value.

 

Comment: Section 4.6 Policy: Under Policies (4) (d): Be designed with an emphasis on “hard surfaces and seating…”  should be revised to read the following “…emphasis on pathways with permeable surfaces and seating…” There should not be any hard surfaces with planted trees. Permeable surfaces should be encouraged throughout the landscape.

Response: The intensity of pedestrian movement around the trees will result in compaction of the surrounding soil and stunt growth.  Planting the trees in grates is preferred for their long-term health. 

 

Comment: Section 4.6 Policy: Under Policies (4): Add note (e) “Not contain active sports fields, which will be concentrated in portions of Half Moon Bay Park, North of the Jock River, since these will be incorporated into the South Barrhaven community, South of the Jock River.”

Response: The five public parks within the Town Centre are not intended to have sports fields like soccer or baseball fields, but have other active facilities such as tennis courts or basketball courts.  A policy was added to Section 4.6 to address this issue.

 

Comment: Section 4.6 Policy: Under Policies (5)(d): Be designed with an emphasis on ‘hard surfaces’ ADD “with permeable surface materials” and seating…

Response: The intent of this policy is to ensure that parks and plazas are more “urban” in fashion compared to traditional “suburban” parks, in order to support the Town Centre’s envisioned built form.  This policy does not preclude the use of permeable surfaces.  Such decisions would be made during the design of each park and plaza on a case-by-case basis.

 

Comment: Section 4.6 Policy: Under Policies (5)(e): …suburban play amenities. ADD “suburban play structure amenities”…

Response: “Suburban play structure amenities” are part of the group of “suburban play amenities”, and thus, no change is required.

 

Comment: Section 4.7 Policy Area – Community Park: Under Policies (1): …of this park is preserved.  ADD “However, areas traditionally mowed (grass) will be discouraged and emphasis placed on preserving some meadows (areas adjacent woodlots and ravines that can be left natural)”.

Response: 4.7(2)(c) in the CDP speaks to the general intent to leave the park largely in its natural state.  Natural features and environmental conditions will inform the design of the park.  An Environmental Impact Statement is required to establish buffers from any natural features within the site.

 

Comment: Section 4.7 Policy Area – Community Park: Under Policies (2) (e): “Parking will be provided in small pods with significant landscaping treatment” ADD with permeable surfaces.

Response: This has been added to the 4.7(2)(e) in the final version of the CDP.

 

Comment:Section 4.7 Policy Area – Community Park: Under Policies (2) (f): …unless it is demonstrated … We question how will this be done and accepted?

Response: This will have to be done to the satisfaction of the City.

 

Comment: Section 4.7 Policy Area – Community Park: Under Policies (3): The City…interest groups, ADD and Advisory Committees. (OFGAC).

Response: This has been added to 4.7(3) in the CDP.

 

Comment:Section 4.9 Policy Area – Civic Complex: Under Policies (2): …accommodated in structured parking… ADD “underground parking”.

Response: “Structured parking” includes both above-grade parking and below-grade parking.

 

Comment: Section 4.9 Policy Area – Civic Complex:

Under Policies (5): ADD a the timeframe of a 20 year window (short-term) to reach the estimated population target of Phase 2 (14,544 pop.) as stated in Table 3 Land Use Statistics.

Response: Timeframes are not identified for each of the phases of development given that all development and re-development within the Town Centre is dependent on market conditions and interest.  Instead the three phases identified in the CDP speak to three different scenarios of development: Phase 1 - Existing Development; Phase 2 – Full Development; and Phase 3 – Full Redevelopment.

 

Comment: Section 4.10 Units Jobs Employment: Provide this section in the report.

Response: These projections are identified in Tables 2 and 3 in the final version of the CDP.

 

Comment: Section 5.0 Urban Design, 5.1 Urban Design Policies

The sketch for Urban Design:  At the north-east section of the plan, there is an existing woodlot. It is situated on the west and south side of the current retirement home. The parkland shown on the Urban Design Plan should incorporate this woodlot into its design, perhaps as a tree grove to allow for passive recreation and respite from the busy commercial/retail area. It also promotes a pedestrian friendly amenity and provides necessary shade from the overheated parking lots.

Response:  The Urban Design Demonstration Plan is conceptual in nature and shows how the Town Centre could develop as per the policies of the CDP.  The incorporation of existing trees would be considered during the design of each park on a case-by-case basis.

 

Comment: 5.1 Urban Design Policies: Along the perimeter of the existing high school, the proposed housing units should not back onto the sports field, but rather face the yard and support the concept of “eyes on the park” to keep a visual contact on school property and amenities. 

Response: This suggestion would result in the rear lots of these building facing a public street, which is not desirable from an urban design perspective in this particular context.

 

Comment: Guideline 4: To increase the stepping of the building to promote, even further, a pedestrian friendly street. We recommend revising “For instance, step the building 2.0 meters above the 4th storey and another 2.0 meters above the 8th storey” to read as follows: “For instance, step the building 2.0 meters above the 3rd storey and another 2.0 meters above the 6th storey.”

Response: This is simply an example of the proposed guideline and is not a policy.  While four storeys at the street before a setback is appropriate in a downtown context, other options certainly can be considered.  Four and eight storey stepping was identified as desirable in the South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy.

 

Comment: Guideline 11: For the commercial units/buildings add outdoor patios along with street furniture including planters, shrubs and trees.

Response: The current general wording within the guideline includes the suggested uses.

 

Comment: Guideline 12: What would prevent phantom windows façade similar to those on the East side of Greenbank and South side of Strandherd, in Riocan Market-Place, from re-occurring?

Response: 5.1(3) and 5.1(4) provides the policy direction on building façades and entrances, while Guidelines 12 and 13 provide the guidance as to how this should be accomplished.  Both urban design policies and urban design guidelines will be part of the development review process.

 

Comment: Guideline 16: For street and stacked townhouses, we recommend to place the parking at the rear and below ground, while providing a green garage roof, to serve as the unit’s recreational spaces (backyard).

Response: The CDP indicates a preference for rear lane parking, while allowing other forms that have limited impact on the streetscape.  This guideline only speaks to the façade of garage facing a public street.  Regardless, the option of green garage roofs would be permitted and encouraged throughout the Town Centre.

 

Comment: Guideline 17: We recommend adding the requirement of a 3 metre min. radius be included, for allowing soft ground surrounding a tree planted in this particular type of situation, since it is sandwiched between the street and building.

Response: Guideline 17 deals with the orientation, access, and height of ground floor residential uses in taller buildings, and not landscaping.  Guideline 15 speaks to minimum setbacks for residential buildings and attention to “adequate front yard landscaping”, which would vary by the type of built form and would be considered during the development approval process.

 

Comment: Guideline 22: For Ottawa’s cold winter climate, we recommend that the floor material of the shelter not be made of concrete, which allows the cold from the ground to quickly transfer to transit users’ feet. The floor pads should also be raised for added protection to the cold. In addition, the shelters should be constructed in such a way as to prevent the harsh cold wind from penetrating it (especially from below and above the panels). The opening into the shelter should not be wider than one metre as well, to limit the cold air from entering. (These comments were sent to the Ottawa Citizen this winter for the City to reconsider its shelter designs.)

Response: These recommendations are operational and are too specific to be included in design guidelines.  These recommendations would be considered during the design and construction of shelters.

 

Comment: Guideline 23: We recommend adding a minimum radius area surrounding the trees, to allow these to mature, and adding a minimum distance to the building’s foundation.

Response: As requirements vary with species selection, they are not identified in the guidelines.

 

Comment: Guideline 24: Add same as above comment.

Response: As requirements vary with species selection, they are not identified in the guidelines.

 

Comment: Guideline 25: We question whether this really works. Example Bank Street in the Glebe. We recommend that one tree per number of units be required, and when the tree cannot be planted due to lack of space, that the tree be situated within the Neighborhood Park or parkette. In addition, no cash-in-lieu will be accepted instead of planting the required amount of trees.

Response: This is a design guideline and not an implementation policy.

 

Comment: We do not see anywhere in this report a reference to the handling of mailboxes. The current practice of placing multiple mailboxes along a sidewalk on a residential street without further consideration on how these integrate into the street scape is unsightly and impractical.  Discussion and cooperation among the City, Canada Post and developers is required to create a practical approach in the placement of these mailboxes within the new communities.  Efforts to integrate the mailboxes into the streetscape, make these areas convenient to use and eliminate the visual eyesore.  Create small sheltered areas (over and around the mail boxes) and provide a neighborhood bulletin board for residents use (source: Bois-Franc Montreal).

Response: Mailboxes have been added to Guideline 18 to reflect this idea. 

 

Comment: Guideline 29: Add the metre unit of measure. And, add the following note: consisting of coniferous trees for visual screen.

Response: The unit measure has been added. Coniferous trees could inhibit eye level visibility to the parking areas and reduce security.  The specific species would be determined during the site plan process through a landscape plan. 

 

Comment: Guideline 31: Add “no long rows of continuous parking spaces”.

Response: This guideline speaks to safe connections through rear parking areas and not the parking itself, and is not intended to speak to the orientation of parking spaces.

 

Comment: Add a “Guideline 34”: Surface for parking lots of (20) spaces or more, to be of a permeable surface material.

Response: These areas will be paved.

 

Comment: To complement Guideline 2: Add “Guideline 42” and state the following:  Create plazas and natural areas by incorporating benches, gazebos or shelters for mail boxes and include a bulletin board, vegetation and planters, and include lighting at the pedestrian scale. The purpose of this area is to enhance the pedestrian environment and create a tranquil/passive gathering place for the immediate community. This area is not to include play structures (example Bois-Franc, in Saint-Laurent, Montreal). 

Response: The design and amenities for public plazas are identified in 4.6(5) and does not need to be duplicated in a design guideline.

 

Comment: Guideline 38: Revise “Ensure that ponds are not entirely fenced and that any required fencing is decorative in nature” to “Ensure that ponds are not entirely fenced and that any fencing is purely in a decorative nature”.  The purpose of this revision is to remove the notion that any fencing would be required at all.

Response: The detailed functional design of stormwater management ponds will determine the necessity of fencing.  The existing guideline intends that any fencing that is functionally required for safety purposes will be decorative in nature.

 

Comment: Also ADD the following to Guideline 38: “Encourage passive recreation by introducing benches to admire the view and tranquility of the space”.

Response: This is understood within Guideline 38 and is specifically contained in Guideline #40, which deals with the trails or pathways that would surround the stormwater management ponds.

 

Comment: Section 6.1 Transit: The light rail stations…Chapman Mills Drive.  We recommend that the City show these on the plan or provide a sketch adjacent to the text.

Response: The proposed LRT and BRT platforms are identified on Schedule 3 of the CDP.

 

Comment: Section 6.1 Transit: Also, considerations for introducing the ever increasing popular “Kiss & Ride” drop off areas in close proximity to the stations. User convenience increases the use of any transit system.

Response: “Kiss & Ride” drop off areas can be accommodated on the street, particularly on local streets close to the transit platforms.

 

Comment: Section 6.2 Road Network: The truck routes should be identified in the report. Which roads, streets, or promenades will truck traffic be prohibited? And, which routes will be favored by large delivery trucks? 

Response: This CDP does not speak to truck routes or truck restrictions, which would be an operation issue.  The probable truck routes through the community would be the arterial roads (Greenbank Road and Longfields Drive), major collector (Chapman Mills Drive), and collector roads (such as RioCan Drive or Marketplace).

 

Comment: Section 6.3 Pedestrian and Bicycle System: Policies (1): It is not necessary to mandate sidewalks on BOTH sides of all streets, throughout the entire Town Centre. Hard surfaced sidewalks on both sides unnecessarily widen the roads. Sidewalks are expensive to upkeep and plough in the winter. Consider a sidewalk on one side only and a form of permeable pathway on the other side for linkages to the greenspaces.

Response: A sidewalk on both sides of new streets is an existing policy from the approved Area 7 Secondary Plan for the Town Centre area. The justification for sidewalks on both sides is based on the higher densities envisioned for this area, given it is the "downtown" area for South Nepean.  The purely residential area in the CDP is based on a net density that is approximately 3.5 times greater than that of a conventional suburban area, while the mixed-use areas in the CDP are based on a net density that is 6 - 10 times greater than that of a conventional suburban area.  Pedestrian activity will be much higher in this area given its nature and safe and efficient pedestrian travel patterns will be more important here than in other conventional suburban areas.

 

Comment: Section 6.4 Parking: Policies (5): Cash in lieu of parking; describe in this Plan that the money will stay in the Community and will be used to buy parkland, forests and greenspace within the community.

Response: This something that would be addressed in the Parking Strategy that is intended to be completed following approval of the CDP, as per Section 8.6.  Cash-in-lieu of parking would likely be used for such purposes of the construction of municipal parking facilities.

 

Comment: Section 6.4 Parking: Policies (8): To add reference to the lighting component of parking areas. ADD “Lighting pollution of parking areas will be addressed in the parking strategy.”

Response: Lighting would not be covered by a parking strategy, which would provide specific direction for such elements as on-street parking, municipal parking facilities, and reductions in parking requirements.  Lighting would be addressed through the site plan process.

 

Comment: Section 7.3 Utilities: Add a Policy (4): All federal postal residential mailboxes will be clustered together with no more than X number in one area, and be fitted with overhead shelter cover and provision for a bulletin board for the neighborhood residents to use. (There may be a more appropriate place within the report to put this policy.)

Response: Street amenities, including mailboxes, are covered in Guideline 18.

 

Comment: Section 8.3 Phasing: Policy (2)“Proponents must submit an “Area Concept Plan”:

We recommend adding (f) to the policy – “an existing natural features plan complete with existing grades (as in a current “as-is” landscape plan of the site)”.  The existing natural features to be shown on the Area Concept Plan indicating the tree preservation location on plan.

Response: This would be part of the subdivision approval process, and would not required as part of the “Area Concept Plan”.

 

Comment: Refer to Strandherd Retail District -- Demonstration Plans –Phase 3 – Ultimate Build-out: How realistic is this plan, really? In how many years? What about the existing Big Box Retailers footprint? Do we actually believe that these companies would give up this footprint? Why is there only one open area (south of Strandherd and west of Greenbank)? Is this the only space for greenspace in the entire South Nepean Town Centre Core? What about adding parkettes throughout the SNTC CDP? 

Response: The Demonstration Plan of Phase 3 illustrates the potential for the ultimate evolution of the SNTC to a future downtown.  Phase 3 is a long-term projection, dependent entirely on the interest of the market to redevelop to higher density residential or mixed-use uses.  The CDP does not indicate times given it is too difficult to predict.  The policies of the CDP permit the existing sites to remain and further develop as per existing zoning and master site plans permissions.  For future development and redevelopment, the CDP has policies related to preserving the identified future public streets and public parks that would permit the intensification identified by the Phase 3 Demonstration Plan.

 

Comment: Where the report states: “…The larger sites with big box stores may redevelop…” , we recommend stronger wording, if this concept has any chance of really changing towards a pedestrian friendly environment.

Response: The zoning permits the current uses on the site.  The City has no power to force redevelopment of the sites.  The anticipation is that over the long-term, the market changes will determine that redevelopment is realistic.

 

Comment: Section 8.5 Greenspace Acquisition: Policy (3): For parkland dedication, the City will employ the “standard measures” through Section 51.1 (1) of the Planning Act for all properties within the Town Centre, and not the “alternative measures” through Section 51.1 (2). We would like the City of Ottawa to CONFIRM that what this really means, is that the City will employ 2% for commercial or industrial and 5% for all other cases of the land, instead of using 1 hectare for each 300 units. Can the City demonstrate the end result of this proposed policy against the SNTC CDP?

Response: Yes, Section 51.1(1) of the Planning Act will be employed throughout the Town Centre, meaning 2% for commercial or industrial uses and 5% in all other cases.  The application of this to the CDP is illustrated in Appendix B of the CDP.

 

Comment: Section 8.6 Future Initiatives: Add (i) to the Policies: A Strategy to incorporate mailboxes into the streetscape fabric of the neighborhood.

Response: Street amenities, including mailboxes, are covered in Guideline 18.

 

Comment: Section 8.7 Revision Process: Policy (4): We recognize that allowances will need to be made to allow the private sector to adapt to changing market conditions over the longer timeframe for the town centre; however, we recommend revising Policies (5) as follows: “…on the CDP’s land use plan. The City will circulate copies of the composite plan to landowners who are directly affected by the proposed changes for comment, ADD “and to the surrounding communities of South Barrhaven, Chapman Mills, Hearts Desire, Stonebridge, Southpointe, Cedarhill and Orchard Estates” If there…

Response: Policies 8.7(3) and (4) refer only to minor revisions, such as minor variations to local street patterns or changes in block sizes.  These would only affect adjacent landowners and that is why they are to be circulated.  Policy 8.7(5) deals with major revisions that would affect the broader area, such as major deviations to street patterns or changes in the applicable land use policy area.  These revisions would require the approval of the Planning and Environment Committee and would include notification of the above noted communities.

 

Comment: Section 8.7 Revision Process: Policy (6): As the larger sites are in close proximity to the natural features and banks of the Jock River, particularly the area east of Longfields Drive, and south of the realigned Bren-Maur Road and north of the Jock River, we find that draft Policy (6) should be revised where it reads “…resulting in land becoming available for development, such land may be redesignated for urban development without the need for an Amendment to this Plan, subject to…” to the following sentence, “…resulting in land becoming available for development, such land may be redesignated for “open spaces and kept as greenfields and or wetlands”, without the need for an Amendment to this Plan, subject to…”.

Response: Stormwater management facilities are not contained within the boundaries of this CDP area and shown throughout the document only for context.  Policy 8.7(6) has been removed from the CDP.

 

Comment: Schedule 1 – Land Use Plan: We recommend revising the maximum for “Med-Rise Residential” Blocks along the “Half-Moon Bay” Parkway to prevent from obstructing the views and vistas from the South Barrhaven and New Town Centre Residents, by changing 2-4 storeys high to 1-2 min/max. high.

Response: The Land Use Plan is organized to provide a transition in height between the higher rise uses closer to Strandherd Drive to the lower rise uses closer to the Jock River for views from upper storeys of taller buildings.  The road network is organized to provide as many vistas as possible to “Half Moon Bay” park and the Jock River along streets.  Reducing the building height maximums to 1-2 storeys would drastically limit the flexibility of the Mid-Rise Residential policy area, which intends a range of residential including stacked townhouses and low-rise apartments as well as street townhouses.

 

Comment: Schedule 2 – Road Network Plan: While it is evident that the Barrhaven Community North of the SNTC and the future South Barrhaven community will use Greenbank Road to access the major retail stores, it is unclear what route the neighborhoods south of the Jock River could take for direct access to the same stores.  How does the Hearts Desire, the Stonebridge and Manotick residents directly reach Loblaws and Home Depot? (Currently Jockvale Road is used and a very short drive on Greenbank.)

Response: The regular grid pattern of roads permits a multitude of travel options.  The CDP identifies three full movement intersections from the new Longfields Drive along the eastern edge of the Town Centre.  Once inside the Town Centre, there are a variety of possible routes to different areas.

 

Comment: Schedule 3 – Transit Network Plan: We recommend adding a “Kiss & Ride” component adjacent the BRT and the LRT platforms.

Response: “Kiss & Ride” drop off areas can be accommodated on-street, particularly on local streets close to the transit platforms.

 

Comment: Schedule 4 – Cycling Network Plan: How will the multi-use trail cross the Jock River?

Response: The multi-use trail could cross at the “old” Greenbank Road and Longfields Drive’s bridge crossings of the Jock River.

 

Comment: To preserve the river’s banks and reduce further erosion, we recommend not to build a path between the Bren-Maur/Jockvale stormwater pond and the Jock River.

Response: This would be considered during the functional design of the pond.

 

Comment: OFGAC requests that an overlay of the aerial view of existing features be provided and, at the same scale as the SNTC CDP as part of the report.

Response: This type of information was provided in the “existing conditions” report for the South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy process, and is not required in policy document such as this CDP.  Existing features will be considered during the development review process.

 

Comment: Add that the existing natural features shall be preserved and incorporated as part of the greenspace network through such means as described in the City Official Plan Policies under Section 2.5.4 “A Strategy for Parks and Leisure Areas”.  Also, to include in the SNTC CDP Report, that pocket parks concept throughout the entire CDP, commercial, institutional and residential, is required to promote the pedestrian friendly environment of the community.

Response: Natural features on lands identified as future public parkland will be considered during the park design process.  For other lands, the urban design guidelines support the preservation of quality, mature trees as part of the development approval process.

 

Comment: Add that the existing natural features shall be preserved and incorporated as part of the greenspace network through such means as described in the City Official Plan Policies under Section 2.5.4 “A Strategy for Parks and Leisure Areas”.  Also, to include in the SNTC CDP Report, that pocket parks concept throughout the entire CDP, commercial, institutional and residential, is required to promote the pedestrian friendly environment of the community.

Response: Natural features on lands identified as future public parkland will be considered during the park design process.  For other lands, the urban design guidelines support the preservation of quality, mature trees as part of the development approval process.

The regular grid pattern of roads permits a multitude of travel options.  The CDP identifies three full movement intersections from the new Longfields Drive along the eastern edge of the Town Centre.  Once inside the Town Centre, there are a variety of possible routes to different areas.

 

Comment: Schedule 3 – Transit Network Plan: We recommend adding a “Kiss & Ride” component adjacent the BRT and the LRT platforms.

Response: “Kiss & Ride” drop off areas can be accommodated on-street, particularly on local streets close to the transit platforms.

 

Comment: Schedule 4 – Cycling Network Plan: How will the multi-use trail cross the Jock River?

Response: The multi-use trail could cross at the “old” Greenbank Road and Longfields Drive bridge crossings of the Jock River.

 

Comment: To preserve the river’s banks and reduce further erosion, we recommend not to build a path between the Bren-Maur/Jockvale stormwater pond and the Jock River.

Response: This would be considered during the functional design of the pond.

 

Comment: Schedule 5 – Greenspace Network Plan: Park #1 should include the existing woodlot west/south of the current retirement home on Strandherd Road.

Response: This would be considered at the park design stage.

 

Comment: How have the decisions been made to select the plan location of the four parks shown in Schedule 5?

Response: The parks have been located generally in the different quadrants of the Town Centre, as per the existing Area 7 Secondary Plan and as recommended in the South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy.

 

Comment: OFGAC requests that an overlay of the aerial view of existing features be provided and, at the same scale as the SNTC CDP as part of the report.

Response: This type of information was provided in the “existing conditions” report for the South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy process, and is not required in policy document such as this CDP.  Existing features will be considered during the development review process.

 

Comment: Add that the existing natural features shall be preserved and incorporated as part of the greenspace network through such means as described in the City Official Plan Policies under Section 2.5.4 “A Strategy for Parks and Leisure Areas”.  Also, to include in the SNTC CDP Report, that pocket parks concept throughout the entire CDP, commercial, institutional and residential, is required to promote the pedestrian friendly environment of the community.

Response: Natural features on lands identified as future public parkland will be considered during the park design process.  For other lands, the urban design guidelines support the preservation of quality, mature trees as part of the development approval process.

The parks have been located generally in the different quadrants of the Town Centre, as per the existing Area 7 Secondary Plan and as recommended in the South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy.

 

Comment: Since the City is increasing residential density requirements in new developments, how has the parkland dedication been increased proportionately? 

Response: As per the above comment on greenspace and higher densities.

 

Comment: OFGAC requests that an overlay of the aerial view of existing features be provided and, at the same scale as the SNTC CDP as part of the report.

Response: This type of information was provided in the “existing conditions” report for the South Nepean Town Centre Urban Design Strategy process, and is not required in policy document such as this CDP.  Existing features will be considered during the development review process.

 

Comment: Add that the existing natural features shall be preserved and incorporated as part of the greenspace network through such means as described in the City Official Plan Policies under Section 2.5.4 “A Strategy for Parks and Leisure Areas”.  Also, to include in the SNTC CDP Report, that pocket parks concept throughout the entire CDP, commercial, institutional and residential, is required to promote the pedestrian friendly environment of the community.

Response: Natural features on lands identified as future public parkland will be considered during the park design process.  For other lands, the urban design guidelines support the preservation of quality, mature trees as part of the development approval process.

DOCUMENT 7

 

CIVIC FACILITIES                                                                                                                         

 

Civic Complex

The City of Ottawa's Recreation Infrastructure Strategy and Project Listing includes a new recreation complex in southeast Nepean to service growth.  The time horizon for implementation will be dependent on growth patterns and the availability of funding in the Long Range Financial Plan.  This complex is not likely to be funded for construction until at least 2011.  Within the CDP, this complex is intended to be a “civic complex” with a range of uses including recreation uses.  A site is planned for the civic complex at the transit centre of the Town Centre, adjacent to both the LRT and BRT routes through the Town Centre.

 

Fire

Ottawa Fire Service is presently undertaking a detailed fire station location study in the suburban area and growth areas of the City, including the South Nepean area. Once this study is complete, which is anticipated to be December 2006, Ottawa Fire Service will be in a position to indicate where an additional station in the South Nepean area will be located, if one is required.  Within the CDP, a Fire Service facility is permitted on all lands within the Town Centre, subject to built form requirements, and could be accommodated within the civic complex identified above.

 

Police

Ottawa Police Services does not anticipate the need for a major facility within the South Nepean Town Centre. However, Ottawa Police Service may require a future Community Police Centre that is housed within a civic facility.  Within the CDP, a Police Service facility is permitted on all lands within the Town Centre, subject to built form requirements, and could be accommodated within the civic complex identified above.

 

Paramedic

The Ottawa Paramedic Service is currently located at the Nepean Fire Hall on Greenbank Road. and has made a request for a site on the City lands on Longfields Drive to re-locate this Paramedic Post.  This new site would serve all the residents of South Nepean, including the Town Centre and, therefore, a site within the Town Centre is not required.  Within the CDP, a Paramedic Post is permitted on all lands within the Town Centre, subject to the built form requirements, and could be accommodated within the civic complex identified above.

 

Library

The Ottawa Public Library are currently undertaking a Facility Growth Planning Study regarding future library facilities related to growth over the next twenty years. The Ottawa Public Library will be able to identify library needs in these areas of the City once this Study is completed.  Within the CDP, a library is a permitted use within the Town Centre, subject to built form requirements, and could be accommodated within the civic complex identified above.

 

Client Service Centre

The Client Services and Public Information Branch of the Corporate Services Department does not foresee any additional requirements within the South Nepean Town Centre.  Within the CDP, a Client Service Centre is a permitted use within the Town Centre, subject to built form requirements.  A Client Service Centre could be accommodated within the civic complex identified above.