10. DEMOLITION CONTROL - 249, 251, 255, AND 259 BAY STREET AND 355, 357, AND
359 NEPEAN STREET

DÉMOLITION - 249, 251, 255, ET 259, RUE BAY ET 355, 357, ET 359, RUE NEPEAN

Committee recommendationS

That Council approve the demolition of the five buildings located at 249, 251, 255, and 259 Bay Street and 355, 357 and 359 Nepean Street, subject to the following conditions:

1. That a replacement building be substantially completed within five years from the date of this approval and in default thereof, the City Clerk shall enter on the collector’s roll the sum of $10,000.00 for each of the seven dwelling units contained in the demolished residential property.

2. That until the time of construction of the replacement building, the registered owner shall seed/sod the property, install bollards around the perimeter to maintain the property as open space, and to prevent the use of the property for other interim uses. The registered owner shall maintain the property in accordance with the Property Standards By-law.

3. That the owner enter into an Agreement with the City of Ottawa including the forgoing conditions and pay all the costs associated with the registration of the said Agreement.

4. That the approval be considered null and void if the provisions of Condition 3 above have not been fulfilled within six months of the date of approval.

RecommandationS du ComitÉ

Que le Conseil approuve la démolition de cinq immeubles situés aux 249, 251, 255 et 259 de la rue Bay et aux 355, 357 et 359 de la rue Nepean, sous réserve des conditions suivantes :

1. L'immeuble remplaçant les immeubles démolis sera, pour l'essentiel, terminé dans les cinq années qui suivent la date de cette approbation, à défaut de quoi le greffier de la Ville inscrira au rôle de perception la somme de 10 000,00 $ pour chacune des unités de logement comprises dans les immeubles résidentiels démolis.

2. Jusqu'au moment de la construction de l'immeuble remplaçant les immeubles démolis, le propriétaire enregistré verra à ce que le terrain soit gazonné ou semé d'herbe et délimité par des bornes d'interdiction afin de le maintenir comme espace libre et d'empêcher qu'il serve à d'autres utilisations provisoires et en assurera l'entretien conformément au Règlement municipal sur les normes foncières.

3. Le propriétaire conclura avec la Ville d'Ottawa un accord comportant les conditions susmentionnées et assumera tous les frais associés à l'enregistrement de cet accord; lorsqu'un permis de construire sera délivré pour le réaménagement du terrain et que l'immeuble remplaçant les immeubles démolis sera construit, l'accord viendra à expiration et une décharge à cet effet sera donnée à la demande du propriétaire; le propriétaire assumera tous les frais associés à l'enregistrement de la décharge.

4. L'approbation donnée sera tenue pour nulle et non avenue si les dispositions de la condition 3 ci-dessus ne sont pas remplies dans les six mois qui suivent la date de l'approbation.

Documentation

1. Deputy City Manager's report Planning, Transit and the Environment dated 17 October 2007 (ACS2007-PTE-APR-0189).

Report to/Rapport au :

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

and Council / et au Conseil

17 October 2007 / le 17 octobre 2007

Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager

Directrice municipale adjointe,

Planning, Transit and the Environment

Urbanisme, Transport en commun et Environnement

Contact Person/Personne Ressource : Grant Lindsay, Manager / Gestionnaire, Development Approvals / Approbation des demandes d'aménagement

(613) 580-2424, 13242 Grant.Lindsay@ottawa.ca

Somerset (14)

Ref N°: ACS2007-PTE-APR-0189

SUBJECT:	Demolition control - 249, 251, 255, and 259 Bay Street and 355, 357, and 359 Nepean Street.

OBJET :	dÉmolition - 249, 251, 255, et 259, rue BAY et 355, 357, et 359, rue NEPEAN

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council approve the demolition of the five buildings located at 249, 251, 255, and 259 Bay Street and 355, 357 and 359 Nepean Street, subject to the following conditions:

3. That the owner enter into an Agreement with the City of Ottawa including the forgoing conditions and pay all the costs associated with the registration of the said Agreement.

At such time as a building permit is issued to redevelop the site and the replacement building is in place, the Agreement will become null and void and will be released upon request by the owner. The owner shall pay all costs associated with the registration of the release from this Agreement.

4. That the approval be considered null and void if the provisions of Condition 3 above have not been fulfilled within six months of the date of approval.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement recommande au Conseil d'approuver la démolition de cinq immeubles situés aux 249, 251, 255 et 259 de la rue Bay et aux 355, 357 et 359 de la rue Nepean, sous réserve des conditions suivantes :

2. Jusqu'au moment de la construction de l'immeuble remplaçant les immeubles démolis, le propriétaire enregistré verra à ce que le terrain soit gazonné ou semé d'herbe et délimité par des bornes d'interdiction afin de le maintenir comme espace libre et d'empêcher qu'il serve à d'autres utilisations provisoires et en assurera l'entretien conformément au Règlement municipal sur les normes foncières.

4. L'approbation donnée sera tenue pour nulle et non avenue si les dispositions de la condition 3 ci-dessus ne sont pas remplies dans les six mois qui suivent la date de l'approbation.

BACKGROUND

The subject properties are located on the east side of Bay Street and the north side of Nepean Street, in the Centretown neighbourhood. The properties are developed with brick and vinyl dwellings, ranging in height from two to three storeys. The two-storey brick dwelling at 363 Nepean Street and the two-storey brick and vinyl sided building at 267 Bay Street do not form part of this application. The subject lands are surrounded by educational, commercial and residential uses.

The five buildings that are the subject of this application are unoccupied and have fallen into a state of disrepair. These vacant buildings have become a target for vandalism, trespassing, and loitering.

The purpose of this application is to demolish the buildings, and to remove the risk to public safety, pending the outcome of a Site Plan Control application of a 16-storey condominium building on the site. This application is currently "on hold" as a result of a change in market conditions.

DISCUSSION

City Council approves demolition permits within the city when dwelling units are removed from a property without a building permit having been issued for a proposed replacement building. This is accomplished through the Demolition Control Approval process.

The subject buildings are in obvious disrepair, and pose a public safety concern. The Fire Department has expressed a concern for the safety of firefighters who may be called upon to extinguish fires that resulting from the occupation of these buildings, which are in an unsafe condition, by homeless people. It is as a result of these safety concerns that the Department is recommending approval of this application.

The conditions included in the recommendation set standards for the re-development and interim maintenance of the proposed vacant property. Condition 1 originates from Section 33 of the Planning Act. The intent of this condition is to encourage site redevelopment within a reasonable timeframe. If a replacement dwelling is not substantially completed within five years, a monetary penalty will be imposed.

In terms of maintenance, sod is the preferred treatment because it softens the property’s appearance while helping to minimize erosion. The entire property should be sodded to discourage interim land uses, such as parking. As per City standards, the property should be mowed and tidied on a regular basis. Proper maintenance is of paramount importance since negligence can impact surrounding landowners. If Council endorses this recommendation, the owner will be required to comply with the conditions outlined in this report by entering into a legal agreement with the City.

CONSULTATION

Notice of this application was carried out in accordance with the City’s Public Notification and Consultation Policy. The Ward Councillor is aware of the proposal. No comments were received in response to the circulation of this application.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS

This application was processed within the timeframe established for the processing of Demolition Control applications.

DISPOSITION

Planning, Transit and the Environment Department to notify, Richcraft Homes, 1514569 Ontario Inc., 2280 St. Laurent Blvd, Suite 201, Ottawa, ON K1G 4K1, OttawaScene.com, 174 Colonnade Road, Unit #33, Ottawa, ON K2E 7J5, and all interested parties of Planning and Environment Committee’s decision.

Legal Services Branch to prepare the Demolition Control Agreement, prior to the issuance of a Demolition Permit.

LOCATION MAP DOCUMENT 1

CONSULTATION DETAILS DOCUMENT 2

NOTIFICATION AND CONSULTATION PROCESS

Notification and public consultation was undertaken in accordance with the Public Notification and Public Consultation Policy approved by City Council for Demolition Control applications. No public meetings pertaining to this application were held in the community.

PUBLIC INPUT

· These vacant buildings must be demolished the sooner the better.

· These buildings are a fire hazard, and should be demolished.

COUNCILLOR’S COMMENTS

Councillor Holmes concurs with this Demolition Control Proposal, because a replacement building has been applied for, and the vacant buildings are a security concern for the adjacent neighbourhood.

Councillor Holmes suggests that the site be bollarded or ringed with boulders, and sodded, to prevent temporary parking from occurring until such time as development actually proceeds.