6.             INTENSIFICATION IMPLEMENTATION GROUP - PROJECT CHARTER AND COUNCIL SPONSORS

 

GROUPE DE MISE EN ŒUVRE DE LA DENSIFICATION – CHARTE DE PROJET ET COMMANDITAIRES DU CONSEIL

 

 

Committee recommendationS

 

That Council:

 

1.                   Approve the Intensification Implementation Group Project Charter as set out in Document 1;

 

2.                   Appoint two Members of Council from the Urban Area and two Members of Council from the Suburban Area as Council Sponsors.

 

 

RecommandationS DU Comité

 

Que le Conseil :

 

1.         Approuve la charte de projet du Groupe de mise en œuvre de la densification telle qu’elle est présentée dans le Document 1;

 

2.         Nommer deux membres du Conseil du secteur urbain et deux membres du Conseil du secteur suburbain à titre de commanditaires du Conseil.

 

 

Documentation

 

1.      Deputy City Manager's report, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability, dated 4 January 2010 (ACS2010-ICS-PGM-0024).

 

2.      Extract of Draft Minutes, 12 January 2010.

 


Report to/Rapport au :

 

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

 

and Council / et au Conseil

 

04 January 2010 / le 04 janvier 2010

 

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

Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability, Services d'infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités

 

Contact Person/Personne-ressource : John L. Moser, General Manager/Directeur général, Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance

(613) 580-2424, 28869  John.Moser@ottawa.ca

 

City-wide/ à l'échelle de la Ville

Ref N°: ACS2010-ICS-PGM-0024

 

 

SUBJECT:

Intensification IMPLEMENTATION Group - Project Charter and Council Sponsors

 

 

OBJET :

GROUPE DE MISE EN œuvre DE LA DENSIFICATION – CHARTE DE PROJET ET COMMANDITAIRES DU CONSEIL

 

 

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

 

That Planning and Environment Committee recommend that Council:

 

1.         Approve the Intensification Implementation Group Project Charter as set out in Document 1;

 

2.         Appoint two Members of Council from the Urban Area and two Members of Council from the Suburban Area as Council Sponsors.

 

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

 

Que le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement recommande au Conseil :

 

1.         D’approuver la charte de projet du Groupe de mise en œuvre de la densification telle qu’elle est présentée dans le Document 1;

 

2.         De nommer deux membres du Conseil du secteur urbain et deux membres du Conseil du secteur suburbain à titre de commanditaires du Conseil.

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

Upon Council approval of the Official Plan in June 2009, direction was given to staff to set up a group of Members of Council, City staff, representatives of the development industry, and community stakeholders to assist in the implementation of the residential intensification goals contained within the Official Plan.

 

Specifically, Council directed that it reinforce its commitment to intensification through support to a group that would "coordinate all City practices, by-laws and administration to support intensification and lead discussions with all external stakeholders such as school boards and utilities to improve the success of the residential land strategy". Since this time, staff in the Community Sustainability Department have brought forward a Project Charter for the Burying Overhead Power Lines project, and staff within the Planning and Growth Management Department have worked with Councillors Harder and Qadri on specific development growth issues in their communities, including the suburban standards for sidewalks and driveways. At this time it is appropriate to formalize the working group and prioritize outstanding barriers to intensification and a plan for resolution. Initiatives will be undertaken through to 2013 when the population projections, intensification targets, and Official Plan policies will be reviewed.

 

DISCUSSION

 

The Intensification Implementation Group will be charged with working with City staff, the development industry, and community stakeholders on addressing barriers to intensification so that Council's approved intensification targets can be met. Through the recent Official Plan review and creation of a new Development Charges By-law, Members of Council identified practical "on the ground" examples of development that has not realized its true intensification potential due to conflicting policies or a lack of clarity in what the City intends. In addition, Development Review staff, through the application review process, have noted examples of where the quality of development could be improved through the implementation of new policy or opportunities afforded under recent changes to the Planning Act.

 

The Project Charter, Document 1, provides examples of identified initiatives that the Intensification Implementation Group may wish to address, including harnessing the new authorities within Bill 51 to regulate the design of new development; reviewing public lanes and rear lane design in new developments; and reviewing the suburban sidewalk standards. It should be noted that this list has been provided as examples of initiatives that the Group may consider and is not meant to be prescriptive or all inclusive.

 

The Intensification Implementation Group will be governed by four Members of Council, the General Managers of Planning and Growth Management, Environmental Services, and Public Works, the Director of Infrastructure Services, and supported by staff within respective departments. Project teams made up of appropriate staff, a Member of Council, and representatives from the development industry and affected agencies or organizations will tackle specific projects and bring forward their completed tasks to the Intensification Implementation Group for approval. It should be noted that all changes to standards or new policies will be subject to full public consultation followed by Committee and Council approval.

 

Opportunities to promote intensification through the Development Charges Act will continue to be addressed by the Council-appointed Development Charges Working Group comprised of Councillors Hume, Harder, Leadman, and Feltmate.

 

Beyond the work of the Intensification Implementation Group there are specific Community Design Plans, Secondary Plans, or Town Centre Plans that should be reviewed in the context of Council's approval intensification targets and revised Official Plan policies, as noted in Appendix A to the Project Charter. These reviews will be undertaken by the Planning and Growth Management department in collaboration with the affected Ward Councillor and their community associations and residents over the next five-year period.

 

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

 

The Official Plan and the supporting Rural Settlement Strategy outlines specific development strategies for Ottawa's rural villages. The Intensification Implementation Group will focus solely on the Urban and Suburban areas. Outstanding issues related to development in the rural villages and elsewhere in the rural area, including the design and location of country lot subdivisions, will be addressed through a separate process.

 

CONSULTATION

 

This report was administrative in nature and as such there was no public consultation. Any standard or policy change will be undertaken with full public and agency consultation.

 

COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)

 

N/A

 

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no legal/risk management implications associated with this report.

 

CITY STRATEGIC PLAN

 

The work undertaken by the Intensification Implementation Group will address the following City Strategic Plan priorities:

 

Planning and Growth Management Objective 1:  Become leading edge in community and urban design including housing creation for those in the city living on low incomes and residents at large.

 

Planning and Growth Management Objective 2:  Respect the existing urban fabric, neighbourhood form and the limits of existing hard services, so that new growth is integrated seamlessly with established communities.

 

Planning and Growth Management Objective 3:  Encourage the development of existing employment lands to promote job creation and minimize infrastructure costs.

 

Planning and Growth Management Objective 4:  Ensure that the City infrastructure required for new growth is built or improved as needed to serve the growth.

 

TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS

 

N/A

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no financial implications related to this report.

 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

 

Document 1 - Intensification Implementation Group - Project Charter

 

DISPOSITION

 

Planning and Growth Management staff will strike the Intensification Implementation Group; projects will be prioritized and undertaken by Project teams, and brought forward for public consultation and Committee and Council approval.

 

 


INTENSIFICATION IMPLEMENTATION GROUP –

PROJECT CHARTER                                                                                          DOCUMENT 1

 

 

 

Development Review, Urban Services

Development Review, Suburban Services

Policy Development and Urban Design

Planning and Growth Management Department

Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability Portfolio

Intensification Implementation Group

PROJECT CHARTER

January 4, 2010

 


PROJECT OVERVIEW

 

This project charter defines the overall approach for setting up an Intensification Implementation Group (IIG) to examine and recommend changes to regulatory and standards-based practices that contradict or complicate the achievement of the Official Plan’s goal of a denser, more mixed-use city. The IIG’s recommendations may also extend to external agencies and institutional stakeholders that are partners in the city’s development.

 

Direction to set up the IIG originated from the Joint Meeting of the Planning and Environment Committee and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of May 11, 2009, which adopted the following motion:

 

.           Adopt the City of Ottawa Comprehensive Official Plan Amendment dated May 2009 as detailed in Document 13, subject to the following:

 

a.   That Council reinforce its commitment to intensification through:

·Support for the proposed intensification working group and its objective to coordinate all City practices, by-laws and administration to support intensification and lead discussions with all external stakeholders such as school boards and utilities to improve the success of the residential land strategy;

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2009/05-11/jointminutes3.htm

Official Plan Amendment no. 76 (OPA 76) was adopted by City Council on June 24, 2009 through By-law 2009-209:

 

2009-209         A by-law of the City of Ottawa to amend the Official Plan for the City of Ottawa to implement changes brought forward from the five year review of the Official Plan as required by the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.P.13, as amended.

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2009/06-24/englishminutes69.htm

The IIG is anticipated to undertake initiatives that will serve to implement the vision that Council has adopted through its Official Plan. Initiatives will be undertaken through to 2013 when the population projections, intensification targets, and Official Plan policies will be reviewed.

The tasks that will be undertaken by the IIG will be prioritized and scheduled starting with a “short-term” period of a maximum of five years to lead up to the next Official Plan review. In setting priorities for the Group’s tasks, the overriding consideration will be those interventions that will provide the greatest impact and value to the City in its efforts to achieve the Intensification Target set out in OPA 76.

It should be noted that issues that relate to a specific location or ward within the city will be undertaken in collaboration with the affected Ward Councillor and are noted in Appendix A.


GOVERNANCE

 

The Intensification Implementation Group (IIG) will be the under the leadership of a Steering Committee made up of Council sponsors, and the General Manager, Planning and Growth Management, the Director of Infrastructure Services, the General Manager, Public Works, the General Manager, Environmental Services, the Manager, Development Review -Urban Services, Manager, Development Review - Suburban Services, and Manager, Policy Development and Urban Design.

 

The IIG will conduct its activities through project teams that are focused on intensification issues within the urban and suburban areas. Project teams will be comprised of City staff, Council sponsors, representatives of the development industry, and representatives of any affected agencies or organizations. Each project team will be placed under the leadership of one Manager or Program Manager and who will canvass best practices and recommend changes within a given period of time. In addition, building on the success of the Development Charges By-law Council Working Group, a project team will continue to address the tangential issues that were identified as part of the By-law approval, prepare for the mid-term review of the Development Charges By-law, and examine how development charges can be further used as a tool to promote intensification.

 

When the Project Team has concluded its work, it will provide its recommendations to the Steering Committee prior to the change in standard coming into force (if delegated authority to staff), or a report to Committee moving forward.

 

 


ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 

The table below describes the roles and responsibilities of the key participants or their delegates in the project.

 

Role

Responsibilities

 

Intensification Implementation Group

·         Council Sponsors

·         General Manager, Planning and Growth Management

·         Director of Infrastructure Services

·         General Manager, Public Works

·         General Manager, Environmental Services

·         Manager, Development Review -Urban Services

·         Manager, Development Review - Suburban Services

·         Manager, Policy Development and Urban Design

 

 

 

 

·         Provide overall direction to the Intensification Implementation Group to ensure that Council’s direction is implemented

·         Resolve strategic issues

·         Monitor Project Team status

·         Maintain sponsorship for the project

·         Ensure timely response from staff and stakeholder resources to meet the requirements of the project

·         Meet on a regular basis to provide strategic direction and resolve issues and receive draft material

·         Receive final reports from Project Teams

 

Council Sponsors

 

·         To provide input, advice and direction to staff regarding issues, particularly related to “on the ground” experience in implementing Council’s vision for intensification

·         To support recommendation(s) to Committee and Council based on the final report

·         To act as a ‘champion’ with regards to the tabling and consideration of political driven issues arising during the project.

 

Project Teams

 

 

 

·         Provide overall direction for the project and ensure project is managed effectively

·         Lead and co-ordinate various project activities

·         Research best practices

·         Provide expert advice

·         Responsible to maintain project timelines and milestones

·         Responsible for resources providing project support

·         Ensure co-ordination and alignment amongst project teams that share co-dependent aspects and activities

 

 

RESOURCES

 

Project Team work will require staff resources as well as consultant resources to be brought forward annually through the Planning and Growth Management Department’s operating budget request.

 

Project Teams will require the technical expertise from the following staff, dependent on the nature of the specific project:

 

Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability:

 

-          Planning and Growth Management General Manager (lead)

o   Development Review Process, Managers and Program Managers

o   Policy Development and Urban Design Manager and Program Managers

o   Transportation Planning Branch Manager and Program Managers

o   Building Code Managers and Program Managers

-          Infrastructure Services Director

o   Asset Management Manager

-          Environmental Services General Manager

o   Wastewater & Drainage Operations Manager

o   Drinking Water Operations Manager

o   Strategic & Environmental Services Manager

o   Solid Waste Operations Manager

-          Transit Services General Manager

o   Transit Service Design Manager

-          Community Sustainability Director

 

City Operations:

 

-          Public Works Department, General Manager

o   Roads & Traffic Operations Manager

o   Parking Operations & Development Manager

 

-          Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services, General Manager

o   Customer Relations, Business Integration and Funding Manager

 

 

PROJECT TEAM ISSUES

 

The following project team issues have been provided as examples of initiatives that the Group may consider and is not meant to be prescriptive or all-inclusive.

 

Zoning Project Team

 

§  Determine the extent to which Bill 51 of the Planning Act allows the City to enforce a certain type of performance standard in its zoning that would be clearly linked to compact mixed-use design. Review the New Urbanism SmartCode for ideas and approaches to design regulation.

 

§  Location of parking and garages: It is becoming an increasingly controversial issue in small-scale infill projects in the General Urban Area, with particular focus on older established neighbourhoods, that new infill fails to integrate into its context because of wide front garages and the paving of most of the front yard for driveways. There have been several attempts over the years to address this issue and, with Bill 51 now in place this would be a good time to resume the discussion. This will impact the Low-Medium Density Infill Housing urban design guidelines. It may also lead to new approaches to deal with front yard parking and on-street parking.

 

 

Development Review Project Team

 

 

 

 

 

 

Infrastructure and Utilities Capacity Project Team

 

 

 

 

 
Urban Design in the Right-of-way Project Team

 

§  Burying of Overhead Hydro Wires: Review of opportunity to bury hydro wires as part of rehabilitation program and new development. Currently underway and led by the Community Sustainability Department. Ensure that the final program supports existing official plan policy framework relating to urban design in intensification areas. 

§  Complete the Street Design Policy for Special Streets: Bring consistency to how and where streetscapes are enhanced, co-ordinated, and financed.

§  Revise current prohibitions on “permanent” features on City rights-of-way in cases where the affected portion of the right-of-way plays no operational role. Develop a legal agreement that can be used in such situations allowing the City to recover its right-of-way when needed.

 

 

Transportation and Traffic Project Team

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community Planning Project Team

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related Bylaws Project Team

 

 

 

 


Development Charges Project Team

 

Further to the work undertaken by the Development Charges By-law Council Working Group, priorities and tasks include:

 

§  The impact of regulatory restrictions, cost of electrical relocation, and provision on development inside the Greenbelt, including the issue of the provision of underground electrical service. (This work is currently underway)

 

§  The management of front-ending agreements

 

§  The cost of development and building permits for Ottawa’s health care facilities (this issue has been largely addressed by Council through the approval of a policy on financial support to not-for-profit organizations)

 

§  The cost of development inside the Greenbelt and potential incentives to meet the goal’s of the City’s Official Plan

 

§  At the midway point of the term of the 2009 Development Charges By-law, this group will provide a review of the strengths and weaknesses of the By-law and commence the process of the next By-law review.

 

 


APPENDIX A – SPECIFIC ISSUES

 

The timelines for these initiatives will be determined in consultation with the Ward Councillor, the affected community, and the Department’s annual work program. Any studies or policy reviews will be subject to full public and agency consultation.

 

 

 

 

 

§  Preston-Champagne Secondary Plan: Work has started to replace this Plan with the Carling-Bayview Rapid Transit Corridor CDP. Zoning will have to reflect minimum density targets and implement an urban form of development

 

§  Confederation Heights Secondary Plan: Review existing provisions (and accompanying zoning) to ensure that minimum density target can be accommodated as-of-right; recommend changes if necessary.

 

§  Orléans Town Centre (former City of Cumberland) Secondary Plan: Review existing provisions (and accompanying zoning) to ensure that minimum density target can be accommodated as-of-right; recommend changes if necessary.

 

§  Orléans Town Centre, Blair and Ogilvie, Cyrville Core (former City of Gloucester) Activity Areas Policies: Review existing provisions (and accompanying zoning) to ensure that minimum density target can be accommodated as-of-right; recommend changes if necessary. Address the sanitary system limitations at Cyrville that have been identified in various studies.

 

§  Kanata Town Centre Site Specific Policies: Review existing provisions (and accompanying zoning) to ensure that minimum density target can be accommodated as-of-right; recommend changes if necessary.

 

§  Barrhaven Town Centre CDP: Review existing provisions (and accompanying zoning) to ensure that minimum density target can be accommodated as-of-right; recommend changes if necessary.

 

§  Mer Bleue Town Centre CDP: Review existing provisions (and accompanying zoning) to ensure that minimum density target can be accommodated as-of-right; recommend changes if necessary.

 

 

 

 

 


INTENSIFICATION IMPLEMENTATION GROUP - PROJECT CHARTER AND COUNCIL SPONSORS

GROUPE DE MISE EN ŒUVRE DE LA DENSIFICATION – CHARTE DE PROJET ET COMMANDITAIRES DU CONSEIL

ACS2010-ICS-PGM-0024                             CITY WIDE/ À L’ECHELLE DE LA VILLE

 

E-mail correspondence dated 11 January 2010 was received from Klaus Beltzner, and is held on file with the City Clerk.

 

Chair Hume noted that, in addition to himself, the following Councillors had expressed interest in becoming the Council Sponsors for the Intensification Implementation Group:  Councillor Qadri, Councillor Harder, Councillor Leadman and Councillor Feltmate.  He noted that other Councillors were also welcome to express their interest.

 

Alain Miguelez, Program Manager of Development Review Process (Urban) provided a high-level overview of the mandate and workplan of the proposed Intensification Implementation Group.  He noted that the initiative flows from the direction Council set when it approved Official Plan (OP) Amendment 76 in June 2009, which reinforced the City’s commitment to intensification.  The objective of the proposed Intensification Working Group is to coordinate all City practices, by-laws and administration to support intensification, as well as lead discussions with external stakeholders to improve the success of the Residential Land Strategy.  He suggested this work was part of what was required to align the City’s practices and standards to accommodate the type of development called for by the OP. 

 

Mr. Miguelez explained that staff is proposing a working group led by a steering committee comprised of the following members: the above-noted Council sponsors; the General Managers of Planning and Growth Management, Infrastructure Services, Public Works, and Environmental services; the Managers of Development Review for Urban Services and Suburban Services; and the Manger of Policy Development and Urban Design.  He emphasized that this initiative represents staff’s collective effort to examine the City’s practices to determine which of them no longer represent the City’s desired approach to urban development.  He noted that the staff report contains preliminary working group structure and list of tasks, which will be further refined by the Council sponsors and appropriate staff.  He proposed that this initiative would make Ottawa a leading municipality in Ontario by putting effort into the technical details to ensure new planning approaches work on the ground level, and suggested it would minimize risk for the development industry and establish clarity for communities.

 

Klaus Beltzner, resident, began by congratulating staff for their work on the project charter and governance model, suggesting they were a solid basis for moving forward.  He requested a change to the wording of the staff report to include specific direction for the participation of advocates/champions for walkable and sustainable communities in the intensification implementation project teams.  This participation would be at the working group level, as part of the resources available to staff in moving forward with these projects.  He referenced the suggested wording he had outlined in his e-mail communication to the Committee, suggesting Committee could modify that wording as long as the intent remained the same

 

In response to questions from Chair Hume regarding Mr. Beltzner’s suggestions, Mr. Miguelez expressed that he had no philosophical problem with involving those who are interested and have contributions to make to the process.  He proposed that staff would have found the appropriate place within the structure to involve those members of the public that needed to be involved.  He noted that the direction of the OP is towards a more walkable city and good structures for all transportation modes, with a clear emphasis on non-automobile modes.  He indicated this initiative would be a collective effort that would bring together many people from within the City government and the community.

 

Chair Hume noted there are champions for walkable and sustainable communities both in the community and on City staff.  He asked staff to provide some wording for inclusion in the report that ensures involvement of champions for walkable and sustainable communities from the staff and the community, as they are valuable in both places.  He asked that this wording be provided before the report rose to City Council on 27 January 2010, so that he could move to have the wording inserted at Council.  Staff agreed to take this as direction.

 

Councillor Harder expressed confusion about the degree of involvement being proposed for the above-noted community champions.  She wondered, for example, if they would necessarily attend every meeting of the steering committee.  She suggested their role should be that of a public advisory group.  Further, she noted that this initiative was not only concerned with walkable communities; rather, it would be a holistic look at all aspects of the City’s policies, including such things as building setbacks, parking and street-scaping.  She hoped it was not the intent to have the same people attend every meeting, as these meetings would be on a diverse range of topics.  She suggested that, as has been done in the past, Advisory Committees and other bodies would be involved in relevant aspects of the working group’s work plan.

 

In response to questions from the Chair regarding the potential role of community champions, Mr. Moser made reference to the governance structure outlined in the report and clarified that it was staff’s expectation that community experts, representatives and advocates on various issues would be involved at the project team level, along with City staff, Council sponsors, the development industry and affected agencies.  They would not attend all steering committee meetings; rather, they would be involved with the project teams where relevant, depending on the topic.  He suggested this would be a way to draw in not only advocates for a walkable and sustainable community, but also the whole breadth of relevant interests.

 

In response to questions from Councillor Qadri, the Chair noted that the wording proposed by Mr. Beltzner was just a suggestion and reiterated that staff would provide new wording to allow the involvement of community and staff champions.  Councillor Qadri emphasized that he and Councillor Harder wanted to ensure that the work of the steering committee did not go in only one direction or focus on the interests of one group, as there were various issues and topics to be addressed.   He agreed that there should be public consultation once the initial discussion period was over, as with any City-led process.

 

Mr. Miguelez confirmed that he would provide appropriate wording to the Chair to make it clear that the intent is to involve a cross-section of people who have an interest in each of the tasks under the purview of the initiative.  He confirmed it was not staff’s intent to pre-judge the conclusion of the work of the steering committee or any of the working groups.  Mr. Beltzner confirmed that he was satisfied with the proposed course of action.

 

That Planning and Environment Committee recommend that Council:

 

1.    Approve the Intensification Implementation Group Project Charter as set out in Document 1;

 

2.    Appoint two Members of Council from the Urban Area and two Members of Council from the Suburban Area as Council Sponsors.

 

                                                                                                            CARRIED

 

DIRECTION TO STAFF:

 

That staff provide wording that could be inserted into the staff report to describe an appropriate means for community and staff champions to be part of the process.  Staff is to provide this text prior to Council's consideration on January 27, 2009.