7. Barrhaven Business Improvement Area Boundary Expansion

ÉLARGISSEMENT DES LIMITES DE LA ZONE D’AMÉLIORATION COMMERCIALE DE BARRHAVEN

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

That Council:

1. Designate the area described by Document 1 as an expanded Business Improvement Area (BIA), under Sections 204 and 209 of the Municipal Act, 2001;

2. Authorize and direct the City Clerk and Solicitor to send out a notice of Council's intention to pass a by-law to alter the existing BIA boundaries, as defined in Document 1, in accordance with Section 210 of the Municipal Act, 2001;

3. Authorize and direct the City Clerk and Solicitor to prepare an amending by-law to amend By-law No. 2005-498 (A by-law of the City of Ottawa designating the Barrhaven Area as an improvement area) to include the expanded area as described in Document 1, in accordance with Sections 204 and 209 of the Municipal Act, 2001; and

4. Enact the aforementioned by-law in accordance with section 204 and 209 of the Municipal Act, 2001, subject to the City Clerk and Solicitor receiving favourable results on the notices referred to in Recommendation 2, advising of the intention to pass a by-law expanding the boundary.

RecommandationS du ComitÉ

Que le Conseil:

1. désigne la zone décrite dans le document 1 comme une zone d’amélioration commerciale (ZAC) élargie, aux termes des articles 204 et 209 de la Loi de 2001 sur les municipalités;

2. demande au greffier et chef du contentieux de la Ville, après lui en avoir donné l’autorisation, de donner avis de l’intention du Conseil d’adopter un règlement municipal visant à modifier les limites de la ZAC existante, de la manière indiquée dans le document 1, conformément à l’article 210 de la Loi de 2001 sur les municipalités;

3. demande au greffier et chef du contentieux de la Ville, après lui en avoir donné l’autorisation, de rédiger un règlement municipal modificateur visant à modifier le Règlement n^o 2005-498 (règlement de la Ville d’Ottawa qui désigne le secteur de Barrhaven comme zone d’amélioration) en vue d’inclure la section élargie, décrite dans le document 1, aux termes des articles 204 et 209 de la Loi de 2001 sur les municipalités; et

4. promulgue le règlement municipal susmentionné aux termes des articles 204 et 209 de la Loi de 2001 sur les municipalités, à la condition que le greffier et chef du contentieux reçoive des réponses favorables à l’avis d’intention d’élargir les limites de la zone d’amélioration commerciale, qui fait l’objet de la recommandation 2.

DOCUMENTATION

1. Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability report dated 31 May 2011 (ACS2011-ICS-CSS-0011).

Report to/Rapport au :

Finance and Economic Development Committee

Comité des finances et du développement économique

and Council / et au Conseil

31 May 2011 / le 31 mai 2011

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 : Johanne Levesque, Director, Community Sustainability

Community Sustainability Services/Services de viabilité des collectivités

(613) 580-2424 x 12257, johanne.levesque@ottawa.ca

Barrhaven (3), Gloucester-South Nepean (22)

Ref N°: ACS2011-ICS-CSS-0011

SUBJECT:	Barrhaven Business Improvement Area Boundary Expansion

OBJET :	ÉLARGISSEMENT DES LIMITES DE LA ZONE D’AMÉLIORATION COMMERCIALE DE BARRHAVEN

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Finance and Economic Development Committee recommend Council:

1. Designate the area described by Document 1 as an expanded Business Improvement Area (BIA), under Sections 204 and 209 of the Municipal Act, 2001;

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité des finances et du développement économique recommande au Conseil :

1. de désigner la zone décrite dans le document 1 comme une zone d’amélioration commerciale (ZAC) élargie, aux termes des articles 204 et 209 de la Loi de 2001 sur les municipalités;

2. de demander au greffier et chef du contentieux de la Ville, après lui en avoir donné l’autorisation, de donner avis de l’intention du Conseil d’adopter un règlement municipal visant à modifier les limites de la ZAC existante, de la manière indiquée dans le document 1, conformément à l’article 210 de la Loi de 2001 sur les municipalités;

3. de demander au greffier et chef du contentieux de la Ville, après lui en avoir donné l’autorisation, de rédiger un règlement municipal modificateur visant à modifier le Règlement n^o 2005-498 (règlement de la Ville d’Ottawa qui désigne le secteur de Barrhaven comme zone d’amélioration) en vue d’inclure la section élargie, décrite dans le document 1, aux termes des articles 204 et 209 de la Loi de 2001 sur les municipalités; et

4. de promulguer le règlement municipal susmentionné aux termes des articles 204 et 209 de la Loi de 2001 sur les municipalités, à la condition que le greffier et chef du contentieux reçoive des réponses favorables à l’avis d’intention d’élargir les limites de la zone d’amélioration commerciale, qui fait l’objet de la recommandation 2.

BACKGROUND

The Barrhaven BIA was established in 2005 to establish Barrhaven as a premier shopping, business and entertainment destination. The BIA has become the highest growth area in the City. The present boundaries were established six years ago during the formation period of the BIA. Since then, there has been significant growth and even more commercial growth is expected over the next five years.

The “Barrhaven” BIA represents that it speaks for all businesses in Barrhaven; however there are businesses in Barrhaven that are currently not part of the BIA as they fall outside of existing boundaries. As such, these businesses are unable to benefit from the events, programs and projects undertaken by the BIA. At the same time, while the entire business community benefits from wide-scale branding initiatives organized by the BIA, not all businesses are helping to fund these programs.

Since its formation in 2005, the BIA has developed a number of key initiatives aimed at developing a well-planned and vibrant business district for Barrhaven. In addition to providing annual market research data and bi-annual updates, BIA programs and initiatives include: area-marketing through advertising; staging events aimed at both primary and secondary market areas; gateway signs to brand and highlight businesses in the area; graffiti removal for all commercial properties; as well as online and printed Business Directories.

DISCUSSION

Through its marketing and advertising, the BIA has positioned the Barrhaven brand as a premiere commercial area reaching the primary, secondary and tertiary market areas. Recent survey results have shown that Barrhaven businesses now attract a higher proportion of customers from greater distances compared to 2007.

The BIA has identified employment growth as a critical priority. The organization has highlighted the current shortfall of 19,000+ jobs based on current population numbers and has set its sights on achieving this goal, and in so-doing, build daytime consumerism in the area by attracting people to work in the community and finding ways for residents to work within their community.

As part of the proposed expansion, two new areas will be added to the Barrhaven BIA area shown as captured within the red dotted line on Document 1 attached. The northern boundary will continue to be represented by Fallowfield Road from Highway 416 to Woodroffe Avenue. The existing western boundary along Cedarview Drive will be replaced by a new western boundary represented by Highway 416. The existing southern boundary along Cambrian Road and extending southerly along Jockvale Road will be replaced by a new southern boundary at Barnsdale Road. The portion of the existing western boundary along Woodroffe Avenue bounded approximately by the creek to the north of Forest Gate Way on the North and Prince of Wales Drive on the south will be replaced with a new western boundary along Prince of Wales Drive from the creek and storm water management pond north of Holitzner Way and Baroness Drive south to Woodroffe Avenue.

The expanded area will include all current and future Commercial and Industrial properties in the defined area and will add approximately $11,785 annually to the annual levy (based on 2011 Budget). Of the additional properties to be included in the expanded area, 4100 Strandherd Road represents 54 per cent of the total new levies while 3033 Woodroffe Avenue represents 27 per cent. Together, they make up 81 per cent of the proposed new levy. Both property owners support the expansion as does the 4100 Strandherd Road Tenant’s Association.

The request to expand the Barrhaven BIA boundaries is based on the need to be inclusive of all businesses within the Barrhaven business community. The extended boundary would also allow the Barrhaven BIA to enhance the Barrhaven business community’s already powerful brand as Ottawa's number one location to locate and build retail, commercial or light industrial businesses in Ottawa’s fastest growing community. With its year round marketing initiatives, Barrhaven BIA would also work to enhance the marketing capacity of these new members, allowing them to engage in the critical outreach that is necessary to the success of their businesses.

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

CONSULTATION

A thorough consultation was performed to measure support for the boundary expansion that reached all affected businesses in the expansion area. Steps included:

1. A prospectus outlining the rationale and process to expand the BIA boundaries was posted to the BBIA website with a notice on the organization’s main page, for the three months (December 2010 and January and February 2011).

2. Expansion plans were presented in the BBIA’s winter newsletter, mailed to each current member of the BBIA (November 2010).

3. The expansion prospectus was presented to and accepted by the membership at the Barrhaven BIA AGM at its annual meeting at the end of November 2010.

4. The expansion prospectus was mailed to all new properties in the proposed expansion area in December 2010.

5. 4100 Strandherd Road represents 54 per cent of the total new levies while 3033 Woodroffe Avenue represents 27 per cent. Together, they make up 81 per cent of the proposed new levy. Approval has been received from the 4100 Strandherd Road property owner (January 24, 2011) and from the 4100 Strandherd Road tenant association (January 16, 2011) via email.

6. The expansion prospectus was emailed to all new properties along the east side of Woodroffe Avenue that were missed at time of formation. Specifically, notices were sent to Scotiabank, Farm Boy and Trinity Managers regarding 3033 Woodroffe Avenue, to find out if there were any questions and/or objections regarding the Prospectus copy that was mailed to Trinity head office in Toronto. Scotiabank and Trinity have confirmed their support.

7. Councillor Harder has spoken with Regional Group (Steve Cunliffe) and Mattamy Homes (Susan Murphy) to advise them about the BBIA boundary expansion. Both were pleased. BBIA Executive Director, Andrea Steenbakkers did the same with DCR Phoenix (Cuckoo Kochar) who was also in favour of the expansion. These three firms represent the vast majority of land in the new area that might be reassessed in the future to commercial, thereby making that development part of the BBIA.

8. Both Councillor Harder (Ward 3) and Councillor Desroches (Ward 22) support the expansion, confirming so in emails to the BIA dated November 28, 2011 and November 29, 2010respectively.

9. Based on the above, the BBIA Board of Managers are confident that the expansion will receive the support required by the new members to move forward and have approved the expansion.

COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)

Councillor Jan Harder, Ward 3 – Barrhaven

I fully support this expansion and am proud of the efforts of the Barrhaven BIA to market the entire Barrhaven area.

Councillor Steve Desroches, Ward 22 - Gloucester-South Nepean

The Councillor is aware of the report.

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no legal impediments to implementing the recommendations in the report.

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

N/A

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) are funded by a special levy to owners and tenants within the designated area based on the annual budget requirement submitted by the BIAs’ Board of Management, and subsequently approved by Council.

Funds for mail out costs are available within Economic Development’s budget.

TECHNOLOGY IMPLICATIONS

N/A

CITY STRATEGIC PLAN

This initiative is directly aligned with the following City Strategic Plan priorities: Planning and Growth Management; Objective 2 (new): Invest in programs and initiatives that improve Ottawa’s business climate, support job creation and enhance the city’s social and economic prosperity.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1: Proposed Boundary Expansion map

DISPOSITION

The City Clerk and Solicitor will forward notices to affected property owners as provided in the Ontario Municipal Act, 2001.

Subject to the City receiving favourable results in response to the notices sent out under the authority of the Municipal Act, 2001, the City Clerk and Solicitor Department will prepare an amending by-law to expand the Barrhaven Business Improvement Area, as described in Document 1, in accordance with Sections 204 and 209 of the Ontario Municipal Act, 2001, and place the aforementioned by-law on the Orders of the Day. Economic Development staff will report back on the results of the circulation, and whether the expansion was successful

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PROPOSED BARRHAVEN BIA EXPANSION DOCUMENT 1