1. SALE OF LAND – 651 LONGFIELDS DRIVE

 

VENTE DE TERRAIN – 651, PROMENADE LONGFIELDS DRIVE

 

 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

 

That Council:

 

1.         Declare the property at 651 Longfields Drive  legally described as part lot 18, Con. 2 RF, Geographic Twp. of Nepean now in the City of Ottawa (parts 12 and 13, 4R-25660) containing an area of  2.31 ha (5.73 acres) and shown as Parcel “B” on Document 1 attached as surplus to the City’s needs;

 

2.         Authorize staff to transfer the property municipally known as 651 Longfields Drive and shown as Parcel “B” on Document 1 attached, to the Ottawa Community Lands Development Corporation (OCLDC) on the basis outlined in this report; and

 

3.         Approve the sale of the property detailed in Recommendations 1 and 2 from the City/OCLDC to Sequoia Community Church (Sequoia) or Possess the Land (Possess) for the amount of $1,432,500 plus HST if applicable and subject to any easements that may be required pursuant to an Agreement of Purchase and Sale that has been received.

 

 

RECOMMANDATIONS DU COMITÉ

 

Que le Conseil :

 

1.                  déclare  la propriété au 651, chemin Longfields,  décrite comme une partie du lot 18 de la concession 2 (R.F.) du canton géographique de Nepean, maintenant dans la Ville d’Ottawa (parties 12 et 13, 4R-25660) ayant une superficie de 2,31 hectares (5,73 acres) et indiquée comme la parcelle « B » sur le document 1 ci-joint, excédentaire aux besoins de la Ville;

 

2.                  autorise le personnel à transférer le titre de la propriété située au 651, promenade Longfields et indiquée comme la parcelle « B » sur le document 1 ci-joint, à la Société d’aménagement des terrains communautaires d’Ottawa (SATCO) en fonction de ce qui est  exposé dans le présent rapport; et

 

3.         approuve la vente de la propriété décrite à la recommandation 1,  sous réserve des servitudes requises,  pour un montant de 1 432 500 dollars, la TVH en sus, de la ville d’Ottawa/SATCO à Sequoia Community Church (Sequoia) ou Possess the Land (Possess) conformément à l’offre d’achat reçue.

 

 

 

DOCUMENTATION

 

1.      City Manager’s report dated 25 November 2011 (ACS2011-CMR-REP-0037).

 

 


Report to/Rapport au:

 

Finance and Economic Development Committee

Comité des finances et du développement économique

 

and Council / et au Conseil

 

25 November 2011 / 25 novembre 2011

 

Submitted by/Soumis par: Kent Kirkpatrick, City Manager / directeur municipal

 

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Peter Radke, Manager, Realty Initiative & Development Branch, Real Estate Partnerships and Development Office/Gestionnaire , Initiative Stratégique en immobilier, Partenariats et Développement en immobilier

(613) 580-2424 x12551, Peter.Radke@ottawa.ca

 

Barrhaven (3)

              Ref N°:ACS2011-CMR-REP-0037

 

 

SUBJECT:  SALE OF LAND – 651 LONGFIELDS DRIVE

 

 

 

OBJET :  VENTE DE TERRAIN – 651, PROMENADE LONGFIELDS DRIVE

 

 

 

 

 

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

 

That the Finance and Economic Development Committee recommend Council approve the following:

 

1.         Declare the property at 651 Longfields Drive  legally described as part lot 18, Con. 2 RF, Geographic Twp. of Nepean now in the City of Ottawa (parts 12 and 13, 4R-25660) containing an area of  2.31 ha (5.73 acres) and shown as Parcel “B” on Document 1 attached as surplus to the City’s needs;

 

2.         Authorize staff to transfer the property municipally known as 651 Longfields Drive and shown as Parcel “B” on Document 1 attached, to the Ottawa Community Lands Development Corporation (OCLDC) on the basis outlined in this report; and

 

3.         Approve the sale of the property detailed in Recommendations 1 and 2 from the City/OCLDC to Sequoia Community Church (Sequoia) or Possess the Land (Possess) for the amount of $1,432,500 plus HST if applicable and subject to any easements that may be required pursuant to an Agreement of Purchase and Sale that has been received.

 

 


RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

 

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

 

1.         de déclarer  la propriété au 651, chemin Longfields,  décrite comme une partie du lot 18 de la concession 2 (R.F.) du canton géographique de Nepean, maintenant dans la Ville d’Ottawa (parties 12 et 13, 4R-25660) ayant une superficie de 2,31 hectares (5,73 acres) et indiquée comme la parcelle « B » sur le document 1 ci-joint, excédentaire aux besoins de la Ville;

 

2.         d’autoriser le personnel à transférer le titre de la propriété située au 651, promenade Longfields et indiquée comme la parcelle « B » sur le document 1 ci-joint, à la Société d’aménagement des terrains communautaires d’Ottawa (SATCO) en fonction de ce qui est  exposé dans le présent rapport; et

 

3.         Approuver la vente de la propriété décrite à la recommandation 1,  sous réserve des servitudes requises,  pour un montant de 1 432 500 dollars, la TVH en sus, de la ville d’Ottawa/SATCO à Sequoia Community Church (Sequoia) ou Possess the Land (Possess) conformément à l’offre d’achat reçue.

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

The subject property, which is immediately to the west of the Longfields Subdivision lands and located between the Transitway and Greenbank  Road was expropriated by the former City of Nepean in 1975.  At that time, the subject property was part of a larger parcel of land, which has since been incorporated into the Longfields Subdivision. 

 

Overall, the subject property has an area of 2.31 ha and has approximately 232 metres of road frontage along Greenbank Road, which is the westerly boundary of the site.  To the north, the site is bounded by the Canadian National Railway, to the east by the Transitway and to the south by Block 122, 4M-1046 that has frontage on the future Highbury Park Drive.  The zoning for the property is I1A, Zoning By-law 250-2008, an institutional zone.

 

Although the subject property has frontage off Greenbank Road, the future Greenbank Road Reconstruction project will create a grade separation along the frontage of this property that will make it impossible to have access off Greenbank Road.  Consequently, this land is considered to be landlocked and must be assembled with abutting lands to permit any development on this parcel.

 

In accordance with Section 42 of the Expropriation Act, before disposing of the property, the City must offer the land to the previous owner.  In this instance, the previous owner is Jock River Farms Limited (Jock River). Based on the terms of a Four Party Agreement with Jock River, the City and Sequoia/Possess, Jock River has waived its right of first refusal to purchase the property.


DISCUSSION

 

Since April 2009, the City has been negotiating with Jock River, the former owner, and the purchaser of Block 122, 4M-1046, Sequoia/Possess, to create a land assembly for the orderly development of this institutional parcel of land.

 

The parties have now come to an agreement whereby the former owner, Jock River, has waived its right of first refusal to purchase the subject property as outlined in a four party agreement between the City of Ottawa, Jock River and Sequoia/Possess based on the following:

-          The City is selling the lands at 651 Longfields Drive  shown as Parcel “B” on Document 1 to Sequoia/Possess;

-          Sequoia/Possess is purchasing the adjacent Block 122, 4M- 1046 shown as Parcel “C” on Document 1  presently owned by Jock River;

-          Sequoia/Possess or Jock River is granting the City access to the future Highbury Park Drive via Block 122 (Parcel “C” on Document 1), in the event that the sale of Parcel “B” to Sequoia/Possess is not completed.

-           

The Sequoia/Possess church group has been actively seeking a parcel of land for use as a community church in the area for several years.  The purchase of the subject property by Sequoia/Possess will create a land assembly with the purchase of Block 122, 4M-1046  and  enable access for the overall site off the future Highbury Park Drive (to be constructed in the spring of 2012) thereby creating a development parcel of approximately 3 ha.

 

Delays in finalizing this transaction were partly due to defining the land requirements by the City pending the final Environmental Assessment for the Greenbank Road reconstruction project.  The work is scheduled to start next year for completion in November 2014.  The Parcel “A” shown on Document 1 attached is being retained by the City for a future stormwater pond required as part of this project.  Parcel “B” shown on Document 1which is to be sold to Sequoia/Possess will also be used as a staging area during the road construction project.  The closing date for the sale of this parcel is 30 November 2014.  The delayed closing date will enable the City to make use of the lands for the duration of the project.  Sequoia/Possess considers this land acquisition as the second phase of their development and is therefore agreeable to a delayed closing date.

 

A purchase price of $1,432,500 was agreed to with the purchaser in April of 2009 and is considered a fair and reasonable price for this institutional parcel that is technically landlocked and difficult to develop on its own. As part of the Four Party Agreement, the City has secured access to Parcel “B”  via a right-of-way over Parcel “C” off Highbury Park Drive, in the event that the Sequoia/Possess sale is not completed.

 

It is recommended that Council authorize staff to transfer the subject property at the appropriate time to OCLDC based on the 2009 appraised value of $1,432,500 on a loan basis and that, upon sale of the property by the OCLDC to Sequoia/Possess, all of the proceeds from the sale be transferred back to the City.

 


RURAL IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no rural implications associated with the recommendations of this report.

 

 

CONSULTATION

 

This property is landlocked and therefore considered to be non-viable and is being sold to the abutting owner.  No public consultation was undertaken. However, statutory public consultation will be undertaken when the site plan application to develop the property is submitted to the City.

OCLDC is aware of the report recommendations and has no objections to the addition of this parcel into the corporation’s portfolio and is in agreement with the sale of the property to Sequoia/Possess.

 

 

COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)

 

Councillor Jan Harder is aware of this staff report and concurs with the recommendations.  

 

 

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no legal impediments to implementing any of the Recommendations in this report.

 

 

RISK MANAGEMENT

 

There are no risk management implications associated with the approval of the recommendations in this report.

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

Proceeds generated by the OCLDC will be transferred back to the City upon completion of the sale in November 2014.

 

 

TECHNOLOGY  IMPLICATIONS

 

N/A

 

 


HOUSING FIRST POLICY

 

The Housing First Policy, approved by Council on 13 July 2005, establishes priority consideration to the Housing Services Branch in the identification of potentially surplus City-owned property to be used in achieving the City’s affordable housing program targets.  The policy also requires that the Official Plan target of 25% affordable housing, be met on any City-owned property sold for residential development.  Where viable residential properties are disposed of without a condition requiring an affordable housing component, 25% of the proceeds from the sale are to be credited to a housing fund to be used for the development of affordable housing elsewhere in the City.

As the subject property is not being sold for residential development and is considered a non-viable property, there will be no credit to the Housing Reserve Fund from the sale of this property.

 

 

CITY STRATEGIC PLAN

 

The transfer of this parcel of land into the OCLDC will enable staff to better control the development of the property to ensure compliance with the City Official Plan policies and objectives.  Furthermore, the sale through the OCLDC will enhance the goals of the Strategic Plan by ensuring improved community and urban design and that the new development is appropriately integrated into the surrounding community.  

 

 

ACCESSIBILITY IMPACTS

 

N/A

 

 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

 

Attached as Document 1 is a sketch showing the subject property.

 

 

DISPOSITION

 

Following Council’s approval, staff from Real Estate Partnerships and Development Office and Legal Services Branches will finalize the transfer of ownership at the appropriate time.

 


DOCUMENT 1