A new subdivision will not become part of the village of Greely despite support for the idea from developers and residents who want to see more growth after a decision by the City of Ottawa’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
The panel has redesignated the land rural.
“The home building industry right now in Greely is in dire need of supply,” said Dan Anderson, president of subdivision developer Sunset Lakes Developments about the decision. “We don’t need to take action on this.”
The subdivision proposal for 1600 Stagecoach Rd. has 71 lots and was originally proposed to be a part of the village, but that proposal was not part of the city’s official plan. A city report recommended exclusion from the village.
Ben Morin, a city policy planner, said the changes are required to ensure that the official plan aligns with provincial legislation to ensure that planning is accurate and effective. In 2021, a provincial council directed staff to develop unbuilt country lot subdivisions next to existing villages, so committee decision reinforces this instruction.
Several community members and developers who opposed the motion told the committee they wanted to continue the village’s expansion and said passing this motion would inhibit its growth.
Anderson says that while it may seem like there is an inexhaustible supply of lots in Greely and surrounding rural lands, in reality, there are only three lots on the market in Greely, which he says is not enough to meet community demand.
“Greely is the largest of 26 (villages) in the area, and one of the largest depending on the population counts, but approximately 10,000 people,” he said. “Three lots is not sufficient.”
While the committee passed the motion in spite of these concerns, they were also sympathetic to the interests of developers and residents to see more growth in Greely and other villages.
“We do need to look out for our villages and about growth – smart growth,” said Osgoode Coun. George Darouze.
He said that rural Ottawa has a cluster of villages with lots of space between them and acknowledges that provincial policies can block the expansion of these villages into surrounding land. As such, he says that in the future, new policies will need to consider how subdivision zoning will contribute to or hinder the expansion of villages like Greely.
“Sometimes our provincial policy statements block some of those developments,” Darouze said. “But right now, in front of us, this omnibus [plan amendment], we’re going to move forward with.”
