A recent decision by the City of Ottawa to put a Preston Street development on hold is an example of the city’s “hodge-podge,” ad hoc approach to intensification, experts say.
John Herbert, executive director of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, says that since the city introduced new intensification policies with its official plan in 2003, a lack of zoning bylaws pit industry against community associations in what seems like a confusing and “never-ending saga.”
“They have this vision in the official plan of intensification but no zoning bylaw for industry and community associations to actually understand,” Herbert says.
Claridge Homes submitted a request for a zoning bylaw amendment last May to allow for a high-rise condominium tower on Preston Street.
The site in question, a condo development at 505 Preston, was set to be Ottawa’s tallest building at 42 storeys.
The city will likely review the request early next year. But despite the hold on this development, there are a number of other sites in the area that have recently been given the go-ahead by the city.
Another condo tower by Claridge Homes at 500 Preston Street and a tower by Richcraft Homes on Carling Avenue are underway. An Ashcroft Homes two-tower condo development on Champagne Avenue was approved by the city’s planning committee last week.
Eric Darwin, vice-president of the Dalhousie Community Association, says he was surprised by the city’s decision to delay the 505 Preston St. proposal.
“The impression we got from all the city planners is they were all enthused about this,” Darwin says. “And suddenly the city has decided after all this time they’re going to put a hold on it.”
But John Smit, the city’s manager of development review, says the city cannot continue with the Preston Street proposal without a community design plan – a long-term plan for neighbourhood development.
Ottawa has been working on such a plan for the Carling-Bayview area, which includes Preston Street, for years. It is intended to give an overall framework to new development in the neighbourhood.
Smit says with the number of applications coming in for development and without a plan, the city has to look at each application individually and consider how each would affect the community.
“Looking at that significant of a change in that area,” Smit says, “it makes a lot of sense to try to get a handle on how all of these different initiatives will fit into a larger whole.”
Jeff Leiper, a member of the Hintonburg Community Association, an area of the city that has seen a lot of recent intensification, says the city’s process for approving development is too quick and doesn’t seem to have set standards.
He says this leaves communities uncertain about what sort of buildings will go up, how tall they’ll be and where they will be located.
“It’s being approved on an ad hoc basis about really tall towers and that makes a lot of people uncomfortable,” Leiper says.
“It is proceeding far too quickly," Leiper adds. "Without a plan in place we’re just nervous the council is approving without thinking about the long-term.”
Leiper says it’s positive that the city is putting the Claridge rezoning application on hold and hopes the same will happen for developments in Hintonburg.
But Herbert says the issue is bigger than just single community design plans being completed in Ottawa neighbourhoods.
“They still need to go back, start from scratch and create a new comprehensive zoning bylaw for the City of Ottawa,” Hebert says. “That’s the only thing that is going to solve this problem in the medium and long term.”
Somerset Ward Coun. Diane Holmes, Coun. Peter Hume, chair of the city’s planning committee, and Claridge Homes did not respond to interview requests.