Community development and densification are the most critical concerns Somerset ward candidates should tackle in the upcoming municipal elections, say business and community associations. They agree the health of the city depends on resolving planning issues in the core, as well as preparing for the influx of residents that will result from high-density condo development.
The city has been consulting with downtown stakeholders since 2010 on the Centretown Community Design Plan which will guide development, set rules for zoning, and plan for public spaces such as parks and sidewalks. The plan was finalized less than a year ago in February 2013, and the holdup to implement it left Centretown communities and businesses frustrated as developers were given the green light to build in the meantime.
Despite the plan’s official release last year, its implementation into the development process remains a key issue in Centretown, says Michael Powell, president of the Dalhousie Community Association. “We want a little bit of predictability. I think one of the challenges that we’ve seen is that it’s been like the Wild West, you can never be sure what’s going on,” he says.
Businesses also want the city to clarify zoning rules based on the community design plan. Others have likened zoning rules to the Wild West, including Lori Mellor, executive director of the Preston Street BIA. Proper implementation of the community design plan for the downtown core is essential to allow businesses to flourish, she says.
“All my property owners, they need clarity on what they can expect their property can be developed into. We want clear ideas for everyone so that everyone knows what is allowed and what’s not.”
Both agree that since the plan has been finalized, city council should provide assurances they will honour it. “Now that we’ve gone through the process, put all the blood, sweat and tears into it, we want to make sure they’re actually stuck to,” says Powell.
High-density condo development is another issue that Centretown groups say will decide the downtown’s future. Many say the city needs to properly accommodate the flood of new residents that will occupy multi-storey condos currently in development.
Some business improvement associations say the city should provide incentives for the development of critical infrastructure such as grocery stores, post offices and retailers that the growing number of downtown residents will need.
“It’s critical to the future success of this neighbourhood,” says Mellor. “We’re building based on people not being dependent on cars, and yet they have to have a car to live here to get their groceries done. So we have a breakdown in the plans,” she says.
But encouraging retailers to set up shop is a difficult task because of high tax rates, explains Mellor. “We need five years of tax relief for retailers, because they’re the most vulnerable,” she says.
The city should implement incentives for new businesses in the downtown core, says Christine Leadman, executive director of the Bank Street BIA. She says maintaining a diversity of businesses should be a priority for the city. “(Tax breaks) could be one of the tools, but I believe that the city can do a lot more in terms of bylaws and so on,” she says.
Bylaws limitting the number of licences for certain businesses have been proposed in Toronto. They would prevent more profitable services like bars and restaurants from choking out retailers. which is something Leadman says is a problem in Ottawa.
“You can’t have 80 per cent restaurants. This is what’s happening to areas like the Byward Market and Preston Street,” she says. “They’re experiencing this phenomenon and it’s very hard to create a diverse environment that will encourage other businesses.”
Experts agree that community development and densification are key issues in the downtown core, so candidates Somerset ward will need comprehensive platforms in order to tackle them effectively.
But Mellor says the downtown’s problems are not easy for any lone candidate to fix. “(Coun. Diane Holmes) has been great, she’s been a real stalwart. But she’s only one vote on council, and that’s the problem,” Mellor says. “Most of the councillors are suburban or rural, and they have no idea what we’re going through in the core.”