[Dundas]

https://matthewluloff.ca/2019/10/22/...oul-st-joseph/

A Zoning By-law Amendment application for 3030 St. Joseph Blvd. has been resubmitted.A previous application to consider a 12 storey mixed-use building has been amended to consider a thinner 16-storey mixed-use building consisting of 165 residential units over 426 square metres of retail on the ground floor facing St. Joseph Blvd.



To view the details of the application and/or submit comments to the planner click here.

An information session will be hosted by the applicants’ consultant, Fotenn. The drop-in style event will allow residents to share their comments and learn more about the proposal from the applicant.

What: Information session on the Zoning By-law Amendment application at 3030 St. Joseph Blvd.
When: Wednesday November 13th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Fallingbrook Room, Ray Friel Recreation Complex, 1585 Tenth Line Rd.
Who: Fotenn Planning + Design, City of Ottawa

Representatives from Fotenn will be prepared to discuss several components of their application including: geotechnical evaluations, transportation study, design and urban planning.

City of Ottawa planners will also be on-site to provide information on the development application process.

What is a Zoning By-law Amendment?

Before and after entering office in December 2018, I have been hearing concerns from several residents in Queenswood Ridge, especially from those living on Duford Dr. and Kennedy Lane East, regarding the proposed building at 3030 St. Joseph Blvd. During the transition period with Bob Monette, I spent a considerable amount of time learning the history of the file. When I first met with the applicant, and their consultants Fotenn, I was clear in my desire to see these concerns addressed in any subsequent designs.

Chiefly, these concerns were:
•Soil stability and capacity to support a building, given the history of the site.
•The width of the building and its intrusion of the view from Kennedy Lane East. I asked that the bulkiness of the building be reduced to make it less imposing.
•Sightlines for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians at the intersection of Duford Dr. and St. Joseph Blvd., especially those turning right on to St. Joseph.
•The placement of the entrance to the underground garage so close to the intersection of St. Joseph Blvd. and Duford Dr. I requested that the entrance be moved as far to the west of the site as possible in order to ensure enough space for exiting vehicles to safely merge into the left turn lane for Place d’Orléans Dr.

Following two meetings I have had with the applicant and Fotenn, I have been presented with revised concept plans that address these concerns as best as possible.

Further soil sample testing has been conducted and no stability issues have been identified.

Sightlines have been drastically improved by reorienting the site as well as removing the nose of the building – replacing it with a landscaped area. Bulking has been reduced significantly by redesigning the shape of the building, making it slimmer and more modern-looking.

The entrance to underground parking is now located at the furthest western point of the site, providing more room for motorists to turn onto Place d’Orléans Dr.

I know that many of you will agree that St. Joseph Blvd. requires a complete revamp. The lack of residential and mixed-use buildings means that our aging and under-used strip malls are growing tired and deterring the kind of investment that Orléans needs.

The LRT project provides a major opportunity for us to reshape our main street, attract jobs, grow our economy, and modernize our community. We cannot let this opportunity pass us by. I have been working hard with my colleagues and staff to develop new Secondary Plans and Community Improvement Plans to incentivize residential and mixed-use buildings near LRT stops in order to maximize the potential for job growth, improve our services and retail spaces, and to encourage rentals and affordable housing in our community.

We are incredibly fortunate to have four planned LRT stops in Orléans Ward. We need to attract business back into our core, ensure our seniors have a place to downsize and provide affordable, convenient housing close to transit, all while redesigning and modernizing our main street. There is no point in continuing the exercise of window dressing projects on St. Joseph. A coat of paint or new siding will not accomplish any of what I have set out to do. We need transformative change and 3030 St. Joseph represents the beginning of this change. I like the new designs and feel that they represent exactly what we need to accomplish.

I know some will be disappointed with the proposed height on this property. I encourage every resident with concerns to come out to the upcoming information sessions and to express these concerns.

I encourage everyone to attend the upcoming information session with an open mind and with the optimism that change is long overdue, that services and streetscape will improve, and that Orléans is finally taking its place as a modern, forward-thinking community within the beautiful City of Ottawa.

Matthew