Two-building development proposal in Kanata South neighbourhood illustrates 'regeneration' pain
"The proposal that has been presented seems to be more in the style of urban cramming."
Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Jan 11, 2021 • Last Updated 32 minutes ago • 3 minute read
Intensification — or the city’s new preferred word, regeneration — is coming to communities in built-up areas of Ottawa, even on the most unassuming properties in suburban neighbourhoods.
The latest case is a large corner lot in a low-rise neighbourhood in Kanata’s Katimavik-Hazeldean neighbourhood, with a development proposal calling for a single-family home to be replaced by two squat apartment buildings.
Residents who have complained about soaring highrises coming to their communities might roll their eyes about the meagre three-storey buildings planned for 33 Maple Grove Rd., but development impact is relative to the context, and in the case of this Kanata neighbourhood, there’s nothing else quite like the proposed twin multi-unit buildings.
“The proposal that has been presented seems to be more in the style of urban cramming than in the sense of intensification that the city is looking for,” according to Matt Brearey, vice-president of the Katimavik-Hazeldean Community Association.
However, that’s not the opinion of the city’s planning department, which is recommending that the planning committee and city council change the zoning for the land and approve the development application.
Kanata South Coun. Allan Hubley said he has probably received between 700 and 1,000 emails and phone calls regarding the application.
“I’ve never had anything like this, ever,” Hubley said, describing some of the comments as displaying a “nastiness” that he has not witnessed in the community.
Hubley said the development application, even though it’s on the smaller end of the proposals council regularly deals with, is a preview of the uphill battle the city has in meeting a new intensification target.
An updated official plan will call for more than half of new homes built in Ottawa over 30 years to be located in established areas. The intensification target would climb to 60 per cent between 2041 and 2046.
“We have to figure out how to intensify these neighbourhoods without destroying why people move into these neighbourhoods,” Hubley said.
MG4 Investments Inc. is proposing six two-bedroom units in each of the two buildings. The permitted building height for the land is 11 metres, but the buildings would be 11.5 metres. The buildings would be embedded into a neighbourhood of single-family homes and be located across from a hospice.
The development application says the design of the buildings would complement the surrounding houses and that the multi-unit buildings, which would face McCurdy Drive, would add diversity to the types of housing options in Kanata South.
Council’s new intensification targets are also cited in the development application. The document argues that the large corner property is an “appropriate opportunity” for intensification.
City planners agree.
“The proposal represents appropriate residential intensification within the interior of a stable residential area and provides a built form that is consistent with the official plan,” the report from the planning department says.
The community’s views are completely the opposite.
A small group of residents, separate from the community association, has been knocking on doors and trading information to inform neighbours about the development application.
An online petition launched last summer had collected more than 1,100 names as of Monday.
Kathleen Layne said the “community coalition” has crafted a detailed response to the application with 137 households signing on to the objections. The residents would rather see four units in each building, instead of six, or a proposal of townhouses.
“Our concerns have fallen on deaf ears. Nobody is paying attention to what we’re saying,” Layne said.
Steve Morvai is concerned about the “huge wall barrier” that would be built across the street from his Maple Grove Road home and the possible risk to intersection safety at McCurdy Drive.
In supporting the development application, the city’s planning report says the new buildings adhere to directions in the official plan and that the development “positively contributes” to the neighourhood by developing an “underutilized site while also respecting existing characteristics of the neighbourhood such as setbacks and tree planting.”
A public consultation in September had 150 logged into a Zoom videoconference, but Hubley put the number much higher since, in many cases, multiple people were watching the consultation from one login screen.
The city received about 240 comments during the application review process and the majority of them were in opposition.
Hubley said he will vote against the application when it’s up for consideration at a planning committee meeting on Thursday.
While agreeing with the observation that he has supported intensification projects in other wards, he said, “My heart is with my community” when it comes to the controversial development application on Maple Grove.
“My job is to represent these residents, and clearly they don’t support it,” Hubley said.
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