Warehouse application for south-end business park drives fears over truck traffic
Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: May 04, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 4 minute read
A Barrhaven-area community is fighting a proposal to allow a warehouse and truck terminal in a business park, with residents fearing negative impacts from trucks rumbling past their riverside homes.
Meanwhile, the property owner’s development team suggests demand for warehouse space will increase thanks to the growth in online retailing.
The planning application illustrates the city’s challenge in pursuing economic development opportunities reflecting the realities of the market while managing the expectations of residents who live near a project site.
The property owned by Zena-Kinder Holdings Ltd. extends west from Leikin Drive and Merivale Road to Longfields Drive, northwest of the RCMP headquarters.
The 30.5-hectare site is zoned for light industry, and while an office is allowed, the owner needs an approved amendment to add a warehouse and truck transport terminal as acceptable land uses. A planning rationale filed with the application says the added uses would not cause environmental, public health and safety concerns.
Residents of nearby Rideau Glen don’t buy it.
“People are concerned about the overall impact of the quality of life in this community,” Barbara Motzney said, explaining that residents are worried about noise, pollution, safety and security with more trucks travelling on local roads near the development property in the South Merivale Business Park.
“It not only doesn’t fulfill the vision for the business park, it’s a long way away from that vision,” Motzney said.
Barry King said he has lived in the Rideau Glen community since the early 1970s. Residents have expected light industrial uses in the business park, not developments that would generate transport truck traffic, King said.
“The general feel is it’s not an appropriate location for a transport truck depot,” King said.
According to the planning rationale produced by Zena-Kinder’s consultant Novatech, the property is “well situated in a location for goods movement, including warehouse and truck transport terminal uses, given their proximity to major roadways including Merivale Road, Woodroffe Avenue, Fallowfield Road, Strandherd Drive, Prince of Wales, and the Vimy Memorial Bridge connection to Earl Armstrong and the Riverside South Community.”
The application only offers a rough description of what could be built on the site and the impacts to the surrounding road network. A preliminary concept plan shows two industrial buildings and one office building.
A transportation study filed with the application forecasts 210 industrial-related vehicle trips in the morning peak hour and 310 trips in the afternoon peak hour. Of those 520 trips, 55 are attributed to “heavy vehicles” and the rest are attributed to “light vehicles.”
On top of the industrial traffic, the office portion of the development would generate 518 morning peak-hour trips and 544 afternoon peak-hour trips, according to the transportation study.
Full build-out is expected to happen over five years to 2026.
The application notes that Ottawa’s official plan allows warehousing and distribution activities in an urban employment area like the business park.
“The proposed warehouse and truck transport terminal uses will fulfill a vital and growing need in the urban economy,” the planning rationale says.
“They will enhance the underlying value of the parcels in the business park. Recent experience and trends clearly demonstrate that warehouse, truck transportation and distribution of goods in general is going to continue to grow with online shopping while the demand for ‘bricks and mortar’ stores is likely to decline somewhat. Warehouse and truck transport terminals are not noxious or heavy industrial uses that will impact on other potential uses that may be developed on the few remaining parcels.”
Vague information about the project is annoying residents in Rideau Glen. They haven’t been told what kind of company would be using the warehouse.
The project manager listed as the applicant for the zoning amendment couldn’t be reached for comment on Monday.
“We shouldn’t have to glue together facts made by assumptions made in an annex of an application,” Motzney said.
“We need to have some confidence in this and not get the impression that it will get railroaded through,” King said.
Gloucester-South Nepean Coun. Carol Anne Meehan is aiming to hold an information session about the planning application on May 13. The application is projected to be in front of council’s planning committee by the end of the month.
“I am quite concerned about it,” Meehan said.
Meehan said she’s worried the roads can’t handle an increase in traffic volumes. “Our infrastructure is woefully lacking,” she said.
While there are few details about the the developer’s plans, Meehan said she’s been told the property is an attractive location for a warehouse because of its proximity to the Ottawa International Airport and an Amazon distribution centre on the other side of Barrhaven.
Meehan said she appreciates the city wants to create more jobs in an underdeveloped business park, “but we have to weigh it.”
jwilling@postmedia.com
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https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...-truck-traffic
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