Highrise application in Orléans has suburb on the cusp of growing up
Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Sep 05, 2020 • Last Updated 2 hours ago • 2 minute read
Orléans is closer to seeing highrise density near its flagship shopping centre as opposition lingers over a proposed apartment building.
Rarely does a planning report to council concede that a development application is “controversial” — and definitely not in the opening line of a report — but that’s what council members will read as they pore through the staff analysis of the proposal for 3030 St. Joseph Blvd.
The 16-storey highrise proposed by Torgan Group and designed by Rod Lahey would stand on a triangular property if the developer gets permission from city council to alter the site’s zoning, which currently allows a six-storey building.
The roughly 165-unit residential building would have retail space on the ground floor.
City staff are recommending that the planning committee on Thursday approve the rezoning application.
The city’s transit-orientated development program usually encourages high-density residential projects within 600 metres of rapid transit stations and the development site is within that range from the Place d’Orléans station, which will be converted for LRT by 2024.
There has been steady opposition from residents in the Queenswood Heights community related to the height of the proposed building, the potential increase in traffic and the compatibility with the adjacent neighbourhood.
Where residents warned about the stability of the slope along Duford Drive, the city is satisfied that constructing the highrise won’t be a problem, based on a geotechnical investigation.
The development application is receiving a more sympathetic ear from the current council representative compared to his predecessor.
Bob Monette, the former Orléans councillor, came out strong against the development application in 2017 when a 13-storey building was first proposed for the land.
Since then, the developer has shrunk the floor plate and added storeys in response to a design review.
The current councillor, Matthew Luloff, says the development “would be an exciting addition to the housing mix in Orléans.”
In his comments included in the staff report, Luloff wrote that the proposed highrise would fulfil a housing type that doesn’t exist in the suburb and help revitalize the main street. He expressed disappointment that the development company wouldn’t provide a public cut-through on the property, but hopes the company provides other benefits to the community.
In fact, the developer would need to provide $156,000 for area improvements under the “community benefits” section of provincial planning law.
“I acknowledge that some residents in the immediate vicinity are opposed to this project and I have worked hard with the developer to ensure as many of their concerns were addressed as possible,” Luloff wrote. “Change in an established neighbourhood is difficult, there’s no doubt about that. However, we need to ensure we are providing real housing options city-wide, especially in proximity to transit.”
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this build feels like it will never get going.
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