100 Steacie Dr | 16m | 4f | Proposed

[J.OT13]

I was unable to find a thread for this one. Strange that they approved the Brookstreet Apartment and Nokia redevelopment, also in Kanata North, but not this one.

Cue the comments calling Leiper a hypocrite.

Planning committee rejects two development proposals in Kanata North, Rockcliffe Park

Taylor Blewett, Postmedia
Aug 26, 2022

--SNIP--

It was a much closer vote on the second project that got the committee’s official thumbs down on Thursday, and it was largely questions of planning where concerns centred, with no heritage considerations at play.

By a slim majority, the committee voted against the rezoning needed for Brigil Construction to build a 258-unit, four-storey apartment development in Kanata North on a site that’s currently zoned for business park/industrial use.

In this case, it was a break from staff’s recommendation, who felt the proposal for 100 Steacie Dr. represented good planning and appropriate intensification.

It wasn’t an opinion shared by residents who addressed the committee – a cohort that included former Kanata North councillor Marianne Wilkinson. They raised concerns about transit and traffic challenges, impacts on the surrounding community and access to area amenities. One speaker, Andrew Carran, predicted it would become a “stranded development that would be crying out for the city to do things to improve it.”

Area councillor Cathy Curry urged her colleagues to reject the rezoning ask. “We have approved so many units in Kanata North, and we don’t argue against them for no reason.”

While other councillors shared her concerns about the development proceeding ahead of infrastructure such as pathways and transit improvements that would support it, the vote was ultimately 6-5 against the rezoning, with councillors Jean Cloutier, Laura Dudas, Allan Hubley, Catherine Kitts, Tim Tierney and Curry in the majority.

“I don’t want to say no to housing,” said Kitchissippi Ward Coun. Jeff Leiper, one of the “yes” votes. While he noted his concern about the development’s potential contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, “if you have a car, you’ll be able to live here and it’s quite a nice neighbourhood.”

-- SNIP --

All the files are scheduled to reach council on Wednesday.

https://ottawasun.com/news/local-new...a-651ca8c96374

[rocketphish]

Brigil proposes to develop two (2) low rise apartment buildings at 100 Steacie Drive, at four (4) storeys each with a building height of 16 m.

The proposed development would consist of 258 residential units and a total of 206 parking spaces:
• Building A would have 145 residential units, 116 parking spaces and 28 visitor spaces (137 Underground and 8 Outdoor).
• Building B would have 113 residential units, 90 parking spaces and 23 visitor parking spaces (105 Underground and 8 Outdoor).

Building A and Building B would occupy the eastern portion of the subject lands and would be setback at least 30 m from the adjacent rail corridor and 20 m from the adjacent Class I Industrial Use.


Development application:
https://devapps.ottawa.ca/en/applica...0-0094/details

Location:






Concept siteplan:

[rocketphish]

Council news: Nepean Street six-plex demolition approved, pushback against provincial 'strong mayors' bill

Taylor Blewett, Ottawa Citizen
Aug 31, 2022 • 1 hour ago • 4 minute read

<snip>


In other council news, two items that rose to the table Wednesday came with stamps of disapproval from planning committee.

Council members opted to defer one of the files to its next meeting in September at the request of Curry, the area councillor, who had previously rallied her planning committee colleagues against the application by Brigil Construction for a 258-unit, four-storey apartment development in Kanata North on a site currently zoned for business park/industrial use.


<snip>

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...ng-mayors-bill

[rocketphish]

Ottawa city council opposes contentious development projects in Kanata North and Hintonburg
Ottawa city council has shown its opposition to two proposed development projects — one in Kanata North and the other in Hintonburg.

Joanne Laucius, Ottawa Citizen
Sep 21, 2022 • 23 hours ago • 3 minute read

Ottawa city council has shown its opposition to two proposed development projects — one in Kanata North and the other in Hintonburg.

The first is a proposal to build two four-storey residential buildings on Steacie Drive in an industrial business park in Kanata North. Council voted Wednesday to refuse the bylaw amendments that would allow the project to move ahead.

In the second case, council decided to instruct city lawyers to oppose the approval of the zoning and official plan amendments needed to make way for a 16-storey project at the corner of Wellington Street West at Parkdale Avenue with the Ontario Land Tribunal.

The city’s planning committee had already decided at a meeting on Sept. 9 to oppose the Kanata North project, even though a report from city staff had recommended it. City planners argued that the project, which included a total of 258 residential units and 206 parking spaces on a 2.24-hectare site, was consistent with the city’s official plan.

According to a staff report, the land is designated general urban in the official plan, which allows a wide variety of uses, including residential. But residents who attended public consultations indicated concerns about height, density and traffic.

“Council decided in 2019 to allow churches to be located in industrial and business settings. But people driving in and out of church services don’t end up living in a business park 24/7,” Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry told fellow councillors on Wednesday.

There will be no sidewalks built in the foreseeable future, it takes a 600-metre walk to get to a transit stop, and the site is close to commercial and industrial land uses, Curry said.

“This will never be the kind of residential neighbourhood we as a council aspire to,” she said.

“Fundamentally, I believe that locating these two residential buildings in this industrial commercial setting was not a good long-term decision for future residents and families. Residents of this proposed development have little to no hope of seeing sidewalks built.”

<snip>

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...and-hintonburg

[waterloowarrior]

5 day OLT hearing in June
https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onlt/do...nlii26307.html

[Ottawacurious]

What do you think, should it go through?

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by Ottawacurious

What do you think, should it go through?

The City does not have a good record when Council votes against staff recommendations

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

The City does not have a good record when Council votes against staff recommendations

Agreed. The City have to get outside planning experts (most of who are from out of town) and as a result they often don't have the detailed local knowledge. Applicants lawyers usually cross examine them quite thoroughly.

[J.OT13]

They rejected this for very dumb reasons. If someone wants to live in a business park, it's their parogative. And arguing to reject this one because of the lack of sidewalks would require anything near Navan Road and Renaud Road to be rejected as well. Consistency.

The City can add sidewalks. We shouldn't have to complete years of studies for sidewalks. Every street in the city should have sidewalks.

[Ottawacurious]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The City can add sidewalks. We shouldn't have to complete years of studies for sidewalks. Every street in the city should have sidewalks.

Except large portions of neighbourhoods such as beaverbrook, rockliffe, briarcliffe, altavista etc etc don't have sidewalks...and I'd argue they don't need them either.

In this case, the road is a dead-end. I don't really see the point of sidewalks on both sides of the road (there is a sidewalk along Steacie on one side already right now).

Now, I'll have to look into devapps but if there was a pedestrian pathway that connected to Station Road, it'd be less than 400m to the bus stop by the Timmy's on March Road. Might be a nice short cut if there isn't already one there already.

Edit: There is a locally-made path there already: https://goo.gl/maps/9ovff9iwB9Por8rE6
Edit2: They discussed putting in a formal trail that goes over the train tracks but are unable to find a 'safe' solution to do so. "Brigil is considering the opportunity to formalize connections and has
engaged with adjacent property owners on potential alternative pedestrian access solutions. Although the community has expressed an interest in a pathway provided on-site that crosses the
existing railway corridor, it was agreed through discussions with City Staff (Planning, Real Estate, Transportation etc.), that an alternative connection whether vehicular or pedestrian to Station
Road is not viable and cannot be safely accommodated." So they'll probably put up a fence to make it that much more inconvenient

[originalmuffins]

And the appeal went through. City couldn't defend the decision.

[waterloowarrior]

Ouch

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Ouch

Not sure who they asked but typically these files end up being handled by planning consultants from outside of Ottawa as most consultants that are local can review it all and know the issues and will not be interested.

Maybe this will be a lesson for City Council to listen to the City Planning Department who typically don't take files to Planning Committee until all the issues have been flushed out.

[GeoNerd]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

Not sure who they asked but typically these files end up being handled by planning consultants from outside of Ottawa as most consultants that are local can review it all and know the issues and will not be interested.

Maybe this will be a lesson for City Council to listen to the City Planning Department who typically don't take files to Planning Committee until all the issues have been flushed out.

Exactly. Nobody on Planning Committee has any background in urban planning, architecture, engineering, construction, or anything land development related at all. In no way should they be overruling planning staff that have a deep understanding of land development and have dedicated their lives to it. The system is broken.

Goes to show how absolutely absurd and baseless their zoning rejection was. They couldn't find a single consultant to take their NIMBY money.

For the record it was the old Watson-club that voted against it (Cloutier, Curry, Dudas, Hubley, Kitts, and Tierney), led by disgruntled former councillor Wilkinson.

[Williamoforange]

Leiper needs to give his head a shake. The deluded fool thinks if the city would have won if they had somehow managed to find a planner willing to take on the file.....

"Had the City been able to find an expert witness - a credible professional planner willing to defend Council’s refusal - it would have gone the distance"


http://kitchissippiward.ca/content/w...proposal-today

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by Williamoforange

Leiper needs to give his head a shake. The deluded fool thinks if the city would have won if they had somehow managed to find a planner willing to take on the file.....

"Had the City been able to find an expert witness - a credible professional planner willing to defend Council’s refusal - it would have gone the distance"


http://kitchissippiward.ca/content/w...proposal-today

These cases are very hard to get a good local planning consultant to take them on. I know that community associations have appealed decisions and have contacted many consultants and don't get very far or most consultants just say they can't defend it/aren't interested. I know one consultant who is a planning consultant in a very loose definition and got retained by a Community Association and got crushed by the developers lawyers and vowed to never do it again.

I'd be interested to see who the City reached out to in terms of planning consultants..the six who said no.

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

These cases are very hard to get a good local planning consultant to take them on. I know that community associations have appealed decisions and have contacted many consultants and don't get very far or most consultants just say they can't defend it/aren't interested. I know one consultant who is a planning consultant in a very loose definition and got retained by a Community Association and got crushed by the developers lawyers and vowed to never do it again.

I'd be interested to see who the City reached out to in terms of planning consultants..the six who said no.

Was the lawyer in question last name polowin.....

I'd also be interested to know who turned the city down, but seriously one would think that if council can't get someone to defend their decision then maybe just maybe it was a bad decision.....instead the head of planning committee put out that statement.....