twelve storeys at Roosevelt and Richmond?

[Click image to enlarge]

This illustration will give residents a better idea of the Phase 2 proposal for Westboro Station (Bourk site). The developer indicated they would be seeking re-zoning to permit a twelve-storey building at Roosevelt between Richmond and Byron.

What do you think?

Clare Park: Make it green and beautiful

Every year the City of Ottawa invites residents to participate in Spring Cleaning the Capital. The WCA has registered a team and is undertaking a cleanup of Clare Garden Park (Clare and Tweedsmuir – see map) on May 10, starting 10:30 am. Rain date is May 11.

Bring a garbage bag, don a pair of gardening gloves and come join us! Bring your ideas too. We’d also like to talk to neighbours and start thinking about what we steps we can take to improve this lovely little park.

Hope to see you there…

andrea tomkins

Development that may affect you…

The Richmond Road/Westboro Community Design Plan (CDP) process has been underway in Ottawa for three years. The goal of the study was to develop a broad and integrated twenty-year vision for the Richmond Road/Westboro area in order to guide both private development and the undertaking of public works. City Council adopted the CDP as policy on July 9, 2007. 

Unfortunately, since then it appears to us that neither the City’s own planning department nor developers are undertaking development in Westboro with due regard to the CDP, or taking into account the effort that was put into this process or what the community as a whole is trying to achieve. Keep reading for a description of several recent events that may have a significant impact on development in our community.

On April 8th, at the City’s Planning and Environment Committee (PEC) an agent for two developers advised PEC members that Ashcroft Homes, the new owner of the Canadian Tire property on Richmond Road, would be seeking a height increase to permit a building of nine storeys. They intend to challenge the Community Design Plan recommendation for the sight which is four to six storeys. They are also the owners of 93 Richmond Road which was the subject of an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing in 2006. To see this decision go to the OMB site select E-Decisions and search on 3321.

Also this week the CDP’s public advisory team (PAC) was presented with the Phase 2 proposal for Westboro Station (Bourk site). The developer indicated they would be seeking re-zoning to permit a twelve-storey building at the corner of Roosevelt and Byron. We have several drawings of the proposal but the two we have posted show the 12 storey proposal as well as what could be built under the current zoning as well as the CDP which is six storeys. As part of the re-zoning process the WCA will be requesting a community meeting and anyone can go to PEC and speak when the application is heard.

Last week there was a five-day OMB hearing on 747 Richmond Road at Cleary. The proposal for this site started out with two towers of 19 and 21 storeys and is now down to 12 and 15. The CDP recommendation was 6 storeys maximum. We will post the decision when it is received.

On April 10 there was an OMB hearing on a proposed development at 300 Richmond Road at the corner of Eden. This used car lot is 98 feet wide by 68 feet deep. The owners applied to the Committee of Adjustment (CoA) to build a five storey building where basically a one-two storey building is permitted under the CDP. The City’s Committee of Adjustment had denied the application on the basis that it was not a ‘minor variance’ and should be treated as a re-zoning application. This was also the position of the WCA. Instead the developer chose to appeal to the OMB and, in the absence of support from the City, the WCA appeared as an intervenor at the hearing to defend the integrity of the CDP. If approved by the OMB a building basically filling the lot from one side to the other of at least 52 feet in height will be built. It will be taller than the homes at the south end of Eden Ave. What we heard at the hearing is the proposed five storey building is the only thing that is economically viable. Yet the two storey Pharmasave at the corner of Richmond and Berkley has been very successful. Also you can find an example of heritage infill on Wellington Street that won an award from the City. It works and the frontage is about the same as 300 Richmond Road. As soon as we receive OMB’s decision, we will post it.

WCA Board of Directors

OMB appeal regarding application for minor variance at 300 Richmond Road.

On November 21, the City of Ottawa’s Committee of Adjustment denied an application by Cassone Construction Ltd. for “minor variances” with respect to its proposal for 300 Richmond Road. The Committee of Adjustment’s decision was posted on our blog at that time.

It is the WCA’s position that the real issue on this application is the need to support both the existing zoning bylaw and the new Community Design Plan (CDP).  Although the Cassone application appears to fall within the zoning bylaw’s height limit of 5 stories, it significantly exceeds the Floor Space Index maximum in the current bylaw.  Of particular importance to the WCA, the new CDP, which has been approved as a policy by City Council, means that the Floor Space Index measure will be decreasing from that in the current bylaw.  With the ink barely dry on the CDP, it is important to the WCA that the Community Design Plan be supported.  We are greatly concerned at the City’s decision not to be involved in this appeal.

If you are interested in this issue, please consider attending the OMB hearing in support of the WCA.  It is in the Keefer Room in the Heritage Building at City Hall starting at 10:00 am on April 10 and April 11.

More information will be posted here on the outcome of the hearing.

OC Transpo Route #2 – Have your say!

As part of its annual planning exercise, OC Transpo is proposing modifications to Route #2 which travels through Westboro along Scott, Churchill and Richmond Road. This route was recently voted among the worst in the city. Go to octranspo.com before April 14th and provide your comments.

You can also read the WCA’s response here.

Wallace Beaton
Chair

City and NCC hit stalemate over field in Westboro

“The city and National Capital Commission have hit a stalemate over the future of a green field in Westboro.

The commission has long opposed the city’s designation of Rochester Field between Richmond Road and the Ottawa River Parkway at Broadview Avenue as open green space…” [Read the rest of the story here.]

Another ‘minor variance’

We have just received notice for an application for a ‘minor variance’  for 670 Edison. In January the applicant received approval for the creation of 3 conforming lots at the corner of Edison and Greenwood. At the time the question was asked if the proposed housing met all the conditions of the Zoning By-law and therefore didn’t require any minor variances. The applicant replied that they required no minor variances. Now they have applied for minor variances for the 3 houses. There is a height limit in Westboro for two storeys. The applicant wants to build 3 storeys. In November 2007 the CoA approved another application for a 3 storey residence on Edison near Greenwood with the comment that there would be no impact on the community. It appears there could be an impact and we would like to hear from you so we know what you think about this specific application and the impact of having 3 storeys in a 2 storey community.

Gary Ludington