Latest news with #OfficialPlan
Ottawa Citizen
30-05-2025
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
Miguelez: The right kind of housing could enhance Sussex Drive
This article was written in response to ' Sussex Drive deserves better from the NCC, ' May 27: Article content The NCC is in the process of updating its 2005 Core Area Plan, a strategic planning document intended to guide the future evolution of the nine square kilometres at the centre of the nation's capital for the decades to come. The proposed three big moves — turn towards the water, make great spaces and create connections — are already evident in new NCC projects such as River House, Kìwekì Point and the soon-to-be-opened Westboro Beach pavilion. Article content Article content In order to respond to the directive of our shareholder, the Government of Canada, to contribute to solving the housing crisis, we are also re-examining how NCC lands in the core of the capital can be used for housing — an approach that has the added advantage of increasing the resident population and dynamism of our downtown. One of many such sites, two blocks on Sussex Drive across the street from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the French Embassy, is currently zoned in our 2005 plan for institutional use, with the intention that those sites be developed for diplomatic or other public buildings. Article content NCC staff are proposing that these sites could instead be imagined in the revised 2025 plan for a wider variety of building uses, including housing, but also commercial and retail. Such buildings, with a height of no greater than five storeys, reflective of the New Edinburgh Heritage Conservation District and the dignity of our ceremonial route, could serve a variety of functions including residential apartments or town homes, offices and ground-level services such as cafés and restaurants that integrate to the surrounding neighbourhood and workplaces. Our proposed idea would be consistent with the city's Official Plan, which permits housing in these blocks as part of the Parliament and Confederation Boulevard Special District. Article content Interestingly, although the blocks in question are now vacant, as recently as the late 1960s they housed apartment houses, a fire station, a hotel and various shops. In hindsight, we know that the demolition of these places, like at LeBreton Flats, was a mistake that led to too many decades of vacant lands that deprived the capital of housing, energy and built heritage. Article content
Ottawa Citizen
12-05-2025
- General
- Ottawa Citizen
Phillips: Clear transportation plan works for Helsinki; why not here?
The last decade has not been kind to Ottawa's transportation infrastructure and public transit. This must change if the Official Plan's goal is to be achieved: to become the most livable mid-sized city in North America. Article content Article content Ottawa's Official Plan calls for densely populated 15-minute neighbourhoods linked by equally dense and integrated public transit and networks for safe walking and biking. The city's newly released draft Transportation Strategy is a key instrument to realize this goal. To work, however, it must establish clearly defined measurable outcomes. Article content Article content Outcomes state desired changes in the quality of life for people, environmental conditions and economic vitality. Key indicators inform better decisions by staff, management and council. Ongoing tracking of progress allows staff to adapt quickly and cost effectively. Can anyone see 10 years ahead? Does any organization always get things right the first time? No. So the city must constantly assess implementation and innovate in real time. Article content To understand what is required, Helsinki, a city much like Ottawa in size and values, offers a results-oriented model with its Transportation Strategy. At the heart of Helsinki's strategy lies the Transport System Plan for the City Centre. It demonstrates the city's commitment to continually monitor and assess whether an adaptive, efficient and sustainable urban mobility network is emerging from its strategy. Article content Helsinki is internationally recognized for its innovative urban development and forward-thinking public transport solutions. The 2023 Urban Mobility Readiness Index — produced by the Oliver Wyman Forum in partnership with the University of California — evaluated 67 international cities on how well their transit systems and mobility infrastructures are prepared to meet future challenges. Helsinki topped the ranking, based on its current transit but also its strategic foresight to adapt new technologies such as autonomous transport and smart infrastructure. Article content Article content Article content In response to rapid urban growth and escalating demands on city infrastructure, Helsinki prioritized clear targets and constantly reassesses them. Rather than implementing static measures, the city sets ambitious performance goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) to capture progress. Helsinki constantly refines its strategies based on real-time data. Article content The process began with a well-articulated vision: to transform the city centre into a hub where sustainable mobility is the norm, and where walking, cycling and public transit become the preferred modes of travel over private cars. This vision is underpinned by specific, quantifiable targets such as reducing travel time, lowering carbon emissions, reducing accidents and injury and increasing public transport usage. By defining KPIs from the outset, the plan ensures that every initiative is measurable and aligned with the overall vision. Article content A continuous cycle of action, evaluation and adjustment integrates feedback loops through mechanisms such as citizen juries and digital data analysis. Public opinion is actively sought, supporting real-time refinements. When a specific measure falls short, the strategy component is recalibrated, allowing for flexible, data-informed decision-making. Each desired outcome such as 'improved urban air quality' is matched with a metric, in this case 'reduced concentrations of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter' that is monitored through data tools.
Hamilton Spectator
02-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Stouffville Eyes Possible Hotel on Clippers Arena Parking Lot
● Stouffville is proposing a zoning change for municipally owned land at 100, 110, and 120 Weldon Road. ● The site includes the Clippers Sports Complex, Fire Station 5-1, a new daycare, and surplus parking spaces. ● A hotel developer has expressed interest in building on the eastern end of the lot. ● The land is already designated for hotel uses under the new Official Plan, but requires rezoning. ● Mayor Iain Lovatt said a hotel would keep tourism dollars in town and support economic growth. ● Public consultation will be part of the planning process if development proceeds. A patch of municipal land on Weldon Road, currently occupied by parking spaces, could soon be home to a new hotel. The Town is proposing a zoning change for its properties at 100, 110, and 120 Weldon Rd., which include Fire Station 5-1, the Clippers Sports Complex, a modular daycare facility under construction, and a large surface parking lot. Officials say the eastern portion of that lot may soon serve a new purpose. 'There is somebody who wants to put a the east end of the parking lot, which is actually a pretty interesting idea because we have 126 more spots than is required for the arena,' Mayor Iain Lovatt said during an April 23 town hall meeting at Latcham Hall. In Stouffville, arenas must provide two parking spaces for every 100 square metres of sports fields or rink space. For the Clippers Sports Complex, that translates to a requirement of 143 spaces. Excluding those designated for Fire Station 5-1, the adjacent surface lot contains 269 parking spaces. 'This is a conversation that we are having with the proponent, who is a seasoned hotel operator,' Lovatt noted. The stated interest from the hospitality sector was also included in a related Staff report coming to a Public Planning Meeting on Wednesday, May 7. The site falls within the Western Approach Mixed-Use area of Stouffville's new and in-force Official Plans, which already permit hotel uses. This means no Official Plan Amendment would be required for the project to proceed. However, the property is currently zoned 'Institutional' under the Town's Comprehensive Zoning By-law, which prohibits hotel uses. Town Staff are recommending the zoning be changed to 'Commercial Mixed Use – Western Approach' (CM2), a designation that would accommodate a hotel and align with the broader land-use permissions laid out in the Official Plan. In addition to hotel uses, the CM2 zoning would also allow for residential development such as condominiums or apartment buildings. 'The proposed CM2 zone permits a maximum height of 20 metres. This is approximately six storeys, depending on the architectural style of the building,' Staff explained to Bullet Point News. 'The total number of rooms will be dependent on the amount of parking that is able to be accommodated and the specifications of the eventual hotelier. It has been indicated that the site could accommodate a 70-100 room product.' 'We need a hotel in our community,' Lovatt said. 'We have families that come here who have kids that play hockey, for example, and they go stay in Markham and spend all of their money there. We're missing out on that, and we're seeing money leave our community.' Beyond addressing a local shortage of hotel rooms, the project would bolster Stouffville's economic tax base. Hotels are considered employment-generating uses, which means they are subject to commercial property taxes. Lovatt also pointed out that guests would pay an additional Value Added Tax (VAT), contributing further to the municipality. Stouffville's Economic Development team has been working with a hotelier to find a viable location for some time. An earlier investigation considered land near Highway 48 and Hoover Park Drive, but the site proved unfeasible. 'All we're doing at this point is looking at changing the zoning in the eastern part of the parking lot to allow this to happen,' Lovatt explained. 'I'm not saying that it is going to happen, but it gives us the flexibility.' Any future development would still need to go through the formal planning process, which includes public consultation. 'People can come and speak about the application during a Public Planning Meeting and whether that is a good use of those parking spaces just south of the Fire Hall,' Lovatt added. The May 7 Public Planning Meeting presenting the rezoning proposal will take place in Council Chambers at 7 p.m. Whether or not the hotel is ultimately built, the zoning change would represent a strategic shift that could turn underutilized asphalt into an economic anchor for the community.
Hamilton Spectator
28-04-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Township Council denies zoning application change
Township of Blandford-Blenheim voted against a plan amendment and zone change in regards to Catana Estates during its regular Council meeting on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. The roughly 97.1 acre property, known as Catana Estates, is currently zoned as 'General Agricultural Zone (A2),' and includes two distinct building clusters. The main cluster includes a large single-detached dwelling (built in 2015), two personal greenhouses, and a special events facility (often used for weddings and such), and the original farm cluster contains several older agricultural accessory buildings. The special events facility consists of three 300 metre square tents, and a 60 metre square washroom building. It also features landscaping and a grass area for parking with space for approximately 100 vehicles. The remainder of the property is currently made up of cash crops (space rented out to other farmers, as well as the Catana's growing their own florals), maintaining its agricultural use. Last year, a complaint was made in regards to the property and in September, the Township's by-law officer visited Catana Estates, and determined that the activities on the site were in contravention of the Township's zoning by-law and issued a notice of violation. Since then, the property owners, Josif and Lidia Catana, submitted applications for an Official Plan (OP) amendment and zone change, proposing that the facility be recognized as an On-Farm Diversified Use (OFDU). 'The applicants went out, got the studies and the reports that were required, completed, hired some representation, and they've now submitted the Official Plan amendment and zone change application that we're here to discuss today,' said Dustin Robson, the Township's Development Planner. 'Both applications are proposing to legalize the existing special events facility on site.' Robson said that according to the application, the facility has a maximum capacity of 250 people, but that it has been indicated that general weddings on site have been between 160 to 180 people. 'As part of this application, they would like to also allow for other events at the facility, like retreats, workshops and corporate events,' he said. 'According to the plan justification report, the workshops and retreats would have less people than a wedding generally would, and they've indicated that they do not have permanent workers on site.' Robson also noted that having circulated the issue to several departments and agencies, there have been comments received in regards to permits and fire safety. He also added that since the application has been received, staff have received three letters from members of the public, one in favour and two against. The planner said that in terms of staff's analysis, according to the provincial planning statement, the intent is to protect agricultural land, especially prime agricultural land, for agricultural purposes. 'When we say 'prime agricultural land,' we're talking about soil classes of one to three,' said Robson. 'In this case, the majority is class two, and it also permits for agriculture-related use, and what's called an on-farm diversified use as well.' According to the report, 'agriculture-related uses' means 'those farm-related commercial and farm-related industrial uses that are directly related to farm operations in the area, support agriculture, benefit from being in close proximity to farm operations, and provide direct products and/or services to farm operations as a primary activity.' As well, the report states that 'on-farm diversified uses' means 'uses that are secondary to the principal agricultural use of the property and are limited in area. On-farm diversified uses include, but are not limited to, home occupations, home industries, agri-tourism uses, uses that produce value-added agricultural products, and electricity generation facilities and transmission systems, and energy storage systems.' Robson continued to say that in 2016, the province provided a guideline for permitted uses within prime agricultural lands, and that as part of the document there is a list of uses not typically permitted as OFD use. 'Two of those are uses with high water and sewage needs, or, that generate significant traffic, such as large food processors, distribution centres, full scale restaurants and banquet halls,' he said. 'It also includes large-scale, recurring events with permanent structures. In staff's opinion, while not listed as a banquet hall, there are similar tendencies between what is being proposed here. and when you look at the fact that from May to September, events are generally occurring each weekend, we would say that that's a recurring event with permanent structures, so in our opinion, it's very similar to a banquet hall.' Robson also noted that Oxford County itself recently updated its agricultural policies in the OP, which included some additional policies for OFD use. 'Generally, OFDUs should use no more than two per cent of the land use, up to two acres; the structures associated with the OFDU shall be about 557 metre square, which is about 6,000 square feet. It also limits the number of people working at the facility who live off site to two,' he said. 'The intent of this is to ensure that the uses are small-scale, and supplements the owner's income as a farmer. One of the most important policies that we included in our OP update is a policy that specifically says that 'special events facilities shall not be permitted as an OFDU.'' While he continued to say that the positive side to all of this is that the Catana's are using less than two per cent of the land for the special events facility, that it isn't interrupting farming, and that it's using the same access as the single detached dwelling, in regards to the proposal, the buildings on the property far exceed the permitted size for an OFDU. Robson said that between the size of the buildings, contracted workers on site throughout the season, noise complaints and the fact the special event facilities are not included for OFDU, Township staff recommended that the applications should not be supported. Following the presentation, Pierre Chauvin, a planner and partner with MHBC, who was representing the Catana's during the meeting, provided photos of the property for Council, specifically pointing out the flower arrangements. 'This is very important, because that's what makes this [place] unique. They grow all the floral arrangements and flowers on-site in their greenhouses, and they display them at their wedding events,' said Chauvin. 'And that's what makes this particular venue special. It is a form of retaining value in the agricultural commodity of flowers. …It is actually retaining that value, and exhibiting it and reusing it on site.' Chauvin also noted that the events facility does not replace or interfere with the farm's core agricultural function of growing flowers and therefore, should be seen as a permitted, secondary use under OFDU guidelines. 'This [events facility] is secondary,' he said. 'The prime use [of the property] will continue to be agriculture 365 days a year, [except] for these 20 weekends throughout the summer when we're having these wedding events.' Following the rest of his speaking opportunity and some questions from councillors regarding capacity issues, structures and permits, farmland use, the house and its bridal suites, as well as lighting and noise complaints, two residents also had the opportunity to speak to their personal experiences and their concerns. 'Mr. Catana is a professional developer who deals with zoning and by-laws regularly. He knew his A2 farmland was not zoned for commercial use, but has ignored the zoning by-laws,' said one neighbour. 'His website states that there is only one Saturday night left to be booked for the mid-October season. Mr. Catana's application proposes use that in no way relates to farming and shows a total lack of respect to the local rural community. Years previous, Mr. Catana had offered to buy our property for considerably less than market value, maybe we should have sold.' 'The noise levels can be heard with the windows closed, and the lighting they use lights up the whole section of Blenheim Road and Township Roads 7 and 8,' added another neighbour. 'It is like a city block lit up with power lights that radiate across the two fields which separate us and light up the entire sky above them. There's no reason why we should have to close our windows to be able to live in our homes and close our blind to shut out the bright lights to accommodate their business.' Councillor Bruce Banbury later said that although he felt like it was a great operation and an asset in the municipality, he felt bad for the neighbours, and that if they approved the changes, they would be setting a precedent for others. 'My issue is by approving this zone change, we're sending the message to the general public that any person with entrepreneurial ambition, can go out and set up an operation, spend all sorts of money and set up a beautiful operation with no permits, no zone changes or anything, and then come and beg for forgiveness so we can make a zone change,' he said. '…I'm all for rural economic development, but I just don't like setting that precedent.' Councillor Nancy Demarest, said they were dealing with the balance of business, and doing the right thing. 'Our voice was heard in a strong way when Oxford County was considering the ag policy that they put in place.' she said. 'Our perspective is that, yes, we want to support rural business, and yes, we want to work with the entrepreneurial community to help get the right policies in place, but we also want to do that in a sustainable and responsible way. …At the end of the day, this is not secondary farm use, it's primary use. It's a non-agricultural commercial use, which is subject to much stricter criteria than what we even talked about here today.' Mayor Mark Peterson, as well as Councillors Tina Young and Daryl Barnes, also had similar sentiments, all mentioned that while they were supportive of local businesses, it just didn't comply with the OP, and that they would be supporting Robson's recommendation to deny the applications. Council then voted to advise the Oxford County Council that the Township of Blandford-Blenheim did not support the application to the Official Plan amendment. Council also voted against the Zoning application to have the Catana Estates lands changed from 'General Agricultural Zone (A2) to 'Special General Agricultural Zone (A2-sp) in order to permit a special event facility as an OFDU. Kimberly De Jong's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at .
