Feedback from New Official Plan Consultation Session

Executive Summary from the Project Coordinator, Planning Dept:

On September 19^th, 2019 over a dozen residents from a variety of communities in Bay Ward gathered to receive an introductory presentation on the 5 Big Moves of the New Official Plan and to engage in discussions to provide their feedback on these concepts.

Each discussion group took the time to provide responses to the 5 Big Moves of Growth, Mobility, Urban Design, Resilience and Economy. They also shared additional ideas they felt should be considered in the New Official Plan.

The most consistently noted ideas were around integrating growth into their communities in a way that respects the character of the neighbourhoods, where they highlighted the need to: protect greenspaces/trees, ensure affordable housing is included, housing is well connected to active transportation, respects the design plans for the community, facilitates the increase of recreation and services in the area, and supports more local businesses.

These ideas will be shared with the Planning team responsible for drafting the New Official Plan. You can review the full list of responses/ideas from the groups by each Big Move below.

Growth:

• Affordable inside the greenbelt urban boundary
• Walkable universal access 4 season last kilometer
• Intensification challenging for heritage neighbourhoods
  • Parking on street
  • Paving of green space on lots
  • Adding buildings to lots
• Concern about not matching existing infrastructure
• Trees, trees, trees protect them!
• 15 minute neighbourhood
  • More virtu car (car sharing)
  • Missing middle housing, 5 to 10 storeys like Europe
  • Electric car infrastructure
• More affordable housing, should have % of all development for affordable housing especially near transit
• Creating integrated neighbourhoods, work/live/play
• Recreation centre lacking in Bay Ward
• How can the city avoid inequality between rich and poor neighbourhoods
• Fairfield Heights Giant Tiger closing creating a food desert

Mobility:

• Person focus, not the car
• Lower emissions
• Electrification of city vehicles
• Gender lens on public transit/cost
• Motorized wheelchairs can’t use sidewalks
• Busses bikes and wheelchairs using the street
• Integrate active transportation into land use planning
• Consider how planning impacts cycling and pedestrian safety, ex. Tie in Lincoln Fields into transit
• Rings of tolls, can change also during rush hour
  • Use the natural boundaries we have
• Nodes around LRT, need to address linkages and timing of development
  • Ex. Development starting around stage 2 before it is up and running
• Consider a fee for keeping a car in the City of Ottawa issue of park and ride at Moody
• Need child care centres near transit
• Complete streets
  • Needs of pedestrians, cyclists and transit users should be prioritized above cars, ex. Bridgehead is surrounded by cement at Fairlain
• Bay Ward lives along main arteries, Richmond and Carling – access seems isolated, ex. Britannia Village from Richmond
• Improve look of Carling – more trees
• Avoid silos at City of Ottawa
• Tree on southside of every bus stop
• Commit to keeping sidewalks clear of ice and snow
• Work with NCC to clear/light paths to LRT station in winter
• Problem with safely walking in the winter where there are no sidewalks, parking on one side of the road during winter?

Urban Design:

• Respect community design and secondary plans
• Public space poverty, gender lens
• Design isn’t’ happening
• Intensification used as justification for anything
• Keep small community parks
  • Important for small children
  • Revitalize at beginning of development rather than at end
• Increase set back requirement for additional height, avoid tunnel effect
• Design currently voluntary, need more than guidelines
• Respect community design plans
• Design is key for public health
• Concern regarding impact of growth on established communities
  • Erosion over time
  • Impact on character of neighbourhoods
  • Need to keep more than the name of a neighbourhood
  • Infill should fit into community, not erode character
• Incentivize rooftop gardens

Resilience:

• Green infrastructure and flood proofing and trees
• Universal access
• Rapid phase 2 LRT
• Value NCC greenbelt
  • Preserve Mud Lake
  • What’s happening with Wesley Clover and that wonderful view
  • Does NCC come to the table and commit
• Heat islands
• Draining impacted by infill
• Working to get more walkable neighbourhood
• Remove barriers to connectivity, esp. LRT stations
• East/west transportation too prioritized
• Protect the Ottawa river
  • Stop storm sewers from overflowing into river
• Intensification impacting infrastructure
• Encourage permeable surfaces
• Use incentives as well as rules
• Preserve trees, protect them earlier in the development process
• Floodproofing plan, consistent protection measures
• Coordinating across conservation authorities
• Community gardens near LRT
• Consider including solar and other energy options into LRT and other city projects
• Access to more local community centres
• Build community centre on Queensview near LRT close to Foster Farm
• Encourage growth of native plants to encourage pollination
• Small medical services within communities

Economy:

• Intercity rapid transit
• YOW = GHGs
• More coordination between infrastructure projects
  • Telecommunications, road repair, etc.
• Support of businesses during construction projects
• Encourage small neighbourhood business – ex. Small grocery stores
• Sustainable access to fresh food