Jack Hanna
Ottawa’s New Official Plan
The city is creating a new Official Plan (OP), which will define its vision for its future growth and the policy direction for its physical development in the next 25 years. City Council is currently scheduled to approve the plan this fall.
The CCA is not completely happy with the results so far.
The CCA’s OP Working Group says the draft plan fails to adequately consider the aftermath of the pandemic and the demographic shift towards more seniors.
If some form of COVID-19 is here to stay, what sort of buildings will people want to live in–skyscrapers or walk-ups?
If the overall population of Centretown is going to tilt towards seniors, what services need to be developed to support older residents?
The working group wants the new plan to have teeth and drive real change. It suggests the plan have
- five-year targets that will drive the city to create 15-minute neighbourhoods;
- more green spaces;
- sustainable sources of electricity;
- affordable housing;
- improved walking, cycling and transit; and
- resiliency in the face of climate change.
In particular, so that citizens can ascertain progress towards these goals, public engagement needs to be ongoing and robust.
267 O’Connor
The CCA has written the city opposing proposed skyscrapers at O’Connor and Gilmour.
Taggart O’Connor Corp. plans to build two towers of 28 and 30 storeys in a neighbourhood of residential and mid-rise buildings.
The developer is applying under the city’s Landmark Buildings Policy, which allows a builder to hugely exceed zoning height maximums in return for creating an extraordinary piece of architecture.
The CCA argues the developer’s design “fails to honour the trade-off at the heart of the (Landmark Buildings) Policy.
“The proposed towers are ordinary and outdated,” the CCA says, “and resemble towers common in cities for several decades.”
The Landmark Buildings Policy also requires “leadership” in environmental design. The CCA says the developer is offering only “a minor reduction in energy usage” and this is “not enough to meet the policy.”
Tax Vacant Homes
The city is studying a tax on houses, condos, and apartments left vacant longterm, with proceeds from the proposed levy going to finance affordable housing.
The CCA has written supporting such a measure.
Until the end of March, you can fill out a city online survey to say what you think of the idea of a vacant home tax. The survey is at engage.ottawa.ca/VUT or search for “Engage Ottawa Residential Vacant Unit Tax.”
Some investors simply leave properties vacant for long periods, which contributes to a housing shortage, and may also mean they become neglected and an eyesore in the community.
Vancouver and Toronto introduced Vacant Home Taxes last year, and the CCA hopes Ottawa will join them.