Algonquins come out sudden winners in urban boundary vote

One day afterit appeared the Algonquins of Ontario would be left out entirely from the City of Ottawa's plans to expand its urban areas, citycouncillors voted to allot 445 hectares to the group.

The move would effectively launch a whole new outlying communityof 45,000 near the Amazon warehouse, which the Algonquin and their developer partner,Taggart Group of Companies, call"Tewin."

City staff had determined the parcel was far away and scored so poorly it shouldn'teven be considered for bringing inside the urban boundary.Staffhad produced a map that would grow the city by way ofsmall parcels at the fringes of existing suburbs and services.

After Tuesday's vote, however, the Algonquins of Ontario are now poised to shepherdmore than a third of the total 1,281 hectarescity council intends toaddfor future development.

• Rural landowners ask city for right to develop properties
• City staff propose 'gold belt' to hem in future Ottawa development

Time for Tewin

Councillorson the planning and agricultural affairs committees were attracted to the idea of creating an entirely new, sustainable community from scratch an area twice the size of Blackburn Hamlet, to start.

Even more important, they said, wasto show their commitment to reconciliation with the Algonquin.

The Algonquins of Ontario have bought up parcels in that area southwest of Boundary Road and Highway 417 at fair market valuefrom the Ontario government as they've been given right of first refusal. Theprocess is separate from their longtime land claim negotiations, which are nearly completed.

In a presentation to councillors Monday,the Algonquins of Ontariosaid it needed 500 hectares to build asustainable community of homes that aligned with Algonquin values and includeda significant natural area.The Algonquins of Ontario said it waited long enough.

By Tuesday, councillors tabled motions and a dramatic shift began to bring Tewin insidethe urban boundary.

Coun. Eli El-Chantiry won the vote totake 175 hectares of land that had scored wellin the South Marcharea, and redirectedthem to Tewin.

Coun. Tim Tierney, meanwhile, convinced colleaguesto allocate 270 hectares to Tewin now, instead ofdoing more study for five years.

Developers decry politics over process

Several councillors expressed concerns about the site, and Catherine McKenney didn't see how councillors had the information they needed to make such a big decision.

Staff had advised marine clay soil conditions might prevent building anything higher than four storeys, which could make construction at Tewin costly and could prevent dense neighbourhoods the city wants.

Tewin received a score of zero for servicing because no water pipes are nearby.

Developers in the South March area were dismayed to have their lands suddenly set aside.

"It is incredibly surprising that in an unprecedented move that politics has taken over a prescribed scoring process and months of work by city staff and included a parcel of land with a zero score on servicing," said ClaridgeHomes, eQ Homes, Uniform Developments, Multivesco and Minto in a statement.

"The joint committee has taken a step backwards in their supposed step into the future with a new official plan."

No one from theAlgonquins of Ontario was available to comment immediately after the decision.

Riverside South farmland to be urbanized

In a separate decision, city councillors also approvedletting in a large farm parcel nearRiverside South, despite having voted last May tonot allow future development on any agricultural land.

The area's councillor, Carol Anne Meehan, succeeded in swapping a piece of land further south for the Urbandale property north of Rideau River Road.

Not developing that Urbandalepropertywould leave abig field between twonew O-Train stations where the city wants people living close to transit, she argued.

Coun. Scott Moffatt countered thattransit should not trump agriculture, and nothing in the area had changed since council gave its word last spring to protect farmland.

The urban boundary report, with its many major changes, rises to city council on Feb. 10 for a final decision.