Official plan's vagueness could spur unchecked development, residents argue

Ottawa's new official plan came under persistent criticism Thursday and Friday from a long list of public delegations, many concerned its lack of precise languagecouldopen the door to rapid intensification ofneighbourhoods and loss of trees.

City staff have a vision to make Ottawa the "most liveable mid-sized city in North America," with denser areas near transit and along "minor corridors" they say would grow upslowly and gradually.

"It very much is a 21st-century plan that addresses 21st-century challenges with 21st-century approaches,"policy planning manager Alain MiguelezsaidThursday.

Many of the 96 people who spoke over the past two days, however, had dissected the lengthy document's sections and clausesand decided it's still not ready to become the formalblueprint for Ottawa's future.

Several community groups who've followed the plan's creation for the past couple ofyears maintain that,despite city staff's best efforts, itshould be delayed until after next year's municipal election.

Language leaves loopholes

Some delegates warnedthe plan's wordingwould benefit developers to the detrimentofcommunities.

Jack Waghorn, aretired developer of shopping malls and mixed-use buildings, said he used to look for ambiguous wording in city plans that could let his company build more densely and make more money.

"If I were to put my development hat back on, the current draft of the official plan contains a great deal of inconsistent language and loopholes that could be exploited to push the levels ofneighbourhood intensification beyond what is intended," he said, speaking for a group called Engaged Alta Vista.

Mihailo Mihailovic, who has worked on federal building codes, agreed that non-enforceable words like "should" and "may" could see the city lose its control of development.

"Once it gets going, you're not going to be able to stop it," he cautioned.

Intensification consequences

Many of the groups said they don't oppose intensification, but rather want it done in a sensitive way that takes into account what makesindividual neighbourhoods special.

An overarching concernis that neighbourhoods couldlosetrees, especially ifbuildings areallowed near or atthe sidewalk.That could make urban areas even hotter as the climate changes.

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Residents in older neighbourhoods likeCarleton Heights and City Viewsaid their infrastructure datesto the 1950s and they don't see how it will keep up with the rapid change they're already seeing.

Ecology Ottawa's Robb Barnes suggested Ottawa might be better offemulatingEuropean cities like Paris or Barcelona, which manage to house families in denser buildings while still preservingtrees.Architect Rosaline Hill, meanwhile, suggested simulation technology might help the city testhow its policy changes could look on the ground.

ForNeilMalhotraof Claridge Homes, the only way to resolve the conflicts between communities, developers and the City of Ottawa over intensification would be to have neighbourhood-level discussions.

"Establish how much a community is supposed to take in population, and then let them figure out where they want it," Malhotra said. "But they're going to have to understand they're getting it."

Tewinand urban expansion

Malhotra appeared with the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association to argue the City of Ottawa could exacerbate already-high housing prices by not planning enough units to meet population projections, and more homes on the city's outskirts might be needed.

Somedelegates expressed concern about the 1,281-hectare expansion city council already agreed to, which includes creating a suburb called Tewinin order to allow economic development for the Algonquins of Ontario (AOO).

The AOO gave thevery first presentation Thursday morningand faced questions aboutits partnership with developer Taggart Group.

Speakers further down the list shared theirown concerns about that project. Some worried about theLeda clay soils it would be constructed upon, while others urgedcouncil to follow through on a promise to consult withFirst Nations communities beyond the AOO.

Kelly McInnis, whosehome would be in the middle ofTewin, told councilthey'd "brought criticism upon themselves" for not following staff's originaladvice, which included studying the new suburb for five more years.

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He said there were enough concerns about Tewin thatcouncil should"press pause" on that expansion, just as many have called for delay ofthe official plan as a whole.

The meeting is to resumeMonday with councillors debatingthe official plan and its many expected amendments, before sending it to council on Oct. 27 and then to Ontario's minister of municipal affairs and housingfor final approval.