Please accept the following…

Please accept the following comments from Don Herweyer (City of Ottawa)

1. The City of Ottawa agrees with the proposed modifications for Ottawa’s Official Plan as shown in Item 8 to the Table in Schedule 3, Official Plan Adjustments Act, 2023, being modifications numbered 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13. Retaining these modifications is consistent with Ottawa City Council’s motion adopted on November 22, 2023 regarding “Retain the Minor Corridor permissible heights in accordance with the November 2022 Ministry approval of the City’s new Official Plan”; and, Mayor Sutcliffe’s submission on the Planning Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023, provided in December 2023 to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

2. On February 7, 2024, the City of Ottawa adopted a motion regarding the clarification of the Greely Secondary Plan at 1600 Stagecoach Road. The motion requests that the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing be requested to introduce legislation before the Legislative Assembly of Ontario at the earliest opportunity that would include the deeming of Modification 66 to Official Pan Amendment 5 to never have come into force. Modification 66 to Official Plan Amendment 5 was required to implement the Minister’s previous decision to add these lands to the Village of Greely. To align Ottawa’s Official Plan with Bill 162, the Provincial Government needs to include the deeming of Modification 66 to Official Plan Amendment 5 to never have come into force.

3. The removal of the settlement area additions from the November 4, 2022, Decision requires a reassessment of work already completed in the background study for the City of Ottawa’s current Development Charges (DC) review. The new DC By-law requires adoption by Ottawa City Council in May 2024 in order to meet statutory timelines to establish a DC so that growth pays for its share of growth. There is, however, insufficient time to update the draft Infrastructure Master Plan and prepare the necessary DC background study with required consultation for a new DC By-law by May 2024. We therefore request the inclusion of DC-related transition provisions through the proposed legislation to extend the expiry of our current DC By-law for a period of 16 months from May 22, 2024 (the current expiry date) to September 22, 2025, for the enactment of a new comprehensive DC and area specific development by-laws and would permit all of the provisions in the current by-law, including the annual indexation of the development charges. This additional time will allow the City of Ottawa to make the necessary adjustments resulting from Bill 150 and any further changes that may arise from Bill 162 and complete the associated Transportation and Infrastructure Master Plans which will allow for the resultant Master Plan projects to be included in the new DC Background Study.

Thank you,

Don Herweyer, MCIP, RPP
Special Advisor, Planning | Conseiller spécial pour la planification
Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development Department | Direction générale de la planification, de l’immobilier et du développement économique
110 Laurier Ave. W. | 110, avenue Laurier ouest Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
(613) 580 2424 Ext.| Poste 28311