ACO Provincial has concerns…

ACO Provincial has concerns about the Ottawa OP which is currently being reviewed by the provincial government. We understand that the Ontario government assesses municipal official plans with respect primarily to “matters of provincial interest”. We are proposing changes to the Ottawa Official Plan in order to:
1. Better serve the provincial interest set out in the Ontario Planning Act at S. 2(d) “the conservation of features of significant architectural, cultural, historical, archaeological or scientific interest”.
2. Better ensure that the Ottawa OP meets the requirement in the Provincial Policy Statement at 2.6.1 that “Significant built heritage resources and significant cultural heritage landscapes shall be conserved”.
3. Clarify the intent of the heritage provisions – as revealed in discussions with city staff – so that they are not open to misinterpretation.
One recurring challenge to the heritage districts is unclear or equivocal language which leaves room for conflicting and/or unintended interpretations. We believe that the Ottawa OP can and should be strengthened to better stand up to these challenges.
We support the five community organizations representing fifteen Heritage Districts who have submitted their concerns.
Diane Chin
Chair of Architectural Conservancy Ontario