Tag Archives: The Community

Councillor Taylor Meeting Jan 18 – 936 Woodroffe Re-zone

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Wednesday January 18, 2012, 6:30 pm to 8 pm
D. Roy Kennedy Public School Library
Councillor Mark Taylor invites all residents to meet with Members of Novatech Engineering, City Staff for a community open house on the development plans for 936 Woodroffe Ave.
The proposal is to rezone the lot at 936 Woodroffe to develop a mix of single and semi-detached duplexes.
The current R2 zoning only allows for single or semi-detached.

The City website shows the proposed development:
http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__8U7FDQ

New Zoning Applications

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1. 936 Woodroffe Ave

December 14, 2011

Doug Bridgewater

City of Ottawa

Planning and Growth Management Department

110 Laurier Ave W, 4th floor

Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1

File No: D02-02-11-0103

Zoning By-law Amendment Proposal

936 Woodroffe Avenue

As indicated in my email last night, the Glabar Park Community Alliance (GPCA) Board is opposed to this Zoning By-law Amendment Proposal.

936 Woodroffe Ave is currently zoned R2G.

The lot has 30.48m (100′) frontage and a depth of 46.63m (153′).

A single family residence currently occupies the property.

The size of this property is not unique in the Whitehaven and Glabar Park communities.

One of the attractions for the residents of these communities is the generous property sizes (especially back yards); abundant green space and separation from neighbours. The residents paid a premium to purchase their properties and correspondingly pay high City of Ottawa taxes.

Alternative Development

This property could be re-developed to meet the existing R2G designation in several ways (with Minor variances but without re-zoning):

  • Sever the lot in half to create two 15.24m (50′) x 46.63m (153′) properties and create 2 single family homes on each of the new lots
  • Sever the lot in four to create four 7.62m (25′) x 46.63m (153′) properties and create 2 semi-detached homes on each of the new lots

Either of these two legal R2G re-development proposals would comply with the existing building pattern on Woodroffe and the Whitehaven and Glabar Park neighbourhoods.

These proposals would leave an expected green buffer between the existing side yard Woodroffe properties and the back yard properties on Winnington Ave.

In addition, the legal building height of 8m would not create the extra shadowing burden of the proposed 10m.

The City of Ottawa Zoning By-laws reflect the type and density of housing permitted in a community. This alternative proposal would “be in character” with the neighbouring communities.

The upgrade from 1 single residence to 4 semi-detached homes would meet the intensification goals of the City of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario (PPS).

In addition, there is an abundance of property inventory within the Whitehaven and Glabar Park communities that could be legally re-developed within their existing R1 and R2 zones to meet these intensification targets without creating a “back yard sub-division”.

Developers often complain that Community Associations are against all development in their back yards (NIMBY). In fact, the GPCA has not opposed a number of intensification projects in its community, for example, 820-822 and 831-833 Riddell Ave N; 2224-2228 Fox Ave and 835-837 Woodroffe Ave.

Existing Proposal

The proposed re-development attempts to exploit the depth of this property to create a “back-lot sub-division”. The proposal seeks a 50 % reduction in the rear yard depth and area and a height increase from 8m to 10m. The rear vehicle access will introduce new car noise and headlights to the abutting properties.

Novatech Engineering’s document claims that “Properties fronting Woodroffe Avenue differ from those within the adjacent Whitehaven and Glabar Park communities in their zoning. While the interiors of the two communities are Residential First Density (R10)…”

This is not true. Riddell Avenue North in Glabar Park is an R2 zone.

Novatech Engineering’s document also claims that “this small increase in height will have minimal impact on adjacent properties and is compatible with the heights of other buildings.”

Novatech does not support this claim with evidence in its document.

Conclusion

The GPCA consider this proposal “poor planning” to jam increased housing into the “back yard” of 936 Woodroffe. The style of the proposed buildings and the units in the “back yard” do not match any of the existing dwellings in the respective R2 zones and would NOT be “compatible with existing land use patterns” and the “residential character of the neighbourhood is” NOT “maintained or enhanced”.

This proposal is an attempt to create an R3 zone “lot by lot” in our communities. What is to prevent similar development proposals along Riddell Ave N? In fact, Novatech Engineering told the GPCA that the City of Ottawa Planning Dept. had tentatively approved a similar multi-unit development for 830 Hare Ave – in an R1O zone of Glabar Park.

The GPCA has proposed alternative semi-detached units that meet the existing R2 building pattern in the neighbouring communities that do not require lot size reductions or height increases. Further, the upgrade from 1 single residence to 4 semi-detached homes would meet the intensification goals of the City and Province.

The City of Ottawa is introducing the Neighbourhood Planning Initiative (NPI). If the City is not prepared to defend the existing Zoning By-laws then the NPI would be a waste of time.

If the City of Ottawa believes in the arguments of the Applicant in this Proposal, then they should re-zone all of Woodroffe Ave. to R3 (and Maitland Ave).

Best regards,

Michael Heenan

Secretary, Glabar Park Community Alliance

2. Fairlawn Plaza

City of Ottawa Committee of Adjustment File # D08-01-11/B-00524 to D08-01-11/B-00526
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 6:30 PM
101 Centrepointe Dr.

The Mall owners, Starbank Developments is seeking to split the existing property into 3 separate lots.
1) The Mall plus the Aaron Ave entrance
2) The Carling Ave Xmas tree lot north of the Aaron Ave entrance
3) The Aaron strip south of the Aaron Ave entrance

The Carling strip is zoned R3 (multiple homes)
The Aaron strip is zoned R1 (single family homes).

Obviously Starbank’s intent is to sell off the 2 new properties for development.

Some Aaron neighbours would like to close off the entrance.

Concern about future re-zoning:
The Carling strip could be rezoned for commercial – possible concern here is traffic access to the new stores/offices from Aaron Ave.
The Aaron strip. It is not likely that the new owners would want to construct single family homes as per Zoning bylaw.