The City’s Planning Committee and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee will meet jointly on Monday, January 25 to consider which lands should be brought inside Ottawa’s urban boundary, in line with the growth management strategy that Council adopted in May 2020.

Today, Scott discusses the urban boundary and current recommendations, which include adding 1000 hectares, creating a new community and further protection of agricultural lands.

Using Council-approved evaluation criteria, City planning staff scored blocks of land to accommodate new neighbourhoods, prioritizing those next to existing communities. Selected lands were further validated to encourage growth near existing commercial areas and existing or planned transit hubs.

The report recommends approving 1,011 hectares of category 1 lands – those deemed to best meet evaluation criteria. The report lays out several options to identify an additional 270 hectares from parcels initially rated category 2 or 3, although such lands would need to meet certain conditions before they could be brought within the urban boundary in the future.

The report also recommends adding to Ottawa’s supply of vacant lands to accommodate industrial-related jobs. Staff recommend adding 140 hectares near Highway 417 at Carp Road and near Highway 416 at Barnsdale Road.

The amount of land being considered stems from the Provincial Policy Statement, which requires we maintain enough land to accommodate residential growth for at least 15 years. Staff review the City’s land supply annually and would report back to Council no later than 2026 to ensure supply remains compliant.

The Committees will discuss further protecting agricultural lands by establishing a Gold Belt outside the urban boundary – similar to Ottawa’s cherished Greenbelt. Named to reflect harvest colours, the proposed Gold Belt includes agricultural resource lands, natural areas and mineral aggregate resource areas. Together, they create an additional boundary for communities like Barrhaven, Riverside South, Stittsville and Orléans.

With more robust intensification goals and rules requiring minimum densities, this Gold Belt would be an additional policy tool to limit outward growth in Ottawa for the rest of the century. Leapfrogging over the Gold Belt would be prohibited. Existing lands between the Greenbelt and the Gold Belt meet Ottawa’s immediate growth needs. If approved, the Gold Belt would be established in the new Official Plan to help contain future urban expansions until the end of the century.

Members of the public can provide written submissions through the Committee coordinator(link sends e-mail) and can also speak for up to five minutes at the Monday, January 25 meeting. Those interested in speaking during the meeting should refer to the process outlined as Annex A of the agenda.

Quotes

“City Council approved a Growth Management strategy to deliver a measured expansion of our urban boundary and to enhance the formation of 15-minute neighbourhoods across our city. Later this year we hope to approve a New Official Plan for the City, which will position Ottawa for success over the next quarter century.”

- Mayor Jim Watson

#Manotick #Richmond #North Gower #Munster #Kars #Fallowfield #Ashton and #Burritts Rapids