Report to/Rapport au :
Comité de l’urbanisme
25 October 2011 / le 25 octobre 2011
Submitted
by/Soumis par: Jan Harder, Councillor/ Conseiller
Ward 3/ quartier 3
Contact Person/Personne
resource: Councillor/ Conseiller Jan Harder
613-580-2473, Jan.Harder@ottawa.ca
|
WARDS 7, 8, 9, 10,
11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 |
Ref
N°:ACS2011-CMR-PLC-0020 |
SUBJECT: ANALYSIS OF PLANNED AND APPROVED CONDOMINIUM
APARTMENT UNITS IN THE CENTRAL AREA
OBJET : ANALYSE DES
APPARTEMENTS EN COPROPRIÉTÉ PLANIFIÉS ET APPROUVÉS DANS LA ZONE CENTRALE
REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning Committee direct staff to prepare
an analysis of the number of housing units planned and approved inside the
Greenbelt in order to assess the capacity of the City of
Ottawa to determine the total hard and soft costs of sustaining the rate of
growth of condominium apartment units.
RECOMMANDATION
DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité de
l’urbanisme charge le personnel de préparer une analyse du nombre d’unités de
logement planifiées et approuvées à l’intérieur de la Ceinture de verdure, et
ce, afin d’évaluer la capacité qu’a la Ville d’Ottawa à déterminer les coûts
essentiels et accessoires totaux nécessaires au maintien du taux de croissance
des appartements en copropriété.
BACKGROUND
At the Planning Committee meeting of 25
October, Councillor Holmes circulated a proposed motion to Committee members
with respect to the growth of condominium apartment units in her ward and other
central wards. Councillor Harder then
put forward the motion, which is set out below, as a Notice of Motion for the
subsequent meeting.
WHEREAS
in 2010 the City of Ottawa exceeded its Intensification Targets by a
significant percentage (43.8% over 36%);
AND
WHEREAS the greatest rate of growth was in new apartment units, with the
majority of these being in the inner wards;
AND
WHEREAS according to the Greater Ottawa New Home Market Report (September 2011)
the absorption (sales) rate of new condominium apartments inside the greenbelt has
been approximately 1,000 per year;
AND
WHEREAS for the period 2011 the number of condominium apartment units under construction
in Somerset Ward is approximately 430 units, and for the period 2010-11 the
total number of condominium apartments planned or approved in Somerset Ward is
an additional 3,600 units;
AND
WHEREAS this total, in excess of 4,000 units, does not include the total number
of units planned or approved in the other central wards;
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED THAT there be an analysis of the number of housing units planned
and approved in order to assess the capacity of the City of Ottawa to determine
the total hard and soft costs of sustaining this rate of growth.
DISCUSSION
Planning and
Growth Management Department, Infrastructure Services and Community
Sustainability, has reviewed the proposed motion and their comments are
outlined below.
The Planning and
Growth Management Department, through the Intensification Working Group, will
lead this effort involving several City departments.
Staff will
undertake a study to determine the costs of growth from an operating
perspective in the rural, suburban, and urban areas. This study will also examine the ability for
developments in these geographic areas to raise the necessary funds to pay for
the required capital improvements related to growth. The financial findings of
this study, together with the completion of Choosing Our Future, will provide
the guiding principles to inform the next Official Plan review. The Official
Plan review will include an examination of the demographic trends within the
Urban Area, including desired housing type, and will inform the prioritization
of projects within the 2014 Development Charges By-law.
With respect to
funding sources for hard and soft services, staff will be bringing forward a
report on the implementation of Section 37 of the Planning Act to Planning
Committee later this Fall. The future use of s.37 in
planning applications is intended for community benefits to support future
growth. It should also be noted that beginning with Budget 2012, future City
budgets in advance of the opening of the Tunney’s Station to Blair Station LRT
will contain significant investment in cycling, walking, and streetscape
improvements aimed at building capacity within the Greenbelt both to support
the network and to promote alternative transportation choices.
Finally, it is staff’s understanding that one of the primary concerns
related to the significant condominium construction in the downtown core area
is the perceived under-capacity of park space. The Centretown Community Design
Plan, to be considered at Planning Committee and City Council early in 2012,
will contain specific recommendations on the need for, and location of, future
public amenities. Supported also by the recommendations of the 2005
Council-approved Escarpment Area District Plan, staff will seek direction to
bring back a confidential report to Planning Committee by end of Q2 2012 on the
acquisition of candidate sites for public amenities either through future
planning approvals or outright purchase, and will seek direction to pursue
acquisition of one or several of these sites using cash-in-lieu of parkland
funds and/or s. 37 monies.
RURAL
IMPLICATIONS
There
are no rural implications associated with this report.
CONSULTATION
No specific public consultations were undertaken in the production of the report. Notice of this meeting was advertised on the City’s website as per Section 77(1)(b) of the Procedure By-law.
COMMENTS BY THE
WARD COUNCILLOR
This motion
pertains to a variety of wards.
LEGAL
IMPLICATIONS
There
are no legal implications associated with this report.
RISK MANAGEMENT
IMPLICATIONS
There are no risk
implications associated with this report.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
There
are no direct financial implications; the analysis will be completed by
staff.
ACCESSIBILTY IMPACTS
There are no accessibility
implications associated with this report.
TECHNOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS
There
are no technological implications associated with this report.
DISPOSITION
Department of Planning and Growth Management to implement the direction
of Committee.