Carp Community Design Plan Review

Pro-Development

• Some residents want a complete community, to avoid commuting to Ottawa. Telecommuting was suggested.
• Some residents would like to see a core with higher density development, mixed-use buildings with retail at grade and residential above, and a wide variety of permitted uses.
• Some residents want the number of businesses to increase in the core. They asked if businesses can be required in the core or when a subdivision plan is approved. They also asked about the use of incentives to promote business.

• The CDP outlines the area designated as the village core on Schedule A and sets policies to guide permitted land uses within that area in section 3.2. Permitted land uses within the village core are: commercial, office, personal service, restaurants/bars, recreational and institutional land uses. Residential apartments will be encouraged above commercial businesses to provide for a mix of uses in the core. Open spaces, plazas, and landscaping areas are also permitted.
• The CDP cannot require any piece of land to be developed. This is always at the discretion of the land owner. Existing uses are allowed to continue as of right in any land use designation or zone until such time as the use ceases.
• Businesses cannot be required for every plan of subdivision, because the CDP limits business use to the core area and many subdivisions in the village occur outside the core, where business uses are neither permitted nor desirable.
• Incentives for business development would be discussed through the Business Improvement Association and not through a CDP.

Affordability

• Not enough affordable housing available (under $250,000) despite townhouses and smaller more compact forms of residential development being permitted in the village.
• Property values are increasing because lands are desirable.
• Village green slated for residential development but Honeywell lands offered for sale. It has taken so long to negotiate that the price of the land is increasing as time passes by.

Section 3.3.2 of the CDP discusses affordable housing. There is still land designated for multi-unit residential which has not been developed.

Anti-Development

• Do not want drive-through facilities in the core.
• Residents felt that the village boundary did not need to be expanded, as there are currently developable lands within the boundary.

• A study is being conducted to develop new policies regarding drive-thru facilities within villages. The results of this study will be presented in the coming months.
• This review proposes that the Carp village boundary remain unchanged.

Compatibility

• Concern of the proximity of residential uses to rail line. There should be separation for safety reasons.
• Infill in the village core. Higher density residential. Are there design guidelines to address heritage context and compatibility with streetscape?

• Sections 4.8.7 and 4.8.8 of the Official Plan requires specific study of possible effects of railway noise and vibration on proposed residential developments. Additionally, the issue of rail crossings and pedestrian safety is an issue. In Ontario rail companies are notified of development applications within 300 metres of their right of way. The rail companies then have the opportunity to comment within the planning process. In general the railway companies request that residential land uses not be developed within 30 metres of a main or secondary rail line and that development include berms or other sound attenuation.
• The City of Ottawa has a set of Design Guidelines for Rural Villages which apply to Carp and the other rural villages. This document contains sections on Heritage and Architecture and Streetscape.

Karson property

• The village needs the development proposed for these lands. Reduce red-tape to facilitate this development.
• Support mixed-use development with commercial at grade and residential above and owner-occupied businesses.
• Make lands more valuable by designation/zoning, to encourage undesirable uses to leave and the land to redevelop.

These lands are addressed in section 4.9 of the CDP; mixed-use redevelopment is encouraged. They have been designated Village Core in the CDP zoned VM (Village Mixed-Use) in order to facilitate redevelopment.

Co-op lands

• Co-op should not be included in core because of the unsafe conditions at the intersection of Rivington and Carp Road.
• Co-op lands should remain in village core.
• The existing designations of the Co-op lands are incorrect.

Council agreed to an amendment of the CDP when it was passed in July 2004, changing the designation of the lands along Rivington Street from ‘Village Core’ to ‘Residential – Ground Oriented Multi-Unit’. This change will be brought forward as part of the housekeeping amendments to Schedule A of the CDP which this review will recommend.

Parks

• Desire for a new park in the Village. Is there money collected for parkland as part of the subdivision process? It is better for community to get 5% land, rather than 5% cash-in- lieu (CIL), as some of the 5% CIL money is redistributed to other parts of the City.
• How can eyesores be bought by the City to convert these lands to park?
• In the vicinity of the outdoor rink at the Fairgrounds, there is an open ditch along Juanita which changes to an open/closed culvert through the Fairgrounds. This is a potential danger to kids.

Comments noted. Parkland dedication is controlled through the development application process. Rules governing parkland dedications are set out in the Planning Act and the Official Plan. Land for parks is more practical for the City and community in some cases and cash-in-lieu is more practical in others. The individual development applications are evaluated on a case by case basis. The Carp CDP also discusses neighbourhood parks in section 7.3, including a policy regarding a future park on the east end of the village.

Country lot subdivisions

• Country lot subdivisions should not be subject to further restrictions regarding location. There should be freedom of choice regarding where subdivisions should be. Land values in the rural area have diminished as a result of the policies of the municipality. Resent moratorium. Should have choice to subdivide if they want.
• Infill severances outside village boundary. Infill should be clustered where houses already exist.
• Moratorium on country lot subdivisions. The clustering model was not supported.

These comments have been forwarded to staff working on the country lot subdivision policy review.

Other

Can the CDP become a secondary plan?

The purpose of a CDP as noted in section 2.5.6 of the Official Plan is to translate the principles and policies of the Official Plan to the community scale. The CDP in turn is used to inform the wording of the zoning bylaw. Although they seem similar documents, CDPs by themselves are not intended to form a secondary plan.

Parking

• As businesses develop, how will parking issues be addressed?
• Parking requirements could be reduced to permit development where it may otherwise be impeded by these requirements.
• On-street parking is at capacity. Need a city-owned parking lot.
• Illegal parking on Falldown Lane during the market - an enforcement issue. Not a capacity issue however – plenty of parking but people park illegally closer to the market.
• Parking issue in front of the Chinese restaurant – patrons park on street and partially block traffic.
• There is no room to park/pick up food at the bakery.
• Will the retirement project permit angled parking?

• Both the Carp CDP and the Urban Design Guidelines for Rural Villages suggest on-street parking and reduced parking requirements for the village core. Some parts of the Carp village core have a unique problem in that the right-of-way is too narrow for on-street parking.
• A parking study for the Village Core area of Carp will be recommended.
• The Rectory Retirement Home plans include some angled parking on Carp Road.

Traffic

• Speeding is a problem in the village Core – residents want traffic calming and better enforcement.
• Langstaff – three-way stop, capacity issue.
• Residents were unsure about the restrictions on trucks in the village, but felt that the limits were being exceeded at times and wanted better enforcement.
• Concrete sides on bridge over Carp River (at Rivington) obscure sightlines – this is dangerous.
• Carp Road to Charlie’s lane is too tight.
• Traffic calming measures suggested in school zone to reduce speeds.
• Acceleration after fire hall an issue (people speed up early).
• School parking on Cavanaugh – cars on the street block sight line.

• Speeding is the most common complaint that the Traffic Department receives. The Traffic Department has collected the following speed data within the Village of Carp:

• Carp Rd. between Falldown Lane and Donald B. Munro, average speed of 50km/h, pace speed of 41 – 56km/h ( Sept. 29, 2010)
• Donald B. Munro between Salisbury St. and Deugo St., average speed of 48km/h, pace speed of 41-56km/h (March 23, 2009)
• Langstaff Dr. between Colbert Ave. and Inskillin Dr., average speed of 50km/h ( June 11, 2010)
• Robert Lee Dr. between Donald B. Munro and Glencastle Dr., average speed 35km/h (Sept 27, 2011)

• The City of Ottawa uses a warrant system to determine if all way stop controls are warranted at an intersection. The warrant requires that there is enough volume on the minor street, to warrant stopping traffic on the major street. In the case of Langstaff and Donald B. Munro, it is more than likely an unwarranted stop sign installed on Donald B. Munro prior to amalgamation. Once a stop sign has been installed for many years, warranted or unwarranted, it is very difficult to have a community agree to removing it.
• Carp Road is part of the Truck Route system. Donald B. Munro is not designated as part of the truck route system. However, trucks are permitted to deviate from a truck route in the following instances as outlined in the Traffic and Parking By-law: (a) make a delivery to premises not abutting a truck route; (b) perform services requiring the heavy vehicle at premises not abutting a truck route; (c) house, store or have the heavy vehicle repaired at a garage or other premises not abutting a truck route, or (d) perform a service for the City of Ottawa. Such deviations from truck routes are to be direct i.e. made from the point on a truck route nearest by highway distance to the premises referred to above. When successive deliveries are made in an area bounded by truck routes, after the last such delivery, the heavy vehicle must be driven to the nearest truck route.
• The intersection is not warranted for all way stop controls

• There is a hidden intersection warning sign on northbound Carp Road, on the approach to Rivington.
• The initial stop, typically behind painted Stop Bars where present, is to ensure that drivers stop at a safe distance from conflicting vulnerable road users.
• Drivers are permitted to move their vehicle to the "Final Stop", immediately prior to entering the cross-street, is to ensure that drivers yield to conflicting traffic.

• There is sufficient width to allow parking on both sides of Carp Road. The Traffic Department has no safety concerns with allowing parking on both sides of the roadway between Donald B. Munro and Charlie’s Lane. (Carp Road measures approx. 10.8m wide between Charlie’s Lane and Juanita Ave). (Carp Road measures approx. 13.85m wide between Juanita Ave. and Donald B. Munro).
• Traffic Department will conduct an investigation (traffic@ottawa.ca)
• Traffic Department will conduct an investigation (traffic@ottawa.ca)
• No Parking corner restrictions were installed on Langstaff at Cavanaugh to protect the site lines at the intersection.

Donald B. Munro intersection

• The Carp Road and Donald B. Munro intersection is complicated and dangerous and speeding is a problem. Residents suggested a traffic circle, traffic calming, and improved pedestrian crosswalk.
• The six-way stop in the centre of the village is unsafe and unsightly. Stop signs at six-way stop are not as visible as they should be. What happened to plans to have a roundabout?

These recommendations are contained in the Carp CDP. The implementation table in section 9 lists: “Improve the streetscape of when reconstruction is required for Carp Road and Donald B. Munro Drive (including traffic circle).” Reconstruction has not yet occurred, but when it does, the recommendations will be implemented.

Road maintenance

• Dust control on Carp Road - shoulder is very dusty (not related to gravel trucks however)
• Better snow removal
• Donald B is not plowed on both sides by the mill – kids need to climb snow banks and cross road to walk to school
• Maintain sidewalks in winter.
• Sidewalks from chip wagon to Langstaff are not cleared on the south side of the street. Both sides of the street should be cleared and maintained in summer and winter.

City Maintenance staff have been made aware of road maintenance issues. If you see a problem on a roadway please call 3-1-1

• We do not typically treat for dust control on the gravel shoulders of paved surfaces. However, we can investigate and review the need to apply calcium chloride to control the dust this upcoming spring on Carp Road.
• The main outcome of snow removal is safe and passable roads and sidewalks for all users by reducing the hazards caused by snow banks that restrict access or visibility. Removal or reduction of snow banks will be carried out at the following locations when snow banks restrict sightlines, travel widths, pedestrian and cycling traffic or to relieve trap water on the roadway or sidewalks:

• along sidewalks directly adjacent to curbs
• along bridges, overpasses and underpasses
• along traffic islands and narrow medians on divided roadways
• at pedestrian and school crossings
• at railway crossings
• at intersections
• at bus stops

• residential areas, snow can be stockpiled in boulevard space where there are no houses fronting and where it does not create a safety hazard, and in cul-de-sacs as long as a minimum distance of 3.5 m is maintained between the bottom of the snow bank and the snow stored in the centre of the cul-de-sac.
• banks are to be pushed to maximize the availability of on-site snow storage capacity. Snow removal is to begin as soon as practicable after the end of the storm and after being made aware that snow banks/windrows are greater than the conditions detailed in Table 103.03.01, Maintenance Quality Standards – Roads.
• banks restricting sightlines (i.e. safety hazard) at intersections and at pedestrian, school and railway crossings are to be removed within 24 hours after being made aware of the conditions. In the event the number of locations exceeds available resources, then locations will be addressed on a priority basis subject to the extent of the hazard.
• The sidewalks on Donald B. Munro are plowed on one side only because of the narrow width of the road and the lack of snow storage space.
• See below
• For treating icy sidewalks and pathways, resources are to be deployed as soon as practicable after becoming aware of the icy conditions. Icy sidewalks and pathways are to be treated within the times defined in Table 103.02.01, Maintenance Quality Standards – Sidewalks after becoming aware of the icy conditions.
• snow clearing, resources are to be deployed and snow clearing completed as defined in Table 103.02.01. If the depth of snow accumulation is less than the minimum for deployment, then resources may be deployed subject to sidewalk and pathway conditions resulting from previous snow accumulations or from forecasted weather conditions.
• stops located along City roads are to be cleared within 24 hours after the snow accumulation has ended.
• across sidewalks at intersections and at pedestrian crossings that are left after road ploughing operations are to be removed within 16 hours after the end of the storm.

Sidewalks, pathways, and cycling

• Sidewalks should go to the existing seniors’ home – West Carleton Retirement Home (this needs to be connected to the rest of the Village).
• Continue sidewalk to Diefenbunker Road (currently stops at library).
• Need more sidewalks on side streets.
• Proposed pathway system is proposed on private backyards – private issue.
• Pathways run along rear of residential lots. Design of pathways should respond to adjacent residential uses and owners should be consulted when pathway is designed/built, in order to ensure privacy issues are addressed.
• •Carp Road is too narrow to cycle to library.
• Connect pathway system to subdivision on March Road for kids to bicycle into Village.
• Pathways should replace rail track
• Concern with privacy and graffiti on pathways
• Connect boardwalk on Carp River (maintained by Friends of Carp River) to pedestrian network.

• Schedule C of the Carp CDP indicates a few locations for desired future sidewalks. Some of these have not yet been constructed, but they are still a part of the long-term plan. The sidewalk on Donald B. Munro Drive to the West Carleton Retirement Home is one of these.
• This review recommends updates to Schedule C (pedestrian pathway system) of the Carp CDP. This update will include changes to the proposed future pathways to reflect public input and pathway construction which has occurred since 2004.
• Donald B. Munro Drive and Carp Road are identified in the Transportation Master plan as future on-road cycling routes.
• The Carp CDP suggests that the rail track should be used as a recreational pathway if it ceases to be used as an operational rail line. The rail line is also identified in the Transportation Master Plan as a future multi-use pathway.

Transit

• Can commuter rail go to Carp? Rail line is used only once a week now. Train would cut down on traffic into the city. Train should run twice a day, morning and night. Would need parking available on the Co-op lands. City should not sell these lands as they may be needed for parking.
• Should have park and ride station at Shell station.
• Peak transit into city needed from March Road to Transitway.

Use of the rail line for public transit is part of the long-term plan suggested in the Carp CDP, section 3.5 (Transportation Corridor).

Streetscape

• Some residents want to see enhanced beautification of the streets and sidewalks in the core.
• Enhanced boulevard planting should be completed – will provide traffic calming and better streetscaping.
• Some residents want façade improvements encouraged through an incentive program, but there are concerns that this would increase taxes and therefore be undesirable.

• Some streetscaping is the responsibility of the Business Improvement Area (BIA). Opportunities for incentive programs can be explored by the BIA.
• The CDP addresses streetscape and pedestrian safety in section 4.5. These recommendations will be implemented when reconstruction of mainstreets occurs. The City’s Design Guidelines for Rural Villages also presents direction for future streetscaping of village mainstreets.

Water

• How close does the City work with the sourcewater protection staff?
• Water and sanitary supply will be at capacity after subdivision on east end of core is developed.

• The City works closely with the Source Protection Staff at all levels, starting from the preparation and review of technical studies up to the drafting of policies to protect groundwater.
• A Class Environmental Assessment was prepared in 2008 outlining how to service future growth in Carp, including the Carp Airport development. There will be sufficient water for the projected growth.

Water quality

There is an open aquifer in Carp and there is concern about potential contamination from resident activity, including: uses such as the funeral home, old co-op store and junk yard; pasture land for cattle south of the fire hall that is not fenced in next to the Carp River; an “open sewer” from the auto parts business; a home fuel spill that was apparently discharged into the storm sewer; and the car storage operation and possible salt and oil dripping into the Carp River.

Under the mandate of Source Water Protection (under the Clean Water Act) all potential significant threats on the municipal well will be reviewed and measures will be taken to reduce or eliminate the threat.

Sustainability of groundwater supply

• Several residents identified the sustainability of the existing groundwater supply and its ability to accommodate future growth as a concern.
• Several residents mentioned their concern about the fact that water will be piped from Carp to the new airport community. What will be the impact of this on the water supply in the Village? Some residents were concerned that this sets a precedent for others to try the same approach, and said that it would be wise not to have satellite communities around Carp.
• Is there sufficient water capacity for future village growth?
• Some concern was expressed about potential leaks around the well in Carp. It was noted that there is only a chain link fence surrounding the current well structure.
• From what direction does the aquifer supply the communal well?
• Use of grey water in Carp should be considered instead of pumping this to Kanata. Water conservation should be encouraged.

• A Class Environmental Assessment was prepared in 2008 outlining how to service future growth in Carp, including the Carp Airport development. There will be sufficient water for the projected growth.
• Issues dealt with in the Carp Watershed/Subwatershed Study. An environmental management plan was approved by council in 2005 to guide implementation.
• See above.
• This will be dealt with through Source Water Protection.
• There are a number of directions, but the prevalent axes of groundwater flow into the well are from the northwest and the southeast (for more information, see the Conservation Ontario website).

Water service

• On Inniskillin water pressure is not great from 6:45 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Same situation from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. At one address on Inniskillin, there is sometimes zero water pressure e.g. there is air in the pipes
• Can anything be done to affect the high sodium levels in the well water? Is it worth checking another site, where there could be less sodium, to supply water to residents when the well capacity needs to be increased.
• A resident living on Cavanaugh Street noted that there is sediment in their water supplied by the City and that it was too expensive for him to rectify by installing a water softener.
• A splash pad in Carp can only operate during very limited times, which are not convenient times for families. Why can’t the City keep the splash pad working at the right times?

• There should be no instances where the water pressure is zero. Please formally contact) Drinking Water Services at the City.
• The average sodium concentration in Carp in 2010 was 61 mg/L. This is slightly above the warning threshold of 20 mg/L for people with cardio-vascular conditions, but well below the aesthetic threshold of 200 mg/L. Persons with high blood pressure or heart conditions should contact their physicians about the sodium level, if they are on sodium restriction diets. The sodium levels in Carp are typical of groundwater sources.
• Any complaints about sediment in the water should be directed to Drinking Water Services at the City.

Wastewater

• Concern was expressed about the need to pump sewage into the Carp River if the sewage system and its back up system fail.
• Why is it permissible for the new airport development to have a septic system when village residents cannot?

• A Class Environmental Assessment was prepared in 2008 outlining how to service future growth in Carp, including the Carp Airport development.
• The system at the Carp Airport will be funded by the developer.

Stormwater

• Concern was expressed about proposed 95 homes north of Donald B. Munro and its impact on stormwater flows.
• One resident pointed out that blue pellets used to control the mosquito population found in the stormwater system and wondered if there is similar use in the storm ponds.

• Stormwater management reports are required for all developments.
• The issue at the ponds is different than that found in catch basins. Ponds tend to have less stagnant water (there are circulation and wind effects) than catch basins. The Planning Dept. is not aware of a program to implement blue pellets in stormwater ponds.