Menard: Ottawa wants extra neighborhood advantages, much less developer affect

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As Ottawa grows, as density involves our metropolis, growth ought to happen in a means that strengthens our communities and advantages current and future residents. It ought to make our metropolis stronger, extra sustainable and extra livable.

Sounds apparent, proper? Fostering a greater, more healthy metropolis is what metropolis councillors ought to do. It isn’t at all times that simple. New growth can put a pressure on metropolis companies and core infrastructure. It could generally result in site visitors questions of safety and, if not achieved thoughtfully, won’t at all times account for reasonably priced housing for neighbours in want.

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That is what my workplace tried to do relating to new developments within the space of Carling and Bronson Avenues. We labored to place in place a Memorandum of Understanding, much like a Group Profit Settlement.

Group Profit Agreements (CBAs) are put in place by way of collaboration with neighborhood and builders to assist handle impacts associated to new developments within the space — on this case, site visitors security close to Bronson and Carling, and wanted reasonably priced housing within the space — however they’ll additionally handle issues comparable to bushes and inexperienced area, help for displaced individuals, park amenities and plenty of different points. CBAs make sure that present and future residents will profit from new growth.

Town has authorised these kind of voluntary neighborhood profit agreements earlier than, regardless of not having a proper course of in place. They occur yearly. Current examples embody the Herongate Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the Manor Park MOU, the Financial institution and Riverside MOU, the 1047 Richmond MOU, and the 142 Nepean MOU, amongst different voluntary agreements.

Within the present case, we highlighted to the developer, Katasa Group, a number of the neighborhood issues and voluntarily requested for mitigation. They agreed and said it was due to neighborhood and metropolis good will. Sadly, they withdrew their settlement when council modified the phrases to be citywide, after which said they want to voluntarily donate once more (with out anybody asking) to park infrastructure within the space by which they’re constructing.

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This was not some nefarious ill-gotten achieve for Capital Ward. It was doing our jobs representing individuals.

A voluntary draft, unsigned Group Profit Settlement MOU was drawn up after which introduced publicly after a growth utility had been authorised. We checked with the town corridor authorized crew, and acquired metropolis employees recommendation, whereas presenting it for public dialogue on the metropolis’s Planning and Housing Committee.

Just lately, the background of one of many growth firm’s executives (who my workplace wasn’t coping with) has been raised as some extent of concern. I unequivocally take severe challenge with how builders conduct themselves, each present and previous behaviour, together with for this growth. Sadly, that doesn’t change the actual fact these growth purposes come our means regardless, and our neighbourhoods are compelled to cope with the affect.

As an everyday critic of developer largesse at metropolis corridor, I welcome a fulsome and significant dialogue in regards to the function builders must play in council choices. From developer hypothesis to unsustainable city sprawl to the last-minute addition of the Tewin lands into our city boundary (which is able to price near half-a-billion {dollars} in infrastructure prices to service), I oppose choices that serve to learn builders on the expense of residents.

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I’ve beforehand requested all councillors and future municipal candidates to affix me and a handful of different councillors who already refuse to take private marketing campaign donation cash from developer-connected donors throughout elections.

Final time period, my workplace additionally led the cost to create a cooling-off interval for public officers who go away metropolis corridor to turn into lobbyists. This helps diminish the attain and affect of builders over metropolis choices.

I grew up within the Metropolis of Ottawa and the tempo and nature of growth change that’s coming our means is astonishing. Town can be well-placed to place an open and clear course of in place for Group Profit Agreements and make the most of these types of instruments simply as different main cities throughout Canada have already achieved. We should discover applicable methods to combine new housing whereas responding to neighborhood wants and funding the companies that include new growth.

We will do higher if we collaborate to fulfill these challenges.

Shawn Menard is the town councillor for Capital Ward.

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