The Hume Blog is Moving!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, loyal readers, please take note: the Hume Blog has moved over to its permanent home on the brand-new peterhume.ca website!

Now all of the Hume communications will be easily accessible from one central location on the new Hume site. Social media like Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook will continue as always.

We look forward to seeing your comments and views on the new Hume Blog!

Certainty: how sanity can return to planning in Ottawa

source

WHAT CERTAINTY REALLY MEANS

At our recent Ottawa Planning Summit, my speech focused on a new commitment to certainty in the planning process for our city. But certainty has different connotations for the various parties involved in development; to most residents in a community, certainty means that the zoning and development patterns in their neighbourhood would never ever change. To the development industry, certainty has meant the stifling of design creativity and a truck load of government red tape. One member of the planning community has called certainty, ‘A job-killing drag on the economic vitality of Ottawa’. 

I know you won’t be surprised when I tell you that both the residents and the developers are incorrect about certainty.

CITIES CHANGE.

Murphy Gamble Dept store, Sparks St, circa 1954

Cities are organic; they grow and change all the time.  Neighbourhoods change, development changes, what we want and need changes—indeed, change may be the only constant. So how do we provide certainty in an ever-changing City? It’s simple: our Official Plan—if implemented correctly—provides certainty over the life of the plan. And during the review process, we look around us and plan the next evolutionary steps for our city.

CERTAINTY MANAGES CHANGE.

For the 10 years that the plan is in place, it is my belief that residents and developers alike should expect certainty. During that time, residents should be able to trust that the zoning will be consistent for the life of the plan. Similarly, the development community should be able to make sound business decisions that conform to the zoning and the official plan from which it flows, and the standards these outline in terms of city growth. The developer should be able to obtain a building permit and a site plan without hassle—no long and costly approvals process, because the zoning is clear and consistent.

For the lifespan of our Official Plan, everyone should be privy to the rules of the game, and both community groups and developers alike should expect to play by them. However, we all must realize that an Official Plan, despite all efforts, doesn’t cover every eventuality; there may be times when a property has to have the zoning changed. Under certainty planning, however, these exceptions shall not become the rule.

What certainty will mean is that community and business energy is focused, not on fighting each other and City Hall, but on defining the policies and directions that will comprise our Official Plan and the direction that development will take over its 10 year existence.

The Ottawa Planning Summit: Developing Our City

THE OTTAWA PLANNING SUMMIT: THE FIRST STEP



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This week, the City of Ottawa is holding a major planning summit. This isn’t news to most of you, as the media and citizens alike have taken a serious interest in this event. It’s great to see so many people taking an interest in planning matters and their communities’ development, and I see this summit as a great first step.

It’s important to view the summit as just that: a starting point. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and likewise, Ottawa can’t be planned in a day. Our goal with this summit is to launch a new era of planning for our city. By looking 10-15 years ahead, we can start to envision our city as we truly wish to see it. And of course, by looking back we can identify, retrospectively, where we have stumbled in the past. This summit is the first step in lighting the path so that the future steps in development will proceed more smoothly.

A CHALLENGING HISTORY: OTTAWA'S PAST DECADE

Over the past decade, we have been focused on the issue of the urban boundary, often to the exclusion of all else. Amalgamation brought together such a wide variety of people and communities that it was an achievement just to ‘hold the line’. The impacts of amalgamation were still fresh in people's minds, and Council was still finding its way. Issues beyond the urban boundary, such as tall building policies, farming support, and even suburban tree planting regulations were left by the wayside. There was no policy in place that encouraged innovation like mixed-use development or other ‘outside the box’ ideas. Right now—this summit, this moment in time—is the first real opportunity to set the stage for new development concepts in Ottawa.



History aplenty: the Centre Block on Parliament Hill under
construction in 1863. source



READY FOR CHANGE: A MATURE CITY

From the shaky aftermath of the amalgamation, though, emerges a City that is mature enough now to embark on these discussions in a cohesive and unified fashion. The gathering of minds that will occur in Ottawa this week should be the start of discussions on all these types of issues; and over the following 18 months leading up to the Official Plan Review, we shall then press these discussions towards action.

A GROWING CITY AND A GROWING LIST OF QUESTIONS

I have many questions that I hope to have addressed during the next 18 months of review. Why are we still so focused on intensification as a concept only for the city core, for example? Why have we allowed utility companies to monopolize suburban front yards, limiting the availability of viable tree planting space? Are CDP’s actually valuable and tenable? How are we planning to support our local farmlands, and where are we going to grow in rural areas? How can we get infrastructure out to the suburbs in a timely fashion? What strategies do we envision for the development of low, medium, and tall buildings? How can we incentivize mixed-use development?

How do we encourage balanced growth and stop reaching just for the low-hanging fruit?



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ONE STEP AT A TIME

This summit is not a day that will somehow provide a solution at the end of eight hours. It is but the first step in many to frame policies within the Official Plan. It is time for a series of discussions and strategy meetings on growth, development, and policy. We begin with a single step this week, and begin to work towards a big-picture solution. The City of Ottawa is poised for a new approach to growth. It is time to examine previous errors, learn from our scars, and get back on our feet.

I look forward to the summit as the first step we take together.

-Peter

FOR MORE ON THE SUMMIT:

You can follow the summit live as it is webcast. Head to ottawa.ca/planningsummit starting at 9am.

Follow the Hume Twitter feed for live tweeting.

You can also follow the hashtags #ottplan to see live tweeting from the Hume twitter feed (and others).

Also, updates are regularly posted on the Hume Facebook Page.

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Emerald Ash Borer: Public Info Sessions

Residents,

source: Cdn Food Inspection Agency

Here is the official announcement of the public meetings to be held about the Emerald Ash Borer. We hope you'll find these sessions helpful and informative.

City of Ottawa Public Service Announcement:

For immediate release:
April 4 2012

Residents invited to attend emerald ash borer information sessions

Ottawa – The City of Ottawa and River Ward Councillor Maria McRae, Chair of the City’s Environment Committee, are hosting two public information sessions on the emerald ash borer in April.

Since 2008, this invasive insect has been spreading across Ottawa, killing ash trees. The presence of emerald ash borer (EAB) poses a serious threat to 25 per cent of the City’s forest cover located on both public and private properties. 

By attending these sessions, residents can learn more about what the City is doing to prevent the spread of EAB and what they can do to help mitigate the impact this insect is having on our ash trees. 

The information sessions are scheduled for:

Date:                April 12, 2012

Time:               4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Location:          Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive, Andrew S. Haydon Hall

Date:                April 23, 2012

Time:               4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Location:          Jim Durrell Complex, 1264 Walkley Road, Ellwood Hall

For more information, please visit ottawa.ca/eab or call 3-1-1.

- 30 -

For more information:
Media contact
613-580-2450

Public inquiries
3-1-1

Buckthorn in Ottawa: Invasive Species Spotlight

The planting season is on its way, and this is always a good time to review some of the troublesome plants that we are combating in the Ottawa area. The insidious Buckthorn is making its way across our city, and make no mistake: it’s a tough one. To get the story on Buckthorn and what it’s doing in Ottawa, we asked David Barkley, Manager of Forestry Services for the City of Ottawa, to tell us a bit about this invasive species.

Q: WHAT IS BUCKTHORN? HOW CAN PEOPLE RECOGNIZE IT?

DAVID: It is a non native plant that was brought here as an ornamental shrub. There are two varieties in Ottawa: European and Glossy Buckthorn. It is a small tree with small rounded leaves and small fruit.

Q: WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL WITH BUCKTHORN?

DAVID: The issue with Buckthorn is that it is quite invasive and takes over open and grassed areas not allowing other vegetation or trees to grow in the area by shading them out, and it is difficult eliminate.

Q: WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR REMOVAL?

DAVID: Removal of Buckthorn is for the most part almost impossible or is a very daunting task on large sites.  The most effective way is done manually by pulling out the plant and the roots to discourage any possible new growth from the plant, but this will need to be done a number of times over a few years.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR A CITIZEN TO DEAL WITH BUCKTHORN?

credit: treetopics.com

DAVID: On private property, on a small scale, pulling the complete plant out is the most effective way, and disposing of the materials in the Green Bin program.

Q: ARE THERE OTHER WAYS TO CONTAIN IT OR KILL IT?

DAVID: Other methods that are much more difficult or where success is uncertain are spraying with chemicals (such as Round Up), burning off the site with fire, mowing and flooding.  All these methods have varied results and will need to be repeated a number of years to be successful.

Q: WHERE CAN PEOPLE GET MORE INFO?

More information is found on the internet at sites such as the Invading Species site or Tree Canada.    

Q: WHAT ELSE SHOULD PEOPLE REMEMBER?

DAVID: Communities can assist the City by partnering with us to carry out buckthorn removal and tree planting in their community parks to get a forest growing.

Well, there you have it: the down-low on the low-down dirty nasty Buckthorn! Take care of your gardens, parks, and forests by dealing with Buckthorn as early as possible. If you have questions or are participating in a Buckthorn community clean-up, contact 3-1-1.

About David Barkley:

David Barkley is the Manager of Forestry Services for the City of Ottawa.  David studied Traditional Forestry, before going on and studying Urban Forestry and becoming a Certified Arborist. David has worked in various areas from tree seedling production, silvicultural operations, tree care, tree protection during construction and invasive plants and insect that impact forests and urban environments.

News bites: updates and announcements

Here are a few announcements and news tidbits that are happening around the city 

and in our ward.

WARD 18 INFO: THE TELEPHONE GAME

We recently received stats from city staff detailing what calls were made to 3-1-1 by our constituents, and what issues were addressed in the phone calls. From our ward, there were 12,745 calls made, and the main areas of inquiry were as follows:

.

Tree maintenance questions resulted in a total of 1491 calls. This is to be expected, given our ward's struggle with the Emerald Ash Borer beetle. Garbage and organics was the next highest call volume, with 1269 calls made.
Parking, whether in regards to overtime or designated parking situations, accounted for 968 calls. Road maintenance calls made up another 760 calls.

All other call categories each accounted for less than 550 calls.

With the advent of the new ServiceOttawa website, plus new social media channels (like this very blog), we may see a decrease in the number of 3-1-1 calls that come through to the city over time; however, we can also see what a valuable service the 3-1-1 number is for our city.

SMOKE-FREE UPDATE

The city released a press release today, updating the public on the next steps in the expanded smoking bylaws. According to the press release,


"During March and April, By-law and Regulatory Services and Ottawa Public Health staff are reaching out to all affected groups by:

In a nutshell, the bylaw is being expanded from
the original to include a
ban on smoking in parks, on beaches, and
on patios where food or beverages are served.

• Sending letters and e-mails to all affected restaurants and bars, business groups, community associations, event organizers and users of City facilities;
• Notifying the public through ottawa.ca, social media, and print and radio advertising;
• Visiting all restaurant and bars with patios or terraces to discuss the changes, and providing information and signage to ensure that employees and patrons are aware of the new regulations;
• Offering information and training sessions for restaurant staff and other interested groups; and
• Engaging City employees through an internal communications strategy that includes information and training sessions."

It's important to note that, from now until July 2nd, 2012, City of Ottawa bylaw staff will be focused on educating the public and businesses of the new regulations, not enforcing with fines. Enforcement with fines may begin as of July 2nd, not sooner. Thus, we encourage the public and business owners to interact with their local bylaw officers when they stop by; their job will be to assist you with understanding your required actions and the areas of your neighbourhood or business that will be affected.

CLEANING UP THE CITY

The City has announced the launch of the annual Spring Cleaning the Capital Campaign. This is a great opportunity for neighbours to work together on community cleanup projects in any area of their neighbourhood that could use a spruce-up. It's also a great way for high school students to earn their community volunteer hours.

The city is providing cleanup starter kits to all registered cleanup teams, and teams that register before April 14 are eligible for early bird prizes. Registration closes May 15, and teams that submit their online cleanup reports by May 31 are eligible for further prizes.

If there's an area of Alta Vista ward that needs some neighbourly TLC, you're encouraged to speak with your fellow residents and get a team going. Together, we can make our ward the cleanest one in the city!

Understanding CDP's: Community Design Plans

COMMUNITY DESIGN PLANS: WHOSE DESIGN IS IT, ANYWAY?

credit: ddpavumba

Community Design Plans, also called CDP’s, are a hot-button topic these days. It’s important that we educate ourselves on how these plans work, what they cover, and how they’ve come to be.

CDP’s are intended to recognize that the next 20 years will not be the same as the last 20 years; consequently, to manage change effectively, the CDP process was born. CDP’s are conducted in areas that are expected to have major growth and intensification, so naturally they are not meant as a tool for maintaining the status quo. They are produced, most specifically, to manage changing needs and visions; and as such, they wouldn’t be of 

much use in an area not geared for new development.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE CDP

CDP’s have evolved over the years. These policies used to be written in broad language, and they used to allow for developers (and community groups) to flex their interpretation of the language quite a lot. For instance, an older CDP may simply state that “higher buildings will be built around transit stations, and lower developments will be built in the rest of the area”. The developer was then able to propose a building of any height...and on the flipside, a community group would be able to oppose a building of any height.

As the learning curve of CDP’s continued, we learned to tighten up the policy so that wild interpretations weren’t as easy to get away with. New CDP’s will state clearly that, say, “buildings up to twelve storeys will be built around transit stations, and lower developments under six storeys will be built in other areas.”

CDP’s have also evolved to become known as secondary plans, and consequently they are a part of the Official Plan for the entire city; this means that the policy frameworks are approved by City Council, and are implemented by the zoning by-law.

THE BENEFITS OF THE MODERN CDP

As the CDP evolution has continued, these policies now provide several benefits:

-They provide certainty for the community experiencing growth and make it easier to manage community expectations. With more clarity built right into the CDP, community groups don’t need to take such extreme interpretations of CDP policies in their attempt to have development proposals rejected or amended.

-They also provide certainty for the developers, should be happy that the approval process has been made faster and easier by only requiring a building permit and site plan—unless, of course, they are attempting to amend the plan and zoning to add height and density; and the new CDP policy framework makes it very difficult-to-impossible to get this type of approval, given the newer, more stringent policy wording.

-Developers are learning, and quickly, that the old ways of proposing height changes anywhere they like is not going to work.

THE CREATION OF A CDP: COOPERATION

credit: AMBRO

The process of developing a CDP has also evolved over the years. In the past, CDP’s have been solely community-driven, without any input from the landowner. The new CDP’s take a much more balanced approach, involving both the community and the landowner in discussions, and consequently fostering a more realistic view of development. With this new inclusive process, our most recent CDP—the Bank Street CDP—may not generate even one appeal from either side. And that’s an amazing result.

LEANING AT WINDMILLS: COMMUNITY NEEDS FAITH

When CDP’s are adhered to, despite some very determined and audacious developers, is it because there are vocal community groups making a loud fuss from the start? Not necessarily. The concept of the ‘squeaky wheel getting the grease’ doesn’t really apply here. With the newer, clearer, more stringent CDP’s, the reality is that the ‘grease’ is already there, and often the ‘wheel’ has been squeaking for nothing. Yet time and again, we end up with a pitched battle between the panicked community group, and the panicked developer, both who just want to ensure their vision is upheld. With the new CDP’s, the goal is to have the vision made so clear that no one need worry about what the outcome will be; both sides will know from Day One what will and won’t be allowed in their area.

-Peter

Emerald Ash Borer in Ottawa: Invasive Species Spotlight

Spring seems to really be here now, and with the return of green leaves, we’re reminded of the ongoing threat to our ash trees: the Emerald Ash Borer.

MEET THE BORER

The Emerald Ash Borer.
source: ottawa.ca

From the Ottawa.ca website: “Emerald Ash Borer is a non-native, highly destructive wood-boring beetle that feeds under the bark of ash trees. It was confirmed in Ottawa in 2008 and its impacts can be clearly seen spreading from the St. Laurent area. Since the insect spends most of its lifecycle under the bark of trees, it can be easily moved with firewood or other tree materials such as nursery stock, logs, brush and larger wood chips. This insect is able to fly, but since its spread has been primarily along major highways and transport routes, it is clear that humans are the main vector of dispersal.”

BEETLE BUSTING: A DIFFICULT BATTLE

Telltale signs of the beetle.
source: ottawa.ca

What does this mean for Ottawa residents? Over the last two years, it has meant that we’ve had to remove many dead or dying ash trees. The Borer’s effect on trees is first noticeable at the crown (top) of the tree, which means that often, it may seem as if the City of Ottawa Forestry Services is removing a viable tree; unfortunately, many of these trees only look healthy from ground level when in fact, they are destroyed internally by the beetle. Some residents have been reluctant to remove their ash trees, thinking that the tree looks relatively healthy; but because the beetle works on the insides of the tree, the result is a solid-looking tree that is actually a serious safety hazard and may fall to the ground, crushing cars, wires, rooftops, or even people.

Forestry has been experimenting with a naturally-derived pesticide that shows promise in preventing the spread of the beetle’s larva. However, treatment with the pesticide can cost between $300-$500 per tree, and must be done every 12-24 months. Removal and quarantine of the dead wood are the only other option at present...another costly process, with a full removal costing upwards of $2,000 per tree. This cost is covered by the City when the tree is on City of Ottawa property, but residents with ash trees on their own property are responsible for the cost of treatment or removal.

Ash leaves always grow in
opposite directions like this.
source: ottawa.ca

This beetle has already had a hefty impact on the number of trees in our city and most definitely within the Alta Vista ward. Forestry is interplanting, which means they are attempting to replace dead trees with new trees of different species as they go along; unfortunately, there’s an introduced plant species called Buckthorn that is complicating the process. Buckthorn strangles out other plants, and if we do not effectively remove it before planting in some areas, it will kill the saplings that are planted.

WHAT CAN RESIDENTS DO?

Residents can take some important steps toward helping with the Emerald Ash Borer problem:

1. Learn more about the Borer beetle on the city website here.

Mature ash bark.
source: ottawa.ca

2. Report any suspected outbreaks by contacting the CFIA at 1-866-463-6017 or emailing 311@ottawa.ca

3. Don’t wait too long to seek treatment for your own ash trees! Contact the City by dialing 3-1-1 to learn what your options are. Consider working with neighbours to take care of a shared tree.

4. Attend a public Open House meeting about the EAB. Two meetings are coming up: April 12 – Ben Franklin Place, and April 23 – Jim Durrell Recreation Centre. More information about the time and room will be posted here on the blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, and at Ottawa.ca.

Young ash bark.
source: ottawa.ca

5. Be sure to have your ash trees disposed of properly: the beetle won’t die just because the tree has been removed from the ground.

A NECESSARY STEP

Some parts of our ward, and the city overall, are saturated with ash trees. You may live in a neighbourhood that has already experienced some heavy tree removal, and it is indeed upsetting to see mature trees dying in this way. However, our best hope for controlling this tree-killing beetle is to remain vigilant, take action with infected trees, and keep educated. It is only through coordinated effort that we may manage to stop the spread of this insidious little insect.

UPDATE: INFO SESSION DETAILS

The following information has been gathered regarding the EAB info sessions:

EMERALD ASH BORER

PUBLIC INFO SESSIONS

APRIL 12 4-8pm

BEN FRANKLIN PLACE

and

APRIL 23 4-8pm

JIM DURRELL CENTRE

(ELLWOOD HALL)

City Planning: A Transparent Process PART II

Part II of II: This post concludes a review of the development application process, and common myths and misconceptions surrounding the process. Part I can be found here.


CITY PLANNING: EXAMPLES OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS

credit: AMBRO

There tends to be an air of wariness amongst those who have been misinformed or only partially informed of the approval procedures for local development. Indeed, if you yourself are not a landowner who has gone through the application process, there may not be much cause for you to have previously learned a lot of detailed information about the procedures. As you can see from the stages outlined in Part I, a lot of work and professional review go into the city planning process, along with care, attention, and respect for the existing development policies.

I’d like to debunk this myth that we’re dealing with the ‘wild west’ of planning. Where do these misconceptions spring from? Well, ironically it may be due to the fact that our staff perform so efficiently. Many poorly-prepared or unrealistic proposals are dropped early in the process, thanks to the diligent review process implemented by staff, so the public (and the committee itself) only see a small percentage of the total proposals submitted.

Specific cases can be cited as great examples from which to learn. A recent proposal to build a 9-storey building in Wellington West was dropped in the pre-consult stage when the developers were informed that they could, by law, go ahead with the application--provided they applied for an Official Plan and zoning amendment, as the Wellington West CDP has limited the height of new builds to 6 storeys. This particular developer dropped the proposal and walked away from the project entirely, uninterested in pursuing a height increase within a neighbourhood that has doggedly defended the limits of its plan. Consequently, this plan never even reached the stage of formal application, which means it was done and over with before the public would ever have  been introduced to it.

credit: ddpavumba

Another case occurred in Kanata, at #2 The Parkway: a landowner sought approval for a 16-storey build on the location of a small postal station with institutional zoning. Citizens of the Kanata area rose up in opposition to the proposal, objecting to the possibility of ‘spot re-zoning’—in fact, the group even began a website and campaign. What the group failed to recognize is that every property owner in Ontario has the right to make an application to rezone their property, so the City couldn’t halt the application...but this doesn’t mean that every application is approved by any means. Indeed, the Planning Committee does not promote spot re-zoning. The developer’s formal application was recommended for rejection by the urban planner, and consequently, the developer has returned to the drawing board, preparing a new proposal that meets the existing policies more effectively. While we are always welcoming of public feedback, a lot of panic and effort was put into the anti-development campaign that, in the end, was not necessary.

DEVELOPING OUR TRUST IN CITY STAFF

A lot of furor could have been avoided in the Kanata case with better awareness of planning procedure, and a touch more faith in our city staff's adherence to policy. Well-intentioned individuals will sometimes cry foul play on the planning procedure, frightened that some sort of secret deal is happening at the pre-consultation level. I assure you, that is not the case, nor the point of the pre-consultation stage. Much like when applying for a passport, an individual is provided with a checklist of forms to fill and documents to bring; in the same factual manner, the developer is simply notified at pre-consult of what he will need to prepare in order to be considered. 

credit: Stuart Miles

And the goal of city staff, as well as the Planning Committee, is to provide an objective process for all involved. This means that we do not jettison our policies and professionalism in the face of community opposition, nor in the face of demands by developers. The Planning Act and the Official Plan, as well as relevant City of Ottawa policies, are the pillars of the decision making process. Staff work diligently at their jobs, despite some unjustified skepticism by certain members of the community and community associations, to maintain an objective and policy-based perspective on the applications being received.

Anyone can apply to rezone their property; and anyone can forge ahead with an application, despite recommended rejection, if they feel that they can justify why their divergence from a collective’s vision is more important, valid, or appropriate than what has been established. But this doesn’t mean that city staff and committee members will bend to the whim and whine of each developer or community group. To do so would be chaos. In order to see Ottawa blossom to its full potential, I would advise builders to stop attempting to change the rules with every application, and focus on a better product. And Ottawans, I urge you to develop your awareness of city policies and procedures so that the fear mongers cannot rile you with false stories of shady dealings.

I hope that this post has helped to clarify our process, and to shed some light on the hard work of your urban planners. A city with well-informed citizens will always find itself progressing in a way that is more effective and satisfactory for all involved stakeholders.

To return to Part I of CITY PLANNING: A TRANSPARENT PROCESS, click here. 

-Peter