As you are likely aware, the Ottawa official plan has been approved by City council. It is now on the (provincial) Minister’s desk and community organisations are approaching the minsite with further changes. The plans means that over the next decades we will likely see changes starting to happen in our neighbourhoods such as infill and a bus corridor, more highrises (and way more traffic).
The Baseline Bus Rapid Transit corridor might be built eventually. Might, because its construction depends on federal funding.
Ease pressure on roads
The designation of Baseline as a Bus Rapid Transit corridor (2 bus lanes, 2 bike lanes, 4 car lanes), which is a welcome addition to shuttle us quickly to LRT stations such as Mooney’s Bay Station (on Heron) and Hurdman Station, also means that you want people to live close to this corridor in order to ease pressure on our roads.
Intensification
Therefore, there are plans to change the zoning within a certain distance of the future BRT stations to allow for intensification.
As you have no doubt already noticed, land directly bordering on main streets such as Merivale and Baseline is rapidly being developed with highrises. That is not a bad idea per se, as dedicating large tracts of land to parking for the busiest time of the year, but otherwise 3/4 empty, is not a wise planning concept. Intensification is also good for retail and restaurants etc as their customer base becomes larger, thereby offering us more choice.
Community alliance
The communities bordering on Baseline however, are concerned that developers move into our neighbourhoods before there is plan how to deal with the intensification properly. We have asked for a so called secondary plan and the community associations have entered into an alliance to study the plans coming out eventually. The alliance does not set out to complain, but to study future plans together.
Open house
Another new building is currently proposed for Merivale Road, just south of the Dairy Queen on Merivale. There is an open house on Zoom on Thursday, February 24th from 6:30-8pm, and both the applicant as well as the City planner will be there to present information and answer any outstanding questions. Sign up with our Ward 9 councillor’s office: Haroula Giovanopoulos.
Haroula.Giovanopoulos@ottawa.ca
You can study the development application in advance and send comments to the city here
If you want to see several other buildings being proposed and already being constructed, take a look at this blog about the future of Merivale Rd.
Join Zoom Meeting on February 24
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Meeting ID: 857 7469 8531
Passcode: 245285
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Fisher Heights & Area Community Association 