Locking the door after the horse has bolted

There was an interesting press release from Peter Hume’s campaign team on October 5. Among other things he postulates for “…a comprehensive development program to position Ottawa as a world-class city.” His first suggestion is to bring forward an Official Plan amendment to “pre-zone” areas to introduce fixed height restrictions.

He says that as planning committee chair, he sees weekly disputes between frustrated residents and developers. He goes on to say that they (residents and developers) deserve better from the municipality and suggests that designated building height limits should be in place well in advance of building proposals.

However, his claims for change are in contradiction of the pro-developer recommendations of his planning committee as well as his ongoing voting preferences at the council table. Right now this lame duck council seems to be passing motions affecting zoning that will make it very challenging for a new incoming city council to make effective change in this area.

Also, it is unclear from Hume’s plans how they might affect zoning in existing residential communities including some in his own ward and how much say residents will have in the process.. When Hume says “ Residents don’t trust the city to treat them fairly, and that must change” I have to wonder why he has been contradicting this for the past seven years as chair of planning committee. For the most part decisions by Hume’s planning committee, as well as those of council, have favored developers even in the face of strong opposition from residents. Witness recent decisions taken by council:

• Yesterday Ottawa city council approved rezoning for controversial Hickory Street condo project, against concerns expressed by the community and their local councillor, Christine Leadman.

• Council also approve site plans that will enable development of trade show space on sensitive wetlands neat Ottawa airport to proceed without allowing claims of environmentalists to be investigated. Apparently this was done to enable the facility to be in place so as not to delay start of the planned Lansdowne Park development.

In the release Hume says he wants to create urban design guidelines for buildings and setbacks for adjacent low-profile neighborhoods. But this hasn’t deterred Hume and his committee from prematurely agreeing to the rezoning changes for Lansdowne Park; changes that have very negative consequences on existing residents on Holmwood Avenue, adjacent to the Lansdowne site. With so many issues on the site to be resolved it is wrong to be pressing ahead with zoning changes.

I’ll have more to say about Hume’s press release in the near future. It’s almost as if he is planning on running for mayor in 2014!