Residents hold grudge over Mooney’s Bay development

Residents near Mooney’s Bay are feeling “betrayed” and still holding a grudge against the city for changing a concept plan before selling the old Bayview school to a developer for $16.5 million.

A public meeting scheduled for Wednesday night will let people provide feedback on Canoe Bay Developments’ proposed mixeduse community at 3071 Riverside Dr. before the project application goes through the land-use approval process at planning committee and council.

Canoe Bay wants to build a mix of homes on the 10-acre property, marketing the units to older adults.

There would be a park at the south end and commercial tenants along Riverside Drive.

The Ottawa Community Lands Development Corporation (OCLDC) selected Canoe Bay to build on the site.

The city bought the school property in 2008, held community consultations on a development concept plan in 2009 and handed the property over to the arm’s-length OCLDC in 2014 to sell it.

In 2016, the city changed the concept plan to include a commercial component along Riverside Drive, riling the community.

It has been exactly one year since a preliminary concept plan for the property was approved by the finance and economic development committee, before being ratified by council.

Craig Searle, the president of the Riverside Park Community and Recreation Association who lives near the site, said: “The community is basically still feeling very upset with the process.”

The public meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the main sanctuary of the Riverside United Church at 3191 Riverside Dr.