Committee scales back Westboro condo project
The planning committee made a pair of rare moves Tuesday, rejecting the advice of staff and voting to reduce the height of a new condominium building proposed for Westboro.
But the final result — which could see a five-storey building at 398, 402 and 406 Roosevelt Ave., instead of the six-storey structure endorsed by staff — did not appear to ease Coun. Jeff Leiper’s fears about the uncertainty caused by an outdated plan for how his community should be redeveloped.
“This building is a radical departure from the zoning that is in place, it’s a radical departure from the secondary plan for the neighbourhood,” Leiper said after the meeting.
Domicile Developments wants to rezone the land to replace three detached homes on Roosevelt, north of Richmond Avenue, with a new building that would have commercial tenants on the first two floors and 35 units on the upper floors.
In her endorsement of the developer’s vision, planner Kersten Nitsche concluded the proposal is compatible within the existing residential neighbourhood and is in keeping with the city’s goal of urban intensification, especially near rapid transit. The site is 450 metres from the future Dominion LRT station.
Leiper and numerous residents argued the proposal would bring the attributes of a mainstreet-style building onto a residential street in an area that’s already seen its fair share of intensification.
“At what point do we stop the intensification?” asked resident Heather Nicolson. “We are already full in Westboro.”
Another said the damage to the trendy neighbourhood’s “vibe” has already been done. “Westboro is completely changing and that’s a big concern,” said Isabelle Martineau. “They are destroying the neighbourhood.”
More than 65 residents submitted comments to the city regarding the proposed development — all of which opposed it.
As Coun. Tobi Nussbaum noted, the urban design review panel also took issue with aspects of the proposal. It felt the height and size of the building is “too large for the size of the site.”
That prompted Nussbaum to seek a compromise: an amendment to reduce the size of the building from six storeys to five. His motion passed on a vote of 6-3.
Planning consultant Miguel Tremblay, who represented Domicile, did not speak to reporters after the meeting, so it’s unclear how the developer might respond to the committee’s decision should it be upheld by council next month.
“If the building doesn’t move ahead because it’s no longer viable without that sixth floor, I think you’ll find that most residents are just fine with that,” Leiper said.
Elsewhere in Kitchissippi ward, the committee agreed to rezone property at the southwest corner of Scott Street and McRae Avenue to allow for the future construction of a 25-storey tower.
The site is across from Westboro station, but Leiper urged the committee to defeat the rezoning because the proposed height is “wildly beyond” what’s anticipated in the Westboro secondary plan.
The plan is slated for a refresh early in the next term of council and will hopefully be in place by the end of 2019 or early 2020, Leiper said.
Earlier Tuesday, the committee approved the necessary rezoning and official plan amendments for the new Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital on Carling Avenue.
It also approved new rules to crack down on bunkhouses — dwelling units with six, eight or even 12 bedrooms that create much higher occupancies and densities than was ever intended by the city. The units, which are common in neighbourhoods near post-secondary institutions, have also raised concerns about garbage storage and management.
The new rules would limit any dwelling unit to a maximum of four bedrooms unless it is located in a detached dwelling, which could have a maximum of eight bedrooms.
Council will have the final say on these items on June 13.