PLANNING DOCS ‘INCOMPLETE’
NCC to discuss LeBreton status
The up-in-the-air status of RendezVous LeBreton Group’s planning applications is one piece in the larger mystery surrounding the progress of the massive LeBreton Flats redevelopment project.
Coun. Jan Harder, who chairs the planning committee, said she hasn’t heard much about RendezVous’ municipal land-use applications for the historic site, but she’s been told the package, so far, is “incomplete.”
Harder, who has deep knowledge of the development process, acknowledged on Tuesday that it seems it’s taking the city longer than usual to go through the official plan and zoning applications required for development.
LeBreton Flats is a massive, consequential construction project for the City of Ottawa, but more than two months have passed since RendezVous submitted its planning documents.
Harder said she didn’t know anything further about the status of the applications filed at city hall.
As for city staff, they continue to say the applications are still being reviewed. The city’s posted schedule for official plan and rezoning amendment applications indicates that six days after the documents are submitted, they are usually deemed “complete,” though the scale of this proposed development is massive.
The documents, among other matters related to the LeBreton project, are expected to be discussed during the National Capital Commission’s board of directors meeting this week.
The board meets during a closed session Wednesday afternoon to discuss LeBreton Flats and during an open session Thursday morning. It’s the last NCC board meeting of the year.
RendezVous’s main partners are the Ottawa Senators and Trinity Developments. Their LeBreton proposal has called for an arena surrounded by a mixed-use community.
When RendezVous was asked last month about the delay in the city’s review of the application, the group said it was more appropriate for the city to discuss the matter. A spokesperson for the Senators repeated that position to the Citizen on Tuesday.
Official plan applications and zoning applications come with loads of information that support a developer’s request to change the land-use rules for a parcel of land. There are usually reports about effects to the transportation network, underground infrastructure, waterways and other parts of the environment. Often there are design renderings of the proposed buildings and landscapes.
In the case of LeBreton, architectural designs and site plans might have to be reviewed by the urban design review panel, considering the high-profile location of the land.
Public consultation is a hallmark of official plan and rezoning applications with the city traditionally publishing the completed documents for people to review and weigh in on.
Coun. Catherine McKenney, whose Somerset ward includes LeBreton Flats, said she expected to see completed planning applications before now, but she believes the city is still waiting for a noise study from RendezVous.
McKenney said she has met with RendezVous’ planning representatives to go over high-level details of the plan, but those discussions didn’t include items being negotiated between the city and the consortium.
The city needs to understand what its responsibilities will be for infrastructure, such as roads, parks and utility connections.
McKenney said her constituents are eager to learn about the progress of the redevelopment.
“I think that as a community that surrounds it … certainly people are keen to know if it’s a go, is it going to happen? There’s always been speculation about whether (RendezVous) is still committed to the project like they were a few years ago,” McKenney said.
The LeBreton redevelopment will be one of the major planning issues during the next term of city council.
During a planning committee meeting on Tuesday, which was the last planning committee meeting of the council term, Harder predicted that LeBreton Flats, Stage 2 LRT transit-orientated development, a new development charge bylaw and creating an updated official plan will be the most important work for the next planning committee.