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7. ethier avenue lots
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COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
That Council approve the retention of the four lots on Ethier Ave, as part of the Urban Natural Area.
RECOMMENDATION DU COMITÉ
Que le Conseil approuve que les quatre lots
sur l’avenue Ethier soient maintenus dans l’espace naturel urbain.
DOCUMENTATION
1. Chief
Corporate Services Officer’s report dated 02 May 2006
(ACS2006-CRS-RPM-0023).
2. Extract of Draft Minute, 16 May 2006 will be
issued separately prior to the Council meeting of 24 May 2006.
Report
to/Rapport au :
Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee
Comité des services organisationnels et du
développement économique
and Council / et au Conseil
Submitted by/Soumis par : Greg Geddes, Chief Corporate Services Officer/
Contact Person/Personne
ressource : Gordon MacNair, A/Manager, Real Estate Services
Real Property Asset Management/Gestion des actifs
des biens immobiliers
(613) 580-2424 x 21217, Gordon.Macnair@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
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OBJET : |
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee recommend
Council approve the retention of the four lots on Ethier Ave, as part of the
Urban Natural Area.
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Le Comité des services
organisationnels et du développement économique recommande au Conseil d’approuver
que les quatre lots sur l’avenue Ethier soient maintenus dans l’espace naturel
urbain.
BACKGROUND
On 04 October 2005, Corporate Services and
Economic Development Committee considered four reports in which staff was
recommending the sale of four building lots on Ethier Avenue for a total
recovery of $539,000. The lots had
previously been declared surplus to the City’s needs and were advertised for
sale in accordance with the City’s disposal policy.
Pursuant to a Front-Ending Agreement between the
City and Frank Altimas, staff was also recommending the payment of $78,618 to
Mr. Altimas to reimburse him for the City’s share of the roadway and sewer
infrastructure that were installed by Mr. Altimas when he extended Ethier
Avenue in order to provide access to both his lots on the east side of the
street and the City’s four lots on the west side.
City Council did not accept the staff
recommendations and instead passed the following motion:
That Council:
1.
Direct
staff to proceed with the road closing and rezoning application for Fifth
Avenue as outlined on Annex “A” and to rezone these lands to an appropriate
Open Space or Conservation Zone, in the City’s new comprehensive zoning by-law;
2.
Direct
staff to incorporate the rezoning of the four lots on Fifth Avenue from
Rs2-Residential, Single Dwelling, to an appropriate Open Space or Conservation
Zone in the City’s new comprehensive zoning by-law, as outlined on Annex “A”;
3.
Direct
staff to incorporate the ravine lands, immediately south of Ethier Avenue, Potvin
Avenue, and Fifth Avenue to an appropriate Open Space or Conservation Zone, in
the City’s new comprehensive zoning by-law;
4.
WHEREAS
there is growing interest in the community to retain in perpetuity the lands
referred to as Lots 35, 36, 37 and 38;
AND WHEREAS there are concerns that the City is not meeting its Official Plan target of 30% forest cover;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the sale of the four lots on Ethier Avenue
not proceed at this time;
AND that the City pay the monies owed to Mr. Altimas;
AND that the City explore a local improvement charge or other community
partnership opportunity, to recoup costs incurred as a result of the monies
paid to Mr. Altimas;
AND should the local improvement charge not precede the issue of the
land sale return to the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee.
DISCUSSION
In accordance with the Council direction, Mr.
Altimas has now been paid the sum of
$78,618.
Since the submission of the preliminary
ecological evaluation (completed in the fall of 2005) of the Ethier Avenue
site, also known as Urban Natural Area (UNA) #191 – Hiawatha Park Ravine, the
study for the Urban Natural Areas Environmental Evaluation has been completed.
As a result of this study, which involved a
closer review of the nine ecological criteria evaluated for this site in
relation to all the other sites located within the City’s urban area, it has
revealed that the site’s ecological rating is moderate rather than low, as
previously stated.
The reason for the difference is mainly due to
additional time for review of the criteria for the whole area included within
UNA #191, in relation to all the other evaluated sites, conducted in 2003 and
through 2005. Although the fall assessment reached a different conclusion, the
final rating for this site is quite close, in that it is on the low end of the
moderate ecological significance grouping of sites.
The final report for the Urban Natural Areas
study will be considered by Planning and Environment Committee on 13 June 2006,
with a proposed strategy for its implementation to be considered on 27 June
2006. At that time, as tabled with
Planning and Environment Committee on 24 May 2005, staff will be recommending
the protection of moderate and high ecologically rated urban natural features,
where feasible, based upon existing planning decisions, the status of the site
and available resources for securement.
As well, the local lot levy is no longer
recommended due to the moderate ecological rating for these lands. For these reasons, staff is recommending
that the Ethier lots be retained under city ownership, as part of the Hiawatha
Park Ravine Urban Natural Area.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
Retention of the Hiawatha Park Ravine in City ownership is consistent
with the City’s proposed strategy for implementing the results of the recently
completed (2006) Urban Natural Areas Environmental Evaluation Study. The proposed strategy, initially introduced
to Planning & Environment Committee on 24 May 2005 and to be considered by
Planning and Environment Committee on 27 June 2006, will recommend protection,
where feasible, of urban natural areas that have been rated to have a moderate
or high ecological rating. This overall
approach will help retain a number of the most significant environmental
features across the urban area of the City.
The resulting benefit of protecting these evaluated urban forests, such
as the Hiawatha Park Ravine, will see both maintenance of a range of natural
feature types and enjoyment of these sites by both neighbourhood residents and
those from other parts of the City.
CONSULTATION
The ward Councillor has been made aware of this report and supports the recommendation. Comments during 2005 from the local community and from the Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee, to retain this site were taken into consideration for this report.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
With the retention of the four lots on Ethier
Avenue as part of the Urban Natural Area, the City will forgo sale revenues of
$539,000.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Annex “A” – Map showing four lots that would be
sold or preserved as a passive recreation area.
DISPOSITION
Real Property Asset Management will identify the ecological rating within the Corporate database for these lands.
