Report
to/Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de
l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
17 October 2007 / le 17 octobre 2007
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager
Directrice municipale adjointe,
Planning, Transit and the Environment
Urbanisme, Transport en commun et Environnement
Contact
Person/Personne Ressource : Grant Lindsay, Manager / Gestionnaire,
Development Approvals / Approbation des demandes d'aménagement
(613)
580-2424, 13242 Grant.Lindsay@ottawa.ca
SUBJECT: |
Demolition control - 249, 251, 255,
and 259 Bay Street and 355, 357, and 359 Nepean Street. |
|
|
OBJET : |
dÉmolition -
249, 251, 255, et 259, rue BAY et 355, 357, et 359, rue NEPEAN |
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That
the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council approve the demolition of the five buildings
located at 249, 251, 255, and 259 Bay Street and 355, 357 and 359 Nepean
Street, subject to the following conditions:
1.
That a replacement building
be substantially completed within five years from the date of this approval and
in default thereof, the City Clerk shall enter on the collector’s roll the sum
of $10,000.00 for each of the seven dwelling units contained in the demolished
residential property.
2.
That until the time of construction of the replacement
building, the registered owner shall seed/sod the property, install bollards
around the perimeter to maintain the property as open space, and to prevent the
use of the property for other interim uses.
The registered owner shall maintain the property in accordance with the
Property Standards By-law.
3.
That the owner enter into an Agreement with the City of
Ottawa including the forgoing conditions and pay all the costs associated with
the registration of the said Agreement.
At such time
as a building permit is issued to redevelop the site and the replacement
building is in place, the Agreement will become null and void and will be
released upon request by the owner. The owner shall pay all costs associated
with the registration of the release from this Agreement.
4.
That the approval be considered null and void if the
provisions of Condition 3 above have not been fulfilled within six months of
the date of approval.
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
recommande au Conseil d'approuver la démolition de cinq immeubles situés aux
249, 251, 255 et 259 de la rue Bay et aux 355, 357 et 359 de la rue Nepean,
sous réserve des conditions suivantes :
1. L'immeuble remplaçant les immeubles démolis sera, pour l'essentiel, terminé dans les cinq années qui suivent la date de cette approbation, à défaut de quoi le greffier de la Ville inscrira au rôle de perception la somme de 10 000,00 $ pour chacune des unités de logement comprises dans les immeubles résidentiels démolis.
2. Jusqu'au moment de la construction de l'immeuble remplaçant les immeubles démolis, le propriétaire enregistré verra à ce que le terrain soit gazonné ou semé d'herbe et délimité par des bornes d'interdiction afin de le maintenir comme espace libre et d'empêcher qu'il serve à d'autres utilisations provisoires et en assurera l'entretien conformément au Règlement municipal sur les normes foncières.
3. Le propriétaire conclura avec la Ville d'Ottawa un accord comportant les conditions susmentionnées et assumera tous les frais associés à l'enregistrement de cet accord; lorsqu'un permis de construire sera délivré pour le réaménagement du terrain et que l'immeuble remplaçant les immeubles démolis sera construit, l'accord viendra à expiration et une décharge à cet effet sera donnée à la demande du propriétaire; le propriétaire assumera tous les frais associés à l'enregistrement de la décharge.
4. L'approbation donnée sera tenue pour nulle et non avenue si les dispositions de la condition 3 ci-dessus ne sont pas remplies dans les six mois qui suivent la date de l'approbation.
BACKGROUND
The subject properties are located on the east side of Bay Street and the north side of Nepean Street, in the Centretown neighbourhood. The properties are developed with brick and vinyl dwellings, ranging in height from two to three storeys. The two-storey brick dwelling at 363 Nepean Street and the two-storey brick and vinyl sided building at 267 Bay Street do not form part of this application. The subject lands are surrounded by educational, commercial and residential uses.
The five buildings that are the subject of this application are unoccupied and have fallen into a state of disrepair. These vacant buildings have become a target for vandalism, trespassing, and loitering.
The purpose of this application is to demolish the buildings, and to remove the risk to public safety, pending the outcome of a Site Plan Control application of a 16-storey condominium building on the site. This application is currently "on hold" as a result of a change in market conditions.
DISCUSSION
City Council approves demolition permits within the city when dwelling units are removed from a property without a building permit having been issued for a proposed replacement building. This is accomplished through the Demolition Control Approval process.
The subject buildings are in obvious disrepair, and pose a public safety concern. The Fire Department has expressed a concern for the safety of firefighters who may be called upon to extinguish fires that resulting from the occupation of these buildings, which are in an unsafe condition, by homeless people. It is as a result of these safety concerns that the Department is recommending approval of this application.
The conditions included in the recommendation set standards for the re-development and interim maintenance of the proposed vacant property. Condition 1 originates from Section 33 of the Planning Act. The intent of this condition is to encourage site redevelopment within a reasonable timeframe. If a replacement dwelling is not substantially completed within five years, a monetary penalty will be imposed.
In terms of maintenance, sod is the preferred treatment because it softens the property’s appearance while helping to minimize erosion. The entire property should be sodded to discourage interim land uses, such as parking. As per City standards, the property should be mowed and tidied on a regular basis. Proper maintenance is of paramount importance since negligence can impact surrounding landowners. If Council endorses this recommendation, the owner will be required to comply with the conditions outlined in this report by entering into a legal agreement with the City.
CONSULTATION
Notice of this application was carried out in accordance with the City’s Public Notification and Consultation Policy. The Ward Councillor is aware of the proposal. No comments were received in response to the circulation of this application.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
N/A
This
application was processed within the timeframe established for the processing
of Demolition Control applications.
DISPOSITION
Planning, Transit and the Environment Department to
notify, Richcraft Homes, 1514569 Ontario Inc., 2280 St. Laurent Blvd, Suite 201,
Ottawa, ON K1G 4K1, OttawaScene.com,
174 Colonnade Road, Unit #33, Ottawa, ON
K2E 7J5, and all interested
parties of Planning and Environment Committee’s decision.
Legal Services Branch to prepare the Demolition Control Agreement, prior to the issuance of a Demolition Permit.
NOTIFICATION AND CONSULTATION PROCESS
Notification and public consultation was undertaken
in accordance with the Public Notification and Public Consultation Policy
approved by City Council for Demolition Control applications. No public meetings pertaining to this
application were held in the community.
Councillor
Holmes concurs with this Demolition Control Proposal, because a
replacement building has been applied for, and the vacant buildings are a
security concern for the adjacent neighbourhood.
Councillor Holmes suggests that the site be bollarded
or ringed with boulders, and sodded, to prevent temporary parking from
occurring until such time as development actually proceeds.