and Council / et au
Conseil
23 February 2012 / le 23 février 2012
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/Directrice
municipale adjointe, Planning and Infrastructure/Urbanisme et Infrastructure
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Derrick Moodie, A/Manager, Development
Review - Suburban Services
Planning and Growth
Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance
(613) 580-2424 x 15134,
derrick.moodie@ottawa.ca
SUBJECT:
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OBJET :
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Manuel
d'aménagement deS parcs et sentiers de la Ville d'Ottawa |
That Planning Committee recommend that Council:
1. Approve the “City of Ottawa Park and
Pathway Development Manual”, Document 1,
for immediate implementation by Planning and Growth Management staff; and
2. Delegate authority to the General Manager, Planning and Growth Management to approve minor changes to the Manual as required.
Que
le Comité de l’urbanisme recommande au Conseil :
1. D’approuver le manuel d’aménagement des parcs et sentiers de la
Ville d’Ottawa, qui fait l’objet du document 1, afin que le personnel du
Service de l’urbanisme; et
2. De déléguer au directeur général du Service de l’urbanisme et de
la gestion de la croissance le pouvoir d’apporter des modifications mineures au
Manuel, au besoin.
Parkland has historically been
acquired and developed by the City without a formal process or defined
standards in place. With the advent of
park front-ending agreements, and in an effort to provide consistency and
service excellence, the need to formalize the park acquisition and development
process became apparent. The success of a park block begins at the initial
planning stage where parkland selection and acquisition is determined during
subdivision review. The size and shape
of the park will then determine which facilities can be placed into the
park. The next vital stage which
determines the timing of the parkland being developed is dependent on the
City’s annual park budget process, and the design and construction
processes. To date the parkland
development process has not been able to keep up with the pace of subdivision
development. In response to this situation, the City has allowed developers to
build (front-end) the City parks with the expectation that they will be
reimbursed at a future date. Therefore,
parks can be introduced into new communities at an earlier time, usually as the
homes are being occupied.
The
Park and Trail Front-Ending Policy was drafted and approved by Council in 2011
to enable developers to have specific new-growth related park and trail works
in place in advance of the City's capital project funding for construction of
these same works. This process allows
developers to finance the works at the "front end" and recover their
costs from the City at a later date.
Currently,
there lacks a clear and consistent process of park approvals and development
for developer built (front-ended) parks.
A standardized process is required for front-ended parks to be properly
approved, built and turned over in accordance with accepted City Standards. There also needs to be a more clear and
consistant process for park and pathway selection and development in the City. Park and pathway classification guidelines
are needed to recognize the appropriate type of park block and pathway that is
acceptable in a new community. Design
elements such as street frontage, appropriate park shapes, suitable sizes, recreational
facility layout, incorporation of natural features, enhancement of views, and
interconnected greenspace systems all need to be defined and ultimately
supported in a Council approved document.
The Park and Pathway Development Manual addresses the shortcomings listed above.
The City of Ottawa Park and Pathway Development Manual is a comprehensive document covering the park development process, park and pathway classifications, drawing and design standards and construction details. The Manual is distributed separately as Document 1 of this report.
The
Manual addresses the needs of various City departments and user groups and will
help to streamline and improve the park and pathway planning and development
process. New guidelines for park and
pathway selection criteria will improve the lines of communication with
developers and help the City acquire the most suitable park blocks for the
community. New procedures for park and
pathway design, construction and acceptance for City built and developer
front-ended parks and pathways will serve to improve the park and pathway
development process.
Consolidated
and expanded design and construction standards for parks and pathways will
ensure that front-ended parks and trails are built to City standards thereby
improving the park acceptance and commissioning process. In short, the Manual will enable the City to
acquire, design, and build the best possible parks for the residents of Ottawa
while delivering them in a more efficient manner. It will also provide the
development industry clear guidelines for locating, designing and constructing
parks that are subject to front ending agreements.
The
overall goal of new park development is to acquire and develop parkland in a
manner that ensures that residents have easily accessible, non-constrained,
high quality lands for active and passive recreational uses. The Manual clearly defines, standardizes and
improves the City built park and pathway development process and creates a
comparable process for developer built (front-ended) parks. The Manual will
become a guide for City staff, consultants and developers who are responsible
for the creation of new parks and pathways.
Streamlining the process of new park and pathway acquisition and
development will enable parks and pathways to be produced in a more timely and
cost effective manner.
Chapter
Two of the Park and Pathway Development Manual identifies the necessary
approvals process for City built and developer built (front-ended) parks and
clearly defines the roles of both the City and the developer throughout the
process. Chapter Three describes the
parkland and pathway classification system.
Chapter Four covers design drawing standards and includes a
comprehensive set of park and pathway construction details. The commissioning and acceptance process for
newly constructed developer built (front-ended) parks taken over by the City’s
Public Works Department is also clarified.
The Department recommends that Planning Committee and City Council approve this Manual for immediate use in the development of new park development.
The Park and Pathway Development Manual applies to the development of new parks in all areas of the City, including the rural area.
The
Manual was created by Planning and Growth Management and a landscape
architectural consultant, NAK Design Strategies. Consultation was done through
the use of both internal and external Technical Advisory Committees. The
internal staff Technical Advisory Committee was comprised of the Planning and
Growth Management Department, Infrastructure Services Department, Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Services Department and Public Works Department. An
external Stakeholder Advisory Committee was also consulted and consisted of a
representative from the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, South Nation
Conservation Authority, Mississippi Valley Conservation, Landscape Architects
of Ottawa and the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association.
The Committees were involved in two advisory committee meetings, one to gather information to include in the Manual and another to review the first draft of the Manual. The Committee members were also involved in reviewing the final draft of the document.
Not applicable - City-Wide report.
There are no legal implications associated with this report
There are no risk implications associated with this report.
The Park and Pathway Development Manual will contribute to achieving some of the 2011 Term-of-Council Priorities for the strategic directon of the City. In particular, it will help to build healthy communities and to improve the culture of service excellence at the City. By improving the type and timing of new park development, this will contribute to improving recreational opportunities for residents in new communities, thereby contributing to the creation of healthy communities. The Manual will serve as a resource tool and open up the lines of communication for new park development, thereby improving efficiencies and adding to service excellence.
There are no direct technical implications associated with this report.
There are no direct financial implications.
It is the intention that new parks are designed and developed respecting accessibility and this is identified in Chapter Three of the Manual which states that accessibility principles shall be considered in the design of all types of parks.
Document 1 Park and Pathway Development Manual (Issued Separatedly and held on file with the City Clerk)
Planning and Growth Management to distribute the Manual to internal staff and external stakeholders involved in new park development work.