Ottawa – The City of Ottawa’s Planning Department is recommending a zoning change to cap the number of units built at the Redwood community in College Ward after the developer submitted an application that increased the size of the project by more than 75 per cent.

The site, bounded by Baseline Road, Morrison Drive and Draper Avenue, was approved by Planning Committee and City Council for 334 residential units after extensive community discussion and input in 2009. However, a revised application from the developer has made the proposed buildings larger and radically upped the number of units to 590.

The Planning Department is recommending a zoning amendment that will ensure the original agreement on size of the development will stand.

“This project went through an extensive planning process and a great deal of public debate. The agreement that resulted between the community, developer and the City cannot be arbitrarily overturned on a technicality, after the fact, by the proponent,” said Mayor Jim Watson.

“This developer came to Planning Committee with a concept plan that eventually secured our agreement for a zoning change. Now the company is attempting to throw out the concept plan. That’s wrong and we cannot allow it to happen,” said Councillor Peter Hume, chair of Planning Committee.

“I am delighted that the City’s Planning Department has agreed that almost doubling the size of this project would not be fair to the people of my ward,” said College Ward Councillor Rick Chiarelli. “We had an agreement. If Planning Committee and Council agree to this zoning, that agreement will stand.”

The matter will go before Planning Committee on January 10 and City Council on January 25.

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