4.0 Planning Strategy

Richmond Road/Westboro, including Westboro Village, will continue to be an attractive and liveable urban community, based on “green” principles outlined in the City of Ottawa Official Plan, with a wide mix of uses including employment, neighbourhood services and facilities, range of housing types and choices, excellent transit service and well-designed, compact and inclusive development that will enhance the area’s diversity and vibrancy. Compatible intensification will occur primarily on appropriate sites on Richmond Road and Scott Street and adjacent to existing Transitway stations.

Enhanced existing green spaces and facilities serve both local and citywide recreational needs. Excellent pedestrian/cycle routes link Westboro Village, existing Transitway stations, other adjacent neighbourhoods and the Ottawa River open space network, which acts as a green linear spine unifying the area.

Richmond Road provides an important continuous roadway link to the larger urban community, both to the east, along Wellington Street, and to the west to Carling Avenue. Other arterial and collector streets provide key links to Richmond Road for the neighbourhoods to the south.

Objective

Encourage intensification at a human scale that is compatible with the existing adjacent community on appropriate key potential redevelopment sites.

Principles:

1. Preserve the scale and character of established residential neighbourhoods and minimize any adverse impacts of intensification;
2. Preserve and enhance the human scale (2 to 6 storeys) of Westboro Village mainstreet;
3. Consider Churchill (between Richmond and Scott) and McRae to be pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use streets linking Westboro Village and Scott Street mainstreets;
4. Consider the traffic impact on north-south residential streets south of the planning area;
5. Compatible intensification on key redevelopment sites shall:

• Provide appropriate setbacks and transition in building height, including lower heights along the edges of existing low density/scale residential areas, regardless of existing zoning;
• Contribute to the restoration of the urban fabric and helps promote transit usage. Westboro Transitway Station area has the greatest potential for intensification (up to 12 storeys), while Dominion Station has more limited potential;
• Conform to the maximum recommended building height for the sector. Maximum heights of 6 to 8 storeys (10 storeys – north half of 471 Richmond) will be limited to sites that are compatible with adjacent uses, such as the Ottawa River Parkway open space, or higher density/scale. Note that 747 Richmond is an exception discussed in Section 6.3;
• Conform to the Richmond Road/Westboro design guidelines respecting building form, shared use of facilities, more energy efficient buildings, setbacks, relationship of the building with the adjacent neighbourhood character, and other criteria aimed at achieving compatible infill development and minimizing impacts on adjacent residential neighbourhoods;
• Respect a transition in building scale and density and compatibility of land use from Richmond to the Ottawa River Parkway in a north-south direction and along Richmond between different sectors in an east-west direction;
• Avoid creating a wall of buildings by using periodic breaks in the street wall or minor variations in building setback and alignment to add interest to the streetscape and to provide space for activities to the sidewalk.

Objective

Preserve, enhance and add to the green space network providing access to the Ottawa River and also serving local community needs.

Principles

1. Provide pedestrian/cycle gateways to the Ottawa River Parkway open space network at Rochester Field/Maplelawn, Cleary Avenue, the pathway adjacent to the Jules Leger Centre and other potential locations identified in the Community Design Plan;
2. Create a safe and attractive pedestrian and cycle-friendly infrastructure providing links though the area, to the Ottawa River and to other neighbourhoods;
3. Provide for wider sidewalks, where needed, though a setback of buildings fronting Richmond Road;
4. Transform key streets with street tree planting/landscaping to create informal green pedestrian links to the Ottawa River;
5. Preserve and enhance Byron Tramway Park, including the westerly extension of the existing recreational pathway network;
6. Encourage parkland dedication contributions received from Richmond Road/Westboro infill developments to be used to enhance/enlarge local parks and recreational facilities or to establish new parks and community amenities, as appropriate;
7. Maintain a green buffer between the Ottawa River Parkway and adjoining development;
8. Promote opportunities for additional recreational facilities in the study area.

Objective

Define the distinct urban character of each sector of Richmond Road.

Principle

1. Define Richmond Road as a sequence of distinct sectors each with its own individual character, including a traditional mainstreet, green gateways, residential areas, as well as residential and mixed-use infill developments at appropriate locations.