Section 4 Land Use Plan

The opposite table provides a breakdown of the land uses illustrated on the Land Use Plan. As some of the area is already developed, the tables distinguish between new development and existing land uses.

There are eight land use designations that apply to the lands within the Leitrim

Community, as identified on the Land Use Plan:

• Low Density Residential;
• Medium Density Residential;
• High Density Residential;
• Mixed Use;
• Employment;
• Institutional;
• Open Space;
• Stormwater Management; and,
• Wetland Buffer

Section 3.1 of the Official Plan states that certain land uses are supportive of the functioning of a community and are permitted in all land use designations including::

• Secondary dwelling units in detached or semi-detached dwellings;
• Group homes, rooming houses, and shelter accommodations;
• Retirement homes and care facilities;
• Garden suites ancillary to residential dwellings;
• Home-based businesses;
• Public utilities, wireless communication facilities; and,
• Parks and leisure areas.

The intent and permitted uses of each designation is described as follows:

Low Density Residential

The Low Density Residential designation is intended accommodate the vast majority of the lowest density residential uses within the Community.

Permitted residential uses include single detached, semi-detached and duplex dwellings. Street townhouses are permitted however, they should be located near focal points within the Community, such as adjacent to parks, surrounding commercial areas or along collector roads.

Additionally, a small scale retail store, either as a stand-alone use or combined with a residence, may be permitted at the intersections of collector roads and at collector road intersections with arterial roads. This type of use would provide convenience shopping within walking distance of residents in the immediately surrounding area.

Medium Density Residential

The Medium Density Residential designation is intended to provide the majority of the Community’s ground-oriented multiple unit dwellings, located in such a manner to support focal points such as commercial areas or parks.

Permitted residential uses include triplexes, fourplexes, block townhouses, street townhouses, and stacked townhouses. Single detached, semidetached, and duplex dwellings are also permitted, provided the densities for the zone, as per the map on page 29, are being met. Low-rise apartments are also permitted on sites designated Medium Density Residential along collector roads. Additionally, a small scale retail store, either as a stand-alone use or combined with a residence, may be permitted at all intersections of two collector roads and also at all intersections of collector roads with arterial roads. This type of use would provide convenience shopping within walking distance of residents in the immediately surrounding area.

High Density Residential

The High Density Residential designation is intended to provide the majority of the highest density residential uses and is located in such a manner to support Leitrim’s commercial areas and be close to transit routes.

Permitted uses include low and mid-rise apartments. In the context of the Leitrim Community Design Plan, an “apartment” will mean any building that exceeds a density of 80 units per net hectare. Stacked townhouses are also permitted provided the designation’s minimum density of 80 units/net hectare throughout the zone, as per the map on page 29, is being met.

Mixed Use

The intent of the Mixed Use designation is to accommodate a wide range of institutional, community and convenience retail, and personal service and business uses to serve the Community’s residents, with higher density residential uses that will support the commercial activities and provide diversity in the housing stock. These areas are intended to be the ‘core’ of the Leitrim Community.

Only low and mid-rise apartments are permitted in the Mixed Use designation. In the context of the Leitrim CDP, an ‘apartment’ will mean any building that exceeds a density of 80 units per net hectare. Permitted non-residential uses include a range of institutional, commercial and service uses, such as retail stores, food stores, restaurants, service commercial, personal services uses, financial institutions and services, business, medical and professional offices, and entertainment and recreational uses. Larger scale commercial retail uses are permitted in Mixed Use designation, subject to the applicable Design Guidelines in Section 5.0 of this Plan.

Uses that perform a community function, such as retirement homes or care facilities, are also appropriate for the Mixed Use designation. While permitted in a range of designations, uses that serve the community, such as care facilities or places of worships, will be directed first to the Mixed Use or Institutional designations.

Employment

The intent of the Employment designation is to provide lands that can accommodate employment opportunities in the Community in a range of office and industrial uses. These areas have good access to the arterial road network and will be developed in a high quality business park setting. The lands designated employment achieve the Official Plan’s target for housing and jobs balance.

Permitted uses include industrial uses, both noxious and non-noxious, and office uses. Additionally, commercial uses that are related or dependent on the main industrial and office uses are permitted such as convenience retail or personal service businesses. The lands designated Employment coincide with the boundaries of the Ottawa Airport Operating Influence Zone. No noise sensitive uses are permitted within this boundary, excluding residential development or redevelopment of existing residential lots of record. All uses are restricted by Ottawa International Airport regulations concerning such considerations as height limits and potential bird hazards.

There are residential lots along Quinn Road within the Employment designation. The development of undeveloped existing lots of record for residential purposes is permitted, despite the restrictions of the AOIZ zone, but not the redevelopment of these lots for residential purposes

Institutional

The intent of the Institutional designation is to identify specific locations for government, service and community facilities and uses throughout the Community.

Permitted uses include a wide range of institutional uses, places of worship, schools, cemeteries, community centres, government and public utility offices, libraries, retirement homes and care facilities, and fire and police stations. Locations for four elementary schools have been identified on the Land Use Plan to reflect the interests of the three school boards for the Leitrim Community. Should a school board not exercise their option to use a designated school site, the alternative designation will be Medium Density Residential.

While permitted in a range of designations, uses that serve the community, such as care facilities or places of worships, will be directed first to the Mixed Use or Institutional designations

Open Space

The intent of the Open Space designation is to provide lands for a range of recreational opportunities, from more active and structured uses like sports fields to more passive and informal uses like public trails and natural greenspaces.

Permitted uses will primarily be public parks and trails, with public uses such as community centres or libraries. Limited commercial uses that are related to the primary uses of the designation will be permitted. The area of land west of Albion Road designated Open Space is intended to remain in a natural woodland state, and uses are limited to those that do not impact this intention.

Stormwater Management

The intent of the Stormwater Management designation is to provide the land to accommodate the stormwater management facilities required to service development within the Community.

Only stormwater management facilities, such as stormwater management ponds and channels, and public trails, will be permitted.

Wetland Buffer

The intent of the Wetland Buffer designation is to reflect the Ontario Municipal Board decision regarding the Leitrim Wetlands boundary and buffer area on the Remer lands.

Only public trails are permitted in a manner that does not adversely impact the Leitrim Wetlands.

The projected number of units and densities, population counts and employment projections for the Leitrim Community are summarized in the tables on page 30. The tables shows how the Land Use Plan achieves the Official Plan’s unit mix and density requirements. The employment estimate shows that the Official Plan’s jobs to housing balance requirements are met. For information on how the Plan meets the Official Plan’s density requirements of 29 units per hectare, refer to Appendix A.

Population

Employment