3.0 Strategic Directions

Goal: To manage growth in North Gower in an orderly way that fosters economic opportunities and recognizes its rural setting while providing for a mix of housing for residents.

Growth potential

The large supply of vacant land within the boundaries of North Gower provides considerable opportunity for future growth. There are about 278 hectares of vacant land available for development within North Gower's village boundaries. This figure excludes the Stevens Creek floodplain and is based on complete floodplain mapping within the village provided by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority. This supply roughly translates into a potential for over 520 new residential lots, assuming three-quarters of the land is available for housing (and not used for roads or parks) and the average lot size is 0.4 hectares (one acre).

The village has enough land to more than double in terms of the number of dwelling units as the land that is now farmed becomes available for development.

The future rate of growth in North Gower is difficult to estimate. Building permits and lot creation in the past help track historic trends, although the data is not good. Since 2001, building permits have been issued at an average rate of about 10 permits per year. Lot creation suggests a slightly higher level of historic growth, with an average of about 12 lots per year created in the 1975 to 2003 period. At these rates, the land supply could last over 50 years.

North Gower - Building Permits Issued 1995-mid 2004

However, future growth will be set by market demands and the decisions of individual landowners, as it has been in the past. Reviewing trends in lot creation in the former Rideau Township, the period between 1991 and 2001 was marked by low levels of lot creation throughout the township’s villages, with three or fewer lots created in Manotick, Kars, and North Gower combined in most years. Lot creation has increased since 2002, likely spurred by approval of new subdivisions within North Gower and Manotick. With all its advantages, North Gower may experience more rapid growth in the future than in the past.

This plan can help achieve the following:

• Provide clear direction to City Council on future zoning and the development review process
• Extend the boundary of the planning area to include nearby settlements and the land adjacent to Highway 416
• Provide for physical connections among all the communities within the planning area

Participation in Development Review Process

The Design Group could also strengthen residents’ participation in decisions affecting the village by considering more formal participation in the City’s development review process. Currently, the community is only notified of development applications if a sign is posted on the site. A community association is in the process of being formed and if this group participates in the development review process, the association will be actively consulted on proposals for the village. There is also a “heads up” component of the public participation process to notify groups when the City expects to circulate a development application.

In addition, a ward council is being organized, which will assist in conveying issues to residents and is intended to encourage ward-wide communication

Economic Opportunities

The Ottawa Retail Report 2005 notes that North Gower acts as a secondary retail centre for the rural southwest area of the city. More than 60 businesses operate in and around North Gower. In 2005, the North Gower and Area Business Association made its presence known on the worldwide web.

Area residents would like to see more businesses, services and amenities located in the Village Centre that serve their everyday needs and the needs of the adjacent farming community. It has been noted that the number of businesses that serve residents’ needs is tied to North Gower’s small population.

Perkins Lumber, which occupies a prominent site in the core, may move to a new location nearby. Residents want to make sure that the vacant site redevelops in a way that complements the historic character of the core.

A study of the commercial and retail growth potential of Ottawa’s rural communities recommended:

• The need to define and implement initiatives to conserve and enhance rural and small town character
• A need for promotion and marketing

The Design Group has interest in reviewing this study in further detail.

The community design plan can support economic development by creating a framework for new development. More specifically, economic development can be supported by:

• Permitting a range of commercial uses in the zoning and land use plan for the core
• Developing guidelines for Village Centre development that preserves its heritage character and its function as the commercial centre of the village
• Developing guidelines for development of land at the Highway 416 interchange, consistent with planning policies now in place for those lands and the role of the Village Centre

Housing for Everyone

Most housing in North Gower is in the form of single-detached homes. There are few other forms of housing, with the notable exception of the municipal seniors residence on Roger Stevens Drive. Some residents would like to see a wider range of housing types, including apartments and more housing designed for seniors, which would allow more opportunity for families to grow and age in the community.

There are many reasons that single-detached houses predominate in North Gower and other villages. The primary reason is that most people who move to villages prefer this form of housing and are seeking the opportunity to build their own house.

Servicing is also an issue, since new development in North Gower is serviced on private well and septic systems. Such systems constrain the housing options available in the future. Residents feel that the lack of some form of public servicing limits the growth potential of the village.

It was possible to build two to five units under a single ownership on private services under the former provisions of the Environmental Protection Act. Current legislation requires servicing for more than one unit to be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment. It is not permitted as a right.

Secondary dwelling units also open opportunities for a greater range of housing in North Gower. In 2005, City Council approved development of secondary dwelling units in all areas of the city, including villages. Secondary dwelling units are self-contained units that have their own kitchen and bathroom and meet other requirements set for such units. They can be built within existing houses or they can be planned from the outset to be included in new houses.

The community design plan can support a greater range of housing in North Gower by:

• Supporting zoning provisions that permit a range of housing types in the centre of the village
• Indicating support for a wider range of housing types to be provided in the future.

Village Boundary Expansion

Residents of North Gower are keenly interested in participating in managing growth in the years ahead. A request was made by the Design Group to consider expanding the village boundaries in four locations in order to include clusters of residences located just outside the village boundary. The intent of the request is multi-fold: to include those areas that residents already feel are part of the village, to rationalize a boundary since concerns about being included in the village no longer exist, and to incorporate additional sections of Stevens Creek for future enjoyment of residents.

These proposed expansions areas include: the Stratton subdivision located to the north of the village (General Rural Area Official Plan designation - 7.8 ha development land), the lands located east of McCordick Road and south of Roger Stevens Drive to the current western village boundary (Agricultural Resource Area Official Plan designation – 24.9 ha development land), the lands located west of Third Line Road to the current eastern village limits (Agricultural Resource Area Official Plan designation – 27.1 ha development land) and the Cowell lands located adjacent to the Maple Forest neighbourhood (Agricultural Resource Area designation – approx. 10 ha development land).

Currently, there are about 278 hectares of development land within the village, excluding lands located within the floodplain, which could take about 50 years to build out.

A sizeable amount of development would be brought into the village through this proposed expansion, resulting in a loss of almost 70 hectares of land – the majority of which is recognized as prime farmland. This would increase the vacant land supply in the village by about 20 per cent. Therefore, this proposal is considered to provide more land than is required for the planning period.

However, it is proposed that village expansion can occur in certain areas of the village without increasing the vacant land supply in a significant way (see Map 2). Several questions guided the revised boundary locations throughout the village: Is there existing development adjacent to the village boundary? Have lands already been approved for development? Is there an impact of a boundary change on supply of agricultural lands?

Lands east of Client Service Centre/Works Yard

On the north side of Roger Stevens the village boundary will extend to include six contiguous properties to the east of the city’s works yard. These lots have been developed or are anticipated to-be-built upon at a future date. Some have been developed for homes, a veterinary clinic occupies another lot and the others are vacant. No agricultural lands will be affected. These lands are currently designated “Agricultural Resource Area” in the Official Plan.

Lands at intersection of Highway 416 and Roger Stevens Drive

The lands on the south side of Roger Stevens to the east of Third Line Road have been approved for future development. An industrial subdivision was approved in the early 2000s, followed by the creation of residential lots (10) fronting on Third Line Road. It is proposed that the village boundaries be expanded to include these lands since there is no impact on surrounding agricultural lands. These lands are designated “General Rural Area” in the Official Plan.

Lands between McCordick Road and west of existing village boundary

On the south side of Church Street there are four existing homes that are located close to the village boundary. These will be brought into the village since these lands are already developed. The properties bounded by McCordick Road, Church Street and the Stevens Creek, which will form the new northern boundary in this area, will also be brought into the village. Homes occupy these lands and there is little “development land” that will remain once the existing floodplain lands are taken into consideration. These lands are designated “Agricultural Resource Area” in the Official Plan. Approximately 29.4 ha (40 acres) of land (residentially developed lands, flood plain and potential development lands) would be brought into the village as a result of the village expansion. The majority of the land is already developed for residential purposes, with about 4.7 ha (11 acres) of land that is developable.

North boundary (Stratton subdivision)

These lands are designated as General Rural Area in the Official Plan and are acknowledged to have less agricultural potential than the majority of lands that surround North Gower. As a result of feedback from residents from this area, this area will not be part of the village boundary expansion.

As a result, an official plan amendment is required to i) expand the village boundary east of the Client Service Centre, at Roger Stevens Drive and Highway 416 and at McCordick Road and Roger Stevens Drive and to re-designate lands from “General Rural Area” and “Agricultural Resource Area” to “Village”.

Goal: To preserve and enhance the village’s natural features, historic character, open spaces and amenities in order to build upon residents’ sense of community.

Stevens Creek and Floodplain

Stevens Creek and its flood plain contribute a great deal to the open, green character of North Gower, and are highly valued by area residents. Stevens Creek meanders through North Gower and the creek, its tributaries, the Taylor Municipal Drain and the Dillon-Wallace Drain, drain all land within the village. These agricultural drains have little riparian vegetation and both exhibit signs of erosion. The source of Stevens Creek is in the Marlborough Forest, a provincially significant wetland and natural environment area west of North Gower, and the creek discharges into the Rideau River at the village of Kars less than five kilometres to the east.

Stevens Creek ranges in width from five to 20 metres. The banks of the creek and parts of the surrounding floodplain are highly vegetated, with the flood plain ranging from 300 metres to over 600 metres in width (Gore and Storrie, 1995). In addition, Stevens Creek has unstable slopes, which have been identified in the Official Plan. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority has updated the floodplain mapping, with the new mapping to be reflected in the new zoning for the village.

Water quality upstream of the village is good but it deteriorates as the creek passes through the village. Downstream, water quality is impaired due to elevated phosphorus and sediment levels, which may be attributed to surrounding clay soils, erosion due to removal of bank vegetation, and agricultural practices (City of Ottawa, 2004). It is not possible to determine the specific cause of water deterioration at this time with the information available.

A dam on Stevens Creek is in need of repair or removal. Construction of the dam may have blocked one spawning ground in the upper reaches of Stevens Creek, and several organizations have expressed interest in rehabilitating this area (C. Burns 2002). Residents have indicated that they wish to see the dam removed.

Apart from Stevens Creek, there are few natural areas in North Gower because most of the land is cultivated. Residents highly value a large, high-quality woodlot just outside the southern boundary of the village, which consists predominantly of native mature trees, shrubs and herbs (Gore and Storrie, 1995).

As a general approach, the Official Plan supports watershed and subwatershed planning as the basis for managing growth throughout the city. By identifying the natural features and functions of the watershed or subwatershed, the plans can propose measures to enhance these elements and set parameters for future development. The City and the conservation authorities set priority areas for watershed and subwatershed plans on the basis of such criteria as development pressure and condition of the natural environment.

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority completed the Lower Rideau Watershed Strategy in fall 2005. The strategy applied an eco-system approach to develop a set of strategies for achieving multiple objectives in the management of the Lower Rideau River and its corridor, and updated the corresponding policies and procedures. Stevens Creek is a tributary to the Lower Rideau River, and as such, was considered in this study.

A subwatershed study of Stevens Creek would provide the best understanding of the role of Stevens Creek in the larger Rideau River watershed, the impact of existing and future land use activities on the natural features and functions, and recommended measures to effectively address these impacts. The study would also refine the corridor setbacks for Stevens Creek and its tributaries, and ultimately set guidelines for managing stormwater. A subwatershed study would need to be consistent with the Lower Rideau Watershed Strategy.

Until a subwatershed study is undertaken (see Section 4.7 - Stormwater Management), the community design plan can support the environmental health of Stevens Creek and its floodplain by:

• Delineating the area to be zoned as floodplain, based on updated mapping by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
• Encouraging the restoration of the natural vegetation along the creek and tributaries to improve wildlife corridor function and water quality
• Ensuring that the presence of steep slopes along the creek is considered, through the development review process and private landowner stewardship
• Proposing interim guidelines for stormwater management in accordance with the Stormwater Management Practices Planning and Design Manual (MOE, 2003), pending completion of a subwatershed study
• Consulting the Lower Rideau Watershed Strategy in review of future planning applications
• Establishing development setbacks/buffers in accordance with policies contained in Section 4.7.3 of the Official Plan

Parks and Open Spaces

Stevens Creek is the backbone of an open space system that residents would like to see developed to connect their homes with open spaces and recreation facilities within and outside the village. A system of informal pathways on privately owned land now provides much of this function, but public access may be difficult to maintain as the village grows. The land within and adjacent to Stevens Creek and its flood plain is privately owned and it will be challenging to secure continuous public access through this area. In the future the City will secure public access along the shoreline in accordance with Section 4.6.3 policy 2 of the Official Plan.

North Gower has a considerable number of private open spaces, large open areas under private ownership, and public parks (see Appendix 3). Parks are well situated throughout the village. New parks are typically created through the land subdivision process, which requires developers to provide five per cent of the land subject to the application or its cash value as parkland dedication. The parkland dedication requirements are under review.

Public open space in North Gower includes undeveloped parks and parks with basketball courts, play structures and other equipment. Additional recreation areas are located at the North Gower Public School and a municipally-owned bowling alley.

The Alfred Taylor Recreation Facility, built on a 16-acre site 20 years ago, is the focus of recreational activities. The centre includes a community hall, outdoor rink, baseball diamonds, a toddler playground, soccer pitches, a mountain for winter activities, and tennis courts. Various clubs, baseball leagues, and organizations for tournaments and fund-raising events extensively use the site.

This Recreation Facility has a building manager, although a volunteer recreation association (RA) manages its active and passive facilities under the terms of a facility service and maintenance agreement with the City of Ottawa. The RA provides a community-driven venue for residents of all age groups to develop and support outdoor and indoor recreation, and arts and cultural activities and programs. A master plan for the Alfred Taylor Recreation Facility was prepared in 1994 by Corush Sunderland Wright Limited.

Cultural open spaces in the village include the Horace Seabrook Park, the now-closed Union Cemetery, the oldest in the village, and the Anglican Church cemetery located on Church Street. A small cenotaph established by the residents of North Gower is located within the Village Centre.

The Official Plan supports development of rural recreational pathways to provide both on-road and off-road networks for pedestrians and cyclists. North Gower residents participated in a rural pathway study in 2005.

The community design plan can support development of a parks and open space system within North Gower by:

• Undertaking a park and open space plan within the community design plan, incorporating existing parks, open spaces, pathways and amenities as well as proposing a future network
• Within the parks and open space plan, identifying a conceptual multi-use pathway system to guide City staff in evaluation of development applications, such as subdivisions, so that these pathways can be implemented and become part of an overall public system over time

Conserving and Promoting Heritage Resources

North Gower residents appreciate the history of their community and would like to maintain and share their heritage with others. The Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) of the former Township of Rideau created an inventory of historic buildings in 1990. Some of these buildings are designated while others were of “interest” to LACAC. It is thought that the oldest surviving buildings date from about 1850 to 1870, and many are located along Church Street, Fourth Line Road and Roger Stevens Drive.

Commercial buildings with heritage value include Harrison's Garage on Fourth Line Road, the old barns used by the Farmer's Market, and the former bank and tailor shop, now rental apartments. The Boyd Block building material was used extensively in the village and a list of 26 buildings constructed from this material has been compiled. Other building materials that characterize the village are "tin" roof shingles manufactured by Mr. Hagan and Mr. Mathews in the village and clay brick from the North Gower brick factory.

The Rideau Archives Branch, City of Ottawa Archives, occupies the first township hall, a heritage building (1876), modified to provide suitable archival storage and display space. The Archives has preserved and made available historical records, which document local communities, institutions, professions and pioneer families in and around North Gower. As well, the Archives mounts exhibitions on local historical themes using both its records and historical artefacts from within the community.

As of August 2005, the City’s Heritage Reference List identified six buildings that have been designated as heritage buildings and another 48 “listed” buildings, which are of architectural interest (see Appendix 2). Designated buildings undergoing alterations follow a process to ensure that proposed changes do not affect the heritage attributes of a building. Municipal grants are only available for designated heritage buildings to assist in their maintenance.

The community design plan can help conserve and promote heritage resources by:

• Identifying additional buildings which are of heritage interest and adding these to the Ottawa’s Heritage Reference List
• Developing design guidelines for new and infill development within the Village Centre so that new buildings and additions are compatible with the existing character of the Village Centre

Building sense of community

Residents’ sense of community draws on many sources, some of which come from the village itself: its heritage, its lush rural setting, views within and outside the boundaries. As the village grows, the community design plan can provide a framework so that the village does not become a collection of new subdivisions around an historic core. Since the vacant land is now held in large blocks under single ownership, it is likely that most growth will occur through subdivision, rather than by severance of individual lots.

The community design plan can support residents’ sense of community by:

• The creation of residential subdivision guidelines appropriate for the village, that foster safe pedestrian and road connections among communities, preserve open space views, and provide opportunities for residents to meet in attractive public spaces

Goal: To ensure that village residents’ safety and security is provided for and that there is adequate infrastructure services to permit growth.

Water and Wastewater

All homes and businesses in North Gower are served through individual wells and septic systems. In North Gower 45 per cent of the wastewater systems are 25 years or older, 45 per cent of the existing lots are .2 ha or smaller, and approximately 20 per cent of existing lots are partially within the floodplain.

Given the age of the community and the size of existing lots, the City undertook a further study of the supply of groundwater in North Gower, which provides the village’s drinking water. The Village of North Gower Groundwater Study prepared by Dillon found that a bedrock aquifer that supplies water to North Gower is capable of supplying adequate amounts of potable water for residential, dry-commercial and dry-industrial developments. The study concluded that North Gower is well suited for development on wells and septic systems. The study noted:

• The water is of good quality, but mineralized (hard water) with some sulphur smells being identified by residents
• There is good water supply and it is sufficient to support further development on wells and septic systems
• There are no widespread septic system impacts on wells
• There are no widespread agricultural impacts on groundwater within the village
• No obvious road salt contamination was evident on the sampling results

Area residents have been concerned that the small lot size within the older parts of the village has been the primary roadblock to further development there. More than half the lots in the core are .2 ha or less and special attention is needed in the design of replacement septic systems. Some area residents consider that other types of water and or wastewater services in the village would serve to eliminate this roadblock.

The Official Plan provides for the establishment of new public services based on consideration of growth planning needs, public health, environmental areas and economic development. However, recent studies in other villages in the City have demonstrated that the up-front costs of such systems (either through new stand-alone systems or extension of central systems) are prohibitive, in particular to existing residents who would connect to a new system. The Official Plan placed emphasis on continued growth in the rural environment based on private services since such development is economical and environmentally sustainable when properly planned. Increasingly, new technologies for on-site water treatment and wastewater treatment are facilitating re-development of small existing lots.

The community design plan can support provision of safe water and wastewater services in the village by:

• Informing City staff, the community and developers about the North Gower Groundwater Study, so that it can be consulted as a resource during the development review process

Stormwater Management

The North Gower Master Drainage Plan (Gore and Storrie Limited, 1995) requires updating as it does not reflect changes to stormwater management guidelines at both the provincial and local levels. This includes the release of the Ministry of the Environment's updated Stormwater Management Planning and Design Manual (March 2003) and the completion of the Lower Rideau River Watershed Strategy (September 2005). A coordinated, comprehensive approach is recommended to address the impacts of future development rather than piecemeal efforts applied on an application-by-application basis.

A subwatershed study for Stevens Creek provides the best basis for planning in North Gower. It would determine the environmental state of the subwatershed and identify impacts of existing and future land practices and uses on the health of the subwatershed. The study would identify appropriate management approaches to ensure the continued good health of the subwatershed, including a stormwater management strategy to mitigate the impacts of new development.

An alternative, less desirable approach, would be a scoped ‘reach study’ of Stevens Creek downstream of the village. Since North Gower is located near the downstream end of the subwatershed, the impact of village development could be limited to a relatively short downstream reach. This study would still require appropriate modeling efforts to confirm stormwater management (SWM) criteria (quality, quantity, erosion, water balance, etc.) and to confirm overall development limits (setbacks from watercourses, etc.). Such a scoped approach, completed for the whole village (rather than on a development-by-development basis) and on a reach basis (i.e., assessing impacts downstream to the confluence with the Rideau River), would represent an acceptable interim approach in the absence of a subwatershed study. Subject to the extent (area) of development proceeding, and in consultation with the Conservation Authority, the scoped “reach study” may be requested of future development proponent(s).

A reach study of Stevens Creek and a subwatershed study will be prioritized among other such projects for future action by the City. As an interim approach, stormwater management guidelines are proposed in Section 4.7.

Roads and Sidewalks

There are three arterial roadways (Prince of Wales Drive, Fourth Line Road, Roger Stevens Drive) and two collector roads (Church Street and Third Line Road) in North Gower. No new arterial or collector roads have been proposed for the village. On-street parking is allowed and some businesses have their own parking lots; however, several residents would like the city to develop municipal parking facilities in the Village Centre.

Fourth Line Road (Prince of Wales Drive to Shellstar Drive) and Roger Stevens Drive were resurfaced recently. Two bridge rehabilitations occurred in 2005: at the north end of Fourth Line Road and on Roger Stevens Drive just east of the traffic light.

In general, sidewalks are available in most parts of the historic village and along the main streets, but not within new residential neighbourhoods, where they are not typically required. Sidewalks are built to varying standards, some being traditional poured concrete sidewalks with curbs and others being multi-purpose asphalt walks without curbs. See Appendix 4 for a detailed sidewalk inventory.

There are some concerns about truck traffic traveling on Roger Stevens Drive through the centre of the North Gower. Concerns are focused on the amount of traffic and the vibrations caused by heavy vehicles that is felt in houses. A suggestion was to divert the truck traffic from entering their village.

The amount of traffic on Church Street is also a concern and a suggestion to redirect through traffic to Roger Stevens and McCordick Road has been put forward. One last concern focuses on traffic on Prince of Wales Drive, James Craig Street and Andrew Street.

Another request was to asphalt Third Line Road while another concern centres on traffic safety at Roger Stevens and Fourth Line Road to make it safer in keeping with its prominent location in the village.

These traffic-related concerns have been conveyed to Public Works and Services staff and the Design Group has now been provided with a method to follow-up these specific concerns.

Public transit

Bus service (# 45 Rideau) in North Gower is provided to downtown during peak hours only. A special Friday-only service is also provided to Carlingwood Shopping Centre for residents, particularly seniors. In addition, a park-n-ride facility at the North Gower Client Services Centre is provided. It is advertised on the web, but is not signed.

The Design Group acknowledge that Transit Services are notified of proposed development areas. However, they would like their transit services to be improved also on an as-warranted basis. One idea suggested by the Design Group is a park and ride service for the outlying villages so that they could quickly travel by bus into the urban area.

Utilities

Utilities are overhead in the Village Centre but buried within new residential subdivisions. Some residents would like utilities to be buried within the Village Centre as well. Burial of hydro wires and other utilities is a costly venture that is sometimes undertaken with a local business improvement area in the urban area. Burial of utilities is desired by the Design Group and they would like this proposal to be revisited in the future.

Streetlighting is a concern of the Design Group. They would like to see upgraded streetlights in existing subdivisions for the safety and security of residents and is concerned about the adequacy of existing street lighting along sections of certain streets such as Prince of Wales, Roger Stevens Drive and Fourth Line Road. They would also like to see lighting throughout new subdivisions and not just at intersections. Better lighting of the bridges in the James Craig Street, Andrew Street and Prince of Wales Drive area, heritage lighting in the centre of the village and pathway lighting are also desired by the Design Group. There is a project being undertaken in the Planning and Growth Management department to review policies and standards related to lighting within the road right-of-way. The project is expected to be completed in 2007.

Access to state of the art communications and telecommunication services is desired by the Design Group. One of the things they would like to see are communications towers located one kilometre beyond residential zones. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission regulates the location of communications towers and its practice has been to be sensitive to residents’ concerns.

Fire and Police

There is a local volunteer fire staff with one rescue pumper, one tanker, one rescue truck and one brush truck with ATV trailer. There is a single water storage tank located in Horace Seabrook Park. During 2005, the fire station on Roger Stevens Drive was expanded to provide additional meeting space and added additional water storage tanks. The Design Group proposes that potential water locations can be found in the vicinity of the North Gower Marlborough Public School (south of Stevens Creek bridge off Fourth Line Road) and at the North Gower Bowling Alley. Police coverage is provided by the Ottawa Police.

The community design plan can help ensure residents’ safety and provision of adequate infrastructure by:

• Identifying future sidewalks to ensure pedestrian safety
• Providing guidelines for stormwater management
• Identifying ways to deal with existing truck traffic along Roger Stevens Drive
• Recommending investigation into need to pave Third Line Road, replace and supplement streetlights
• Investigate burial of hydro wires and necessity of public parking lots