3.0 Existing Conditions and Issue Analysis

Map 3 illustrates existing conditions in the overall planning area and some of the related issues that are discussed in the Plan. Among the issues identified are:

• Maintaining the character of established residential areas;
• Identifying key sites/areas subject to potential redevelopment or whose future use is in question;
• Reinforcing the Westboro Village mainstreet character;
• Enhancing the parks and open space network;
• Reducing barriers to pedestrian movement;
• Addressing discontinuity in the urban fabric between residential and non-residential uses;
• Encouraging redevelopment of non-mainstreet related uses; and,
• Improving access to the Ottawa River greenspace lands.

Richmond Road/Westboro is a diverse area (See Map 4 – Land Use), containing a mix of residential housing types and densities, retail, office, institutional and industrial uses as well as an open space network along the Ottawa River, mostly owned by the NCC.

Westboro Village, on Richmond Road between Tweedsmuir and Roosevelt, features pedestrian-oriented, small-scale and mixed-use buildings that are mostly two storeys and located close to the street, with a few exceptions. Just to the east is a major recent development, the Great Canadian Superstore, on the block bounded by Richmond, Tweedsmuir and Kirkwood. In order to help extend the pedestrian orientation of the Village eastward, the building was located close to the sidewalk. Westboro Village has been undergoing a renaissance in recent years and has attracted a number of businesses specializing in outdoor recreation, such as Mountain Equipment Co-op. Light industrial uses are located along McRae Avenue between Scott Street and Richmond Road. The Canadian Banknote Company is a prominent industrial use on Richmond at Kirkwood. A mix of low profile retail, automotive-oriented uses and heritage buildings are found between Kirkwood and Island Park Drive.

Map 3

Map 4

Institutional uses are represented by the Soeurs de la Visitation Convent and Hilson Avenue School. Low–rise residential, mostly detached housing, is found in the remaining blocks between Scott and Byron in the Westboro neighbourhood.

West of Golden, the street takes on a blend of Traditional and Arterial Mainstreet characteristics. Low, medium and high- rise residential uses are mixed with one-story retail strips, individual stores and automotive-oriented businesses. A NCC-owned greenspace, Rochester Field/Maplelawn, extends down to and fronts on Richmond Road. City Council approval in 2004 and early 2005 of rezonings for three new medium and high-rise residential condominium projects confirmed a need to undertake a CDP for the area in order to provide land use and design guidance for potential future infill development. To the west of Rochester Field/Maplelawn, as far as Parkway Terrace (727 Richmond), is a mostly low-medium rise, low to medium density residential district, with no commercial uses.

North of Westboro Village, Scott Street between Island Park Drive and Churchill is a street in transition. Existing industrial and automotive uses are starting to be replaced by retail shops and residential mixed-use developments more typical of a Traditional Mainstreet. Scott has development only on the south side, as the north side of the street borders the Transitway.

North of Scott, the Westboro Beach neighbourhood is a mix of low, medium and high-rise residential, ranging from detached houses and townhouses to high-rise apartments, culminating in the 32-storey Metropole condominium, the tallest building in Ottawa. Other large parcels are occupied by the Jules Leger Centre, a provincial special needs school operated out of the former Champlain High School, and the former CBC building on Lanark Avenue, now used for federal office space. Lastly, the City operates the Bloomfield Yards just east of Churchill.

Area Statistics:

Total area: 2.7 sq. km.

• Richmond Road: 4.5 km (between Ottawa River Parkway and Island Park Drive)
• Westboro Village + area to Island Park Drive): 1.4 km (between Golden and Island Park Drive)
• Scott Street: 0.8 km (between Churchill and Island Park Drive
• Population: ± 8910
• Number of dwellings: ± 5260
• Gross density: minimum - 15 units/ha - maximum - 195 units/ha
• Total commercial floor area on Richmond Road between Island Park Drive and Ottawa River Parkway ± 82,500 sq m
• Number of commercial establishments on Richmond from Island Park Drive to Ottawa River Parkway ± 180
• Total greenspace (including Ottawa River Parkway Corridor): 9.9 ha/ 1000 residents
• Total greenspace (excluding Ottawa River Parkway Corridor/Rochester Field): 2.0 ha/ 1000 residents

Within the Richmond Road/Westboro area, there are four buildings designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act:

McKellar/Bingham House; Maplelawn; Nepean Town Hall; and, the Ayleen/Henry House, all on Richmond Road, as shown on Map 2. Many other buildings of heritage interest in Category 1 and Category 3 are included on the City’s Heritage Reference List. The Reference List does not represent a comprehensive inventory of potential heritage resources in the area and the list will likely be augmented in the future.

An open space corridor, mostly owned by the NCC, runs along both sides of the Ottawa River Parkway and extends on the north side of the Parkway to the Ottawa River. The corridor, includes recreational pathways and community facilities, such as Westboro Beach (see Map 5).

The NCC’s 2006 Ottawa River Parkway Corridor Cultural Landscape Study identified three primary cultural features that gives the Parkway corridor national importance and a distinctive, Canadian sense of place: 1) the close physical relationship between the corridor and the Ottawa River, a river of prime importance in the history of the country; 2) the Parkway’s role as an entrance to the symbolic core of the Capital; and 3) the Parkway’s historic role, including its alignment, details and affiliated landscape elements. A related study rated the visual quality of the Parkway corridor.

The Ottawa River Parkway limits access to the open space along the Ottawa River. Consequently, neighbourhoods treasure the more accessible open space on the south side of the Parkway, such as the Atlantis-Selby area, Rochester Field/Maplelawn and the Des Chenes Lookout. Other open spaces are found along the Byron Tramway Park (former streetcar right-of-way) between Richmond Road and Byron Avenue. The pathway in Byron Tramway Park ends in the Redwood/ Sherwood area.

Other neighbourhood parks, (including Roy Duncan, Mahoney, Lions, Ambleside and McEwen), provide play structures and other recreational facilities that serve the surrounding neighbourhood. However, the playing fields attached to the Jules Leger Centre, which were accessible to local residents when it was a high school, are no longer accessible, due to the safety requirements of the resident special needs student population.

The City has policies in place aimed at the preservation and improvement of existing parks and the development of additional parkland in established communities that are undergoing residential intensification. The Official Plan supports these policies by permitting cash-in-lieu of parkland funds generated in a community to be invested toward the improvement of park and recreational facilities in the same community.

Cash-in-lieu is only applicable when a development project cannot generate sufficient land through the parkland dedication requirements to create a viable park site without impacting the viability of the development (frequently the case in urban intensification projects). However, where an intensification project is adjacent to an existing park, the City will try to enlarge the park through the parkland conveyance route. Should the intensification project be at a scale that generates substantial cash-in-lieu funds, such funds may be applied directly towards the purchase of other lands in the community for park purposes.

Section 6.11 establishes a maximum development potential of 3970 units if there were full build-out under the CDP recommendations. If the alternative requirements for parkland conveyance were used (one hectare/300 units), up to 13.2 hectares of additional parkland or cash-in-lieu equivalent could be added to the planning area under the full build-out scenario.

Map 5

Given that Ottawa West, including the planning area, is already deficient in City parkland and publicly accessible open space, compared to the average across the urban area; and that intensification will put additional pressures on outdoor recreational space, the CDP proposes that the all of the Atlantis-Selby lands and the Rochester Field parcel be preserved as green space. The means of preservation will be determined via discussions among the City, the NCC and affected community groups as an implementation measure of the CDP. These discussions should also consider needed recreational facilities in the planning area. Rochester Field was identified in a City Sports Fields study as a possible location for a future sports field.

The NCC has the legislative authority for planning of federally owned lands in the city. At the time of writing of the CDP, the NCC was preparing an Urban Lands Master Plan within the urban area to ultimately identify appropriate land use for federal lands, including the above parcels. It is expected that this Plan would be part of the above discussions on Rochester Field and Atlantis-Selby.

The City’s approved Community Infrastructure Strategy does not identify a need for a new community centre, given the approved level of service, in the Richmond Road/Westboro area, even with intensification. Residents are served by two existing community centres: Dovercourt Recreation Complex and Hintonburg Community Centre. Each of these modern facilities meets the full-service size for community centres (20,000 sq. ft.) and offers a range of activity spaces and programs to the community. Churchill Seniors Centre at 345 Richmond Road is another community facility.

During the preparation of the CDP, the issue of the over-capacity of Dovercourt Recreation Complex and "under-use" of Churchill Seniors Centre was raised. The Community Infrastructure Strategy does not support an expansion of Dovercourt, as this facility currently meets the size guideline for community centres and indoor pools to service the population. Any expansion of Dovercourt would result in the loss of active parkland, namely, Westboro-Kiwanis Park. In order to meet growing demand for indoor community and recreational programs in Westboro, the City will have to look at expanding programming in other facilities, such as the Churchill Seniors Centre.

Both Public and Catholic elementary and secondary schools are located in, or in neighbourhoods bordering, the Richmond Road/Westboro area, as shown on Map 5. The Public School Board has a utilization rate of about 80% in the Ottawa West area, and even with intensification, this rate is projected to remain about the same. Should a particular school reach overcapacity, school attendance boundaries can be shifted to address this. Both school boards note that most infill residential development has been non-ground oriented, which generates few school-age children The Catholic School Board anticipates a declining utilization rate over the next decade, from 59% to 50% for its elementary schools, and 91% to 72% for its high schools in the planning area.

The Zoning By-law of the former City of Ottawa is still in effect; a new draft zoning by-law at the time of writing of this Plan was undergoing public hearings and was not scheduled for City Council adoption until early 2008. The Zoning By-law implements the policies of the Official Plan.

The draft Zoning By-law proposes a TM-Traditional Mainstreet zone that includes provisions to address compatibility issues adjacent to residential zones. For example, a 7.5 metre rear yard setback will be required. Also, that part of a building abutting the rear yard must be stepped back from a R1, R2 R3 or R4 zone so that no part of the building projects beyond a 45 degree angular plane measured from the top of the fourth storey where it abuts the rear yard. These provisions will help ensure that new infill development on Traditional Mainstreets provide an appropriate transition to the adjacent lower density residential neighbourhoods.

The zoning classifications of the existing former Ottawa Zoning By-law (with the new draft City of Ottawa Zoning By-law designations italics) applicable to the Richmond Road/Westboro area are described below and are also shown on Maps 6a and 6b. Of note are the numerous exceptions and schedules which detail site-specific provisions applying individual properties. When the new Zoning By-law comes into effect, the zones will be changed to reflect the new by-law classifications.

At present, the Westboro Village area of Richmond Road, Churchill Avenue and the southeast corner of Scott and Churchill are generally zoned CN- Neighbourhood Linear Commercial, TM- Traditional Mainstreet, which permits a wide variety of retail, restaurant and community uses. Office uses, medical facilities, dwelling units and retirement homes are also permitted above the ground floor and the ground floor is entirely occupied by one of the uses listed previously. Much of the Westboro Village area has a height limit of 24 metres or eight storeys, which is an exception to the standard CN height limit of 18m or six storeys. There are no yard setbacks, unless abutting a residential zone.

Richmond Road, west of Golden Avenue, on the north side, has a mix of CG-General Commercial, TM-Traditional Mainstreet, and different residential zones. The CG zone allows both residential and commercial uses. Many of the properties under this zone have schedules describing the

maximum permitted building heights. Other CG zones are found along the south side of Scott Street.

Residential zones vary from the low-density R1- Residential Detached, R1- Residential First Density, to R6-High-Rise Apartment, R5B–Residential Fifth Density, for developments such as the Metropole.

The industrial uses on McRae Avenue and the Canadian Banknote Company are zoned IS-Small-Scale Industrial, IG1- General Industrial, intended to permit existing low density industrial uses to continue to exist in residential areas.

Hilson Avenue School and the Soeurs de la Visitation Convent are zoned I1- Minor Institutional, I1- Minor Institutional, which accommodates neighbourhood-serving institutional uses.

There are a number of leisure and open space and environmental zones in the area, including Byron Tramway Park, as well as the lands along both sides of the Ottawa River Parkway and the Ottawa River.

Richmond Road, Scott Street, Churchill Avenue between Scott and Richmond, and Woodroffe Avenue are designated as arterial roads in the Official Plan. Arterial roads serve through traffic between points not directly served by the road itself and limited direct access is provided to only major parcels of adjacent lands. Churchill Avenue south of Richmond Road is a major collector. Such roads serve neighbourhood travel between collector and arterial roads and may provide direct access to adjacent lands. Churchill north of Scott, Lanark, Broadview and Byron Avenues are collectors - roads that serve neighbourhood travel to and from major collector or arterial roads and usually provide direct access to adjacent lands. Island Park Drive and the Ottawa River Parkway are federally owned roads.

All other roads within the CDP boundaries are local roads that provide direct access to adjacent lands and serve neighbourhood travel to and from collector or arterial roads.

All the road classifications are subject to the transportation policies in Section 2.3.1 of the Official Plan in relation to transportation demand management, walking cycling, transit, right-of-way protection and parking.

Richmond Road has an existing developed right-of-way (ROW) of 13 metres in the west at Woodroffe to 19 metres at Golden. The Official Plan protects for a 26 metre ROW from Carling to Golden and 20 metres from Golden to Western. There is limited opportunity for increasing the ROW on the north side until near Cleary Avenue and westward, where strip plazas and car lots could be redeveloped and property acquired to increase the ROW for such things as bicycle lanes, wider sidewalks or transit priority measures. This would avoid cutting into Byron Tramway Park, which is not acceptable to the community and would be counter to the objectives of the CDP. However, as noted in Section 3.7, the four-lane section could be narrowed to two or three lanes between Broadview and Fraser to allow for widened sidewalks.

Scott Street and Churchill Avenue also have ROW widenings protected for in the Official Plan.

During the preparation of the CDP, three transportation-related studies were being conducted in the area. First, the Richmond Road Widening Environmental Assessment began examining the potential widening of Richmond Road to four lanes from Golden Avenue to Carling Avenue, as per the policies of the City of Ottawa Transportation Master Plan (TMP). However, City Council cancelled the study, as part of the 2006 budget deliberations, after the first open house had been held.

Secondly, the McKellar Park/Highland Park/Westboro Area Traffic Management Plan is examining existing cut-through and other local traffic issues on the streets south of Richmond Road. A community concern, shared by the PAC, is that cut-through traffic will increase as a result of future intensification along Richmond Road. The PAC would have liked the CDP and the area traffic management study to have also examined and proposed measures to address such potential future increases.

With regard to the suggestion of broadening the scope of the McKellar Park Highland Park/ Westboro Area Traffic Management Plan to consider any spill-over traffic from potential redevelopment onto residential streets, it is important to recognize that area traffic management is primarily an operational process intended to address existing traffic issues deemed to be of a significant nature (i.e., not easily resolved through an operational review) within neighbourhoods. The typical recommendations of these studies are various traffic management measures (usually in the form of traffic calming) that are both warranted given current conditions, and supported by the community given these conditions. Such measures, however, often have secondary impacts, especially for area residents. Attempting to consider future issues based on development potential that may or may not occur over the 20-year perspective of the CDP, and implement measures based on these, would likely be problematic for everyone involved. As well, the McKellar Park Highland Park/ Westboro Area Traffic Management Plan is already well underway and broadening the scope would significantly delay the study, and lead to additional frustrations for many of the people involved and concerned about today’s problems.

In addition, Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) Guidelines, approved by Council in 2006, now require TIA studies, with varying degrees of complexity, as part of individual site plan/rezoning applications that meet the guideline targets or have operational concerns. TIAs evaluate, among other operational issues, the potential for community impacts resulting from the proposed development, with a focus on the potential for neighbourhood infiltration by site-generated traffic.

Traffic conditions are monitored on a regular basis and if future problems do develop on a particular street, the City will revisit these operational issues.

The third transportation study is the CDP transportation impact study, which examined the impact of full build-out under the existing zoning and the proposed CDP recommendations. This study differs from standard transportation impact studies in recognition that the usual approach was not as applicable to established neighbourhoods that are intensifying. The study departs from the underlying assumption that there is always enough space to provide additional roadway capacity. Instead, a higher transit modal share (TMS) target of 40% is proposed to accommodate the increased travel demand without having to increase roadway capacity. A combination of transit priority measures and facilities, improved pedestrian and cycling facilities and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs outlined below will be needed to help achieve the target. Since this is a new approach to transportation impact analysis, a transportation management implementation plan will need to be undertaken to examine in greater detail how the 40% target can be achieved and how the City and developers can implement the various measures.

The following is a summary of the study findings:

• The traffic generated by full build-out under the CDP proposals can be safely accommodated on the area road network. A fundamental concept of this would be very strong transit supportive measures and enhanced pedestrian facilities where applicable;
• Maximum development potential was used for comparison purposes only – Section 6.11 of the CDP outlines the important proviso that is highly unlikely that every property will redevelop to its full potential;
• It will not be necessary to widen Richmond Road to a four-lane arterial throughout the corridor as a result of the CDP recommendations;
• In order to provide higher Levels of Service (LOS) at key intersections, certain intersection modifications (additional turning lanes and tapers) would be required under the present TMS. At the preliminary design level, the modifications are feasible. However, with a 40% TMS in the corridor, these intersection modifications would not be required;
• The projected LOS at the Richmond/Island Park Drive intersection (Saturday peak) and the Richmond/Churchill intersection (AM/PM peaks) would exceed their theoretical capacities under 2021 projected background traffic growth plus potential traffic generation if there were to be full build-out under the CDP proposals (see the second bullet above). For Island Park Drive, the projected future LOS is closely correlated to the north-south traffic movements at the intersection using the Champlain Bridge. Increased capacity for inter-provincial traffic is currently being studied as part of the Inter-Provincial Bridge Crossings Study;
• The low projected LOS at the Richmond/Churchill intersection cannot be readily addressed by intersection modifications because of the proximity of adjacent buildings. However, vehicles will operate at lower speeds through Westboro Village, in an area that experiences high pedestrian movements;
• The Richmond/Woodroffe intersection will operate above its theoretical capacity in 2021 under full build-out and no increase in existing transit usage. However, the proposed intersection modifications and transit priority measures will improve the intersection’s LOS;
• The quality of transit service along the Richmond corridor is relatively low, which results in a low TMS. The need and potential to improve the quality of transit service is significant. The Official Plan TMS target for 2021 is 30%, although along main transit corridors and close to downtown, a substantially higher TMS than the overall City average will have to be achieved to compensate for other areas that will not meet the 30% TMS target;
• To help increase the TMS to approximately 40%, the City will have to implement several physical, operational and policy transit priority measures. The objective of the physical and operational measures is to improve transit travel times compared to car travel times. Physical measures include bus queue jumps at critical intersections as well as a new Transitway stop at the west end of the corridor and improved connections to Transitway stations, while operational measures include signal priority as most intersections;
• TDM measures outlined in the transportation impact study should be implemented, in partnership with the existing City TDM program, as part of new developments in the area to encourage non-automobile travel modes and to help achieve the 40% TMS target;
• Pedestrian and cycling improvements in the corridor will also be required to help increase the TMS. Sidewalks need to be upgraded along most of Richmond. As described in Section 7.3, sidewalks between Golden and Woodroffe should be widened to a minimum of 2.0 metres as part of any future reconstruction of Richmond Road. As well, the four-lane section of Richmond between Fraser and Broadview could be reduced to two-three lanes where possible to allow for widened sidewalks. Section 3.8 below outlines the Official Plan designated existing and future on/off–road cycling facilities;
• With a 40% TMS, the future 2021 traffic, including full build-out under the CDP, could be accommodated safely on the existing road network without any modifications to intersections in the corridor. This finding reinforces the importance of a higher TMS to the City’s intensification goals, and as such, 40% should become the City’s target for future transit use in the corridor;
• Future TIA studies, when required for individual site plan/rezoning applications, should follow the same approach. Instead of focusing on intersection modifications to increase vehicular capacity, they should propose physical, policy and planning measures that will improve the pedestrian/cycling environment and transit operations. These studies should include an evaluation of the current TMS, so that a continuous assessment of transit conditions in the corridor can be maintained over the twenty-year time horizon of the CDP, as well as an evaluation of appropriate TDM measures.

Schedule “C” in the Official Plan designates Island Park Drive, Scott to Roosevelt, Roosevelt to Richmond, and Richmond west of Roosevelt as part of the primary urban cycling transportation network. North of Scott Street there is an existing signed route crossing the Transitway using Kirchoffer and the underpass to Westboro Beach to connect to the Ottawa River Capital Pathway.

The cycling network also includes the off-road shared multi-use paths along the Ottawa River (Ottawa River Capital Pathway), along Scott, and in the Byron Tramway Park, although this path is interrupted between Eden and Golden as well as west of Redwood. An opportunity exists to extend this pathway west of Redwood to where Byron intersects with Richmond, across Richmond to Ambleside Park and connecting to the existing pathway to the Ottawa River Parkway west of Ambleside.

The draft September 2007 Cycling Plan adds to this network by adding bicycle lanes west of Golden (short term, by 2015) and wide shared lanes east of Golden to Island Park Drive (long term (2015-2025). The Cycling Plan also recommends that Byron Avenue be equipped with wide shared lanes, with a preferred width of 4.5 metres, exclusive of any space provided for on-street parking and that Scott Street be provided with bicycles lanes east of Churchill Avenue.

The transportation impact study concluded that the goal of increasing the TMS to 40%, which is greater than the 30% of the TMP, is essential to accommodate current and future travel without any major modifications to, or widenings of, the existing road network. TMS will increase only if the current level of transit service is improved in terms of accessibility and operating performance. Thus, an integrated strategy must be developed and implemented to introduce transit service improvements along the Richmond Road corridor. Similarly, appropriate location(s) for additional Transitway stations need to be identified to serve area residents. The combined impact of strategies and measures stemming from these studies would be decreased reliance by area residents on private vehicles.

Peak period, express, and regular bus routes run along the Transitway, with the Westboro and Dominion stations located in the CDP area and Lincoln Fields station just to the southwest of the CDP area. Peak period route 50 runs along Richmond eastward to Woodroffe and then joins the Transitway. Regular bus routes not on the Transitway include the Number 2 on Richmond and the Number 18 on Richmond west of Churchill. Other regular routes serving the area include Numbers 151, 16, 87 and 156. OC Transpo regularly reviews bus routes and adjusts services to accommodate demand.

The TMP references a potential Transitway station in the New Orchard area. Its primary purpose would be to provide Transitway access to existing residents in the Ambleside-McEwen area. Pedestrian access, physical site arrangements and other issues will need to be addressed before a decision can be made on the development of a new station in the New Orchard area, or elsewhere in the planning area.

The following infrastructure analysis was undertaken as part of the CDP study.

3.10.1 Water

The entire planning area is located within the PD-1W pressure zone. Increased domestic flow demand due to intensification can be easily accommodated by the existing water distribution system. Most locations within the planning area produce sufficient hydrant flows to meet the requirements of the building code to meet new construction. The two locations (99 New Orchard and McRae Avenue) where this may not be the case can be mitigated relatively simply at modest cost and minimum street disruption as part of future redevelopment.

The present local distribution system is mainly from 50 to 80 years old, and largely consists of unlined cast iron piping 152mm and 203mm in diameter. Part of the existing watermain on Richmond Road was replaced with 305 mm diameter pipe from Broadview to Island Park Drive between 2003 and 2005.

3.10.2 Sanitary Sewers

Richmond Road/Westboro drains to the West Nepean Collector, which is one of the City's largest sanitary sewer collectors, running along Scott Street, the Transitway and the Ottawa River Parkway. All potential intensification sites are at or near the downstream end of the sewer subcatchment areas draining to the Collector. None of these sites are routed through a pumping station since all are located on ground elevations that are high enough to avoid impact on local sewers from surcharging in the Collector during wet weather conditions.

A review of city-wide basement flooding during the rainfall event of September 9, 2004 indicates that none of the properties considered for intensification were subject to basement flooding resulting from City sewer surcharging.

Existing foundation and roof drainage plumbing connected to the sanitary sewer system causes problems with extraneous flow to the system, and although the extent of the problem cannot be quantified at this time, it is known from past experience to be a significant volume of the peak flow during major wet weather events. A positive result of redevelopment in any form can be expected through the elimination of these drainage connections to the sanitary sewers

3.10.3 Stormwater Management

Stormwater management will be required in the drainage area to ensure that peak flows in the storm sewers are not increased due to development. While the system age is largely 25 to 50 years, the design storm used was 1:5 year or less and as such, there is little or no capacity to accommodate increased peak run-off flow from redevelopment.

Consequently, due to these restrictions in available pipe capacity, it is expected that redevelopment will require on-site attenuation of storm runoff for major storms up to the 100 year event in order reduce peak flows to the City storm sewer to a level that will match pipe capacity. This has been standard practice in Ottawa for several years and wherever it is implemented at the targeted sites it should provide a net benefit to the level of protection against surcharging and flooding in the City sewers.

Intensification within this built-up area may provide limited opportunity for on-site stormwater quality treatment; however, it should still be given consideration on a site-by-site basis. The City is currently developing a stormwater management strategy that will identify city-wide opportunities for stormwater management retrofit to address stormwater quality concerns and other stormwater management issues in the existing built-up drainage areas.

3.10.4 Conclusions

The extent of land use intensification proposed in the CDP can be considered modest in comparison to more centrally located areas, and can be serviced by existing City water and sewer infrastructure with a few exceptions that will require upgrading and/or minor extension.

The following can be concluded:

• Redevelopment in Richmond Road/Westboro is subject to existing City policies that require compliance with Building Code requirements that are of a higher standard for fire protection than was applied when the community originally developed;
• Reduction of peak flows in the sanitary system due to extraneous wet weather inputs should also result from the process of redevelopment. These flows will partially offset the increase in sanitary flow due to higher population;
• Since formation of the new City by amalgamation in 2001, peak flow surcharging in the West Nepean Collector through this area has been significantly reduced by diversion of upstream wet weather flow to the Lynwood collector through new pumping stations at Woodroffe and at Crystal Beach. The properties identified for intensification are at ground elevations that are now well above wet weather surcharge levels in the Collector;
• Redevelopment will have a beneficial effect on the City storm sewer system by reduction of peak flows through on-site attenuation and controlled release to better fit system capacities in the various sewer catchments crossing this linear area to outlets in the Ottawa River.

3.11.1 Introduction

Richmond Road/Westboro, as this CDP has noted, is not a homogeneous area. Different parts or sectors have distinct characteristics and issues that require distinct policy interventions. For example, despite Richmond Road and Scott Street being designated Traditional Mainstreets in the Official Plan, the character of Richmond Road changes substantially throughout its length in the CDP area. Further, Scott Street has its own character distinct from Richmond Road.

The varying land use characteristics of Richmond Road, Scott Street and the adjacent residential communities, as well as the public input received during the CDP study and an analysis of the existing built and open space environments, have helped to identify a set of overall issues to be addressed by the CDP, based on the objectives set out in Section 1.2, as follows:

Common vision for redevelopment
The need for a common vision that is shared by local community associations, area residents, property owners, City Council and staff, regarding future redevelopment in an established community;

Access to the Ottawa River
Improving access to the Ottawa River, considering the presence of three transportation corridors presently dividing the community or otherwise limiting access: Richmond Road outside Westboro Village, the Transitway, and the Ottawa River Parkway;

Potential for intensification
Evaluating the appropriate level of intensification in the community, considering both the overall capacity of the area to sustain new development, and also the Official Plan intensification/ compatibility policies;

Identifying and preserving distinguishing features
Identifying the distinguishing features of the community that should be preserved along with opportunities for change;

Appropriate Traditional Mainstreet-oriented use
Identifying the appropriate land uses that shall be permitted along Richmond Road under the Traditional Mainstreet designation, considering both its existing traditional and blended traditional/arterial mainstreet character;

Streetscape
Redefining an appropriate streetscape along distinct segments of the mainstreet where existing built areas present an eclectic arrangement of land uses, building sizes and setbacks. These include segments of Richmond Road to the west and east of Westboro Village and along Scott Street;

Scale of built development
Defining an appropriate scale for each of the sectors of the planning area in order to guide future infill development and decisions regarding site plan control, rezoning, and Committee of Adjustment applications;

Design guidelines
Elaborating design guidelines to address compatibility issues, including transition in building setbacks, height, footprint and massing along Richmond Road and other areas, where appropriate;

Map 7

Table 2 below elaborates on these issues and describes the existing characteristics of each sector of the Richmond Road/Westboro area, as well as some of the distinct challenges and opportunities that each present. Map 7 illustrates the location of each sector within the CDP area.

Planning Strategy

The planning strategy provides a framework for change that will see Richmond Road/Westboro as we know it today become Richmond Road/Westboro as we will know it tomorrow. The strategy starts with a unifying vision, overlying objectives and follows with more specific sectoral strategies that focus on land use and building heights, followed by a streetscape and greenspace strategy, including recreational pathway linkages and the Ottawa River open space network. Zoning provisions and urban design guidelines are then proposed as measures to implement the strategy.