Ottawa city councillor proposes split of planning committee for better representation

After the drama surrounding the Chateau Laurier, Old Ottawa South and the 65-storey tower in Little Italy, a city councillor is proposing a shakeup of the planning committee due to what he says is a chasm between what residents want and what gets approved.

In a report published on Monday with help from staff and community members, Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard says many residents feel frustrated by a lack of trust in dealing with developers and the city when a planning or development issue occurs in their neighbourhood.

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“One of, if not, the most concerning issues raised was the exclusion of the community when making decisions around planning and development,” Menard wrote in the report. “Participants felt as though communities had been largely shut out of these discussions.”

One of Menard’s proposals to eliminate the lack of transparency and representation is to split the planning committee into two separate committees, one for urban proposals and one for suburban.

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Menard says this proposal has precedent, specifically when it comes to projects in the rural parts of the city.

Currently, projects in the rural areas are brought to the agriculture and rural affairs committee to be discussed before they go to planning. Menard proposes to offer a similar benefit to the other parts of the city.

Twelve of the city’s wards exist inside the greenbelt, the unofficial border of urban and suburban in the city. Only three of those wards are represented on the planning committee, by Jeff Leiper, Rick Chiarelli and Riley Brockington.

According to Menard, his proposal would mean more representation writ large on committee.

“It would bring a little more democracy to city hall, which is sorely missing,” said Menard.

The councillor knows he has an uphill battle when it comes to convincing his fellow council members of this idea. Menard plans on bringing the proposal to the mid-term governance review in mid-2020. Until then, he plans to work with staff to better refine his proposal.

“I’m hoping they give it a fair shot,” said Menard. “It’s been a struggle but there is a clear decision.”