City staff pitch expansion to Ottawa’s urban boundary

City staff are recommending an expansion to Ottawa’s urban boundaries to make space for the capital’s growing population, setting up a showdown next month with advocates in favour of stemming the city’s suburban sprawl.

As part of a regular update to Ottawa’s official plan — the master document that lays out the city’s development priorities — city staff recently released a new report recommending an expansion to the urban boundary.

The report, which will be considered at a joint meeting of the planning and rural and agricultural affairs committees on May 11, recommends an expansion of 1,350-1,650 hectares to the existing boundaries.

Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper noted on Twitter Friday that the proposed increase would add additional development space equal to nearly 150 per cent of the landmass of his ward to the urban boundary of Ottawa in order to accommodate anticipated suburban growth.

The city projects population growth of roughly 400,000 by 2046, an increase that would require nearly 200,000 more housing units in Ottawa.

City staff outlined three different strategies to grow Ottawa’s housing supply in response to population demands.

One scenario that maintains the current rates of intensification would need the urban boundary to expand by as much as 2,260 gross hectares, while a scenario with no expansion would require intensification to account for all housing growth through to 2046 — a move that could flood the city’s existing urban-built area with highrises.

City staff instead propose a “balanced” approach that would see Ottawa’s rate of growth through intensification hit 60 per cent by 2046, in addition to an encroachment into the rural area of the city to accommodate the remaining 40 per cent of needed dwellings.

Though the May 11 meeting will be held remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic, public delegations are invited to speak on the urban boundary question.

Though not a member of the planning committee, Capital Ward’s Shawn Menard is among the councillors expressing his distaste with staff’s recommendation.

Groups such as Ecology Ottawa and the Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital have also come out against proposals to expand the urban boundary.

Meanwhile, Jason Burgraaf, the executive director of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association, has penned a piece asking residents to consider the realities of intensification needed should the urban boundary be maintained.