A city council committee has rejected an application to extend Ottawa’s urban boundary to include a planned subdivision in Nepean.
Members of the planning and housing committee shot down the bid during their Nov. 5 meeting, citing concerns over the cost of upgrading infrastructure for the housing development.
Mattamy Homes wants to build 1,400-1,500 homes on 72 hectares it owns on O’Keefe Court in Ottawa’s southwest, near the intersection of Fallowfield and Strandherd.
It needed an urban boundary expansion because the site isn’t currently zoned for residential development.
City staff urged committee members to reject the application because of concerns on the impact on future growth plans and the cost of infrastructure upgrades for the project.
“The proposed expansion would create a leapfrog pattern of growth inconsistent with logical and phased urban development,” reads the report from the planning services department.
Fotenn Planning and Design, which represented Mattamy, said future expansions of the boundary were inevitable, and the project is located near major commercial developments such as CITIGATE business park, which includes a Costco.
But committee members sided with staff, raising concerns around the cost of upgrading the water system to service such a large number of people (estimated at $31 million), as well as the low transit score given to the area.
Coun. Theresa Kavanagh said although the city will undoubtedly need to expand its urban boundary eventually, the cost to taxpayers cannot be understated.
“I trust our staff, the scoring is important.”
The rejection of the amendment doesn’t mean the development is dead. The Ontario Land Tribunal, a provincial adjudicative body, could order council to reverse the decision.
