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MANOR PARK CHRONICLE
Juin
2002
Moffat Farm & Montfort Woods
Planning Committee has recently rejected an application submitted
on behalf of the NCC to amend the Official Plan and to make zoning
changes for the area known as Moffat Farm (1709 Prince of Wales
Drive). A part of the Moffat Farm lands, entirely owned by the NCC,
was to be exchanged for the lands known as the Montfort Woods,
which are currently in private ownership. It is intended that the
NCC, in acquiring the Montfort Woods, would preserve them as a
natural area.
The Moffat Farm lands can be considered in two parts. One part,
which fronts on the Rideau River (roughly opposite Mooney’s Bay),
is well-treed, contains several ravines, generally is steeply
sloping toward the river and was designated as an Environmentally
Sensitive Area (E.S.A.). The proposals called for this protected
area to be increased in size, to remain in public ownership and to
retain its ESA designation. The other portion of the Moffat Farm
can best be described as an open meadow. This part had previously
been farmed and was therefore not in a natural state – it had
simply been left to its own devices since being actively farmed.
It contained no plant species warranting protection. It is this
part which the NCC wanted to have redesignated to allow for
housing and a community park. One part (7.3 hectares) of this
redesignated portion was to be exchanged for the Montfort Woods
(6.8 hectares). The surrounding community, understandably enough,
preferred the entire property to remain as open space.
The land-use arguments supporting retention of the entire property
as open space will be very hard to sustain at the coming hearing
of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). There is a school across the
road that was threatened with closure recently. Additional
residential development in the area should ensure its survival and
effective use of the tax dollars that it represents. This area of
the City already has many active parks (City parks and school
fields), in addition to many passive green spaces. The part of the
property which is environmentally significant was to be protected,
the waterfront linkages enhanced, the ESA enlarged and in the
public domain.
Generally, every empty field cannot be maintained unless there are
strong reasons for doing so. Ottawa needs to be “densified” – that
is, its average built-form density should be increased. This is
what the theme of the Region’s latest Official Plan – “grow in,
not out” – was all about. It is also the thrust of Ottawa 20/20,
the “Smart Growth” initiative. This is the City’s re-examination
of its Official Plan, which was launched last June. Increasing
density is the only way that we will be able to control taxes and
keep our City liveable in the future. Increased density does not
mean eliminating all green space. It probably does mean less
private green space to be balanced by proportionately more public
green space. That public open green space should have a mix of
active and passive components. This means that we will have to
plan for the long term, chose carefully and for good clear reasons
those areas that we are to set aside for public purposes, and most
definitely change the way we grow. We will have to build and grow
smarter. Frankly, I don’t think that we can afford the
alternative, which is to continue with more of the same.
I encourage you to participate in this “Smart Growth” debate.
There are aspects about this approach that may surprise and, most
certainly, our habits as a collective will change as a result.
CFB Rockcliffe - Update
In the last issue of the Chronicle, I had mentioned that an
examination of the uses to which these lands might be put was to
be expected. That will still happen but not nearly as soon as was
expected in January. DND, the current owner of the lands, has
decided to reconsider declaring these lands surplus to its needs
for the moment. A ‘visioning’ exercise had been planned by Canada
Lands Company for late February. That exercise has now been
postponed. Stay tuned for updates.
You can communicate with me at (please include a telephone
number):
City of Ottawa
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa ON K1P 1J1
Tel: 580-2483, Fax: 580-2523
e-mail:
jacques.legendre@city.ottawa.on.ca
Web Site:
www.rideau-rockcliffe.com
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