Prohibiting Country Lot Subdivisions

Jim.Watson@ottawa.ca

April 23,2013

Dear Mayor Watson,

I received your response to my letter of April 9, 2013, urging you and City Council to “prohibit new country lot subdivisions.”

Your letter of April 18 notes that City staff have been “directed to prepare an Official Plan amendment to be tabled this June” for review in the City’s Official Plan.

You wrote: “One component of this Official Plan amendment will be a moratorium on the creation of new country lot subdivisions, in favor of directing residential growth in our rural areas to our villages.”

My understanding, from reading City staff and conservation group reports, is that “a moratorium”, by definition, may only delay or suspend an activity in the short-term.

A prohibition of new country lot subdivisions can create a stronger amendment for the City Official Plan review. Further thinking and work on this are required.

Please ask City staff to prepare another Official Plan amendment that prohibits new country lot subdivisions.

Residents, community and conservation groups can then work together with our City staff and representatives to select the best social, economic and ecological way of providing long-term protection for preserving farm and wildlife land in the Ottawa area.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Lorne Peterson
a resident of Kichisipi/Westboro

cc interested residents, community and conservation groups,
City Councillors
---------------------------------

From: Watson, Jim (Mayor/Maire) [mailto:Jim.Watson@ottawa.ca]
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2013 1:27 PM
To: 'Lorne Peterson'
Subject: RE: New Country Lot Subdivisions and Official Plan for Ottawa

Good afternoon Mr. Peterson,

Thank you for taking the time to contact me personally with your comments on the aforementioned. At the Council meeting of April 10th, Council directed staff to prepare an Official Plan amendment to be tabled this June as part of the review of the City’s Official Plan.

One component of this Official Plan amendment will be a moratorium on the creation of new country lot subdivisions, in favor of directing residential growth in our rural areas to our villages.

Thank you for your support of Council’s position and please stay engaged in the matter by following the review’s progress at www.Ottawa.ca/liveableottawa
or by signing up for the project’s e-newsletter at planning@ottawa.ca.

Sincerely,

Jim Watson
Mayor
City of Ottawa

JW/jt

-----------------------------------
From: Lorne Peterson
Sent: April 09, 2013 8:04 PM
To: Watson, Jim (Mayor/Maire)

Subject: New Country Lot Subdivisions and Official Plan for Ottawa

April 9, 2013

Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa
City of Ottawa, Ontario

New Country Lot Subdivisions and the Official Plan

Dear Mayor Watson:

I am writing as a resident of Ottawa to urge you and Ottawa City Council to prohibit new country lot subdivisions.

As you know, from City Staff reports for the Official Plan Review, country lot subdivisions result in wasteful uses of land and fragmented housing lots without integrated services and amenities. They also break-up linkages to natural areas for wildlife,

Such subdivisions increase Greenhouse Gas emissions from automobiles commuting to and from the city.

Any new country lot subdivisions will negate the opportunity to create light rail and other public transportation links to city suburbs.

At the recent City of Ottawa Greenhouse Gas Roundtable, you said: “I think we are going in the right direction.” I urge you to keep going in a sustainable direction of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by prohibiting new country lot subdivisions.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Lorne Peterson
Kichisipi/Westboro
Ottawa, Ontario

cc: interested residents, community and conservation groups
Ottawa city councillors

----------------------

April 9, 2013

Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa
City of Ottawa, Ontario

New Country Lot Subdivisions and the Official Plan

Dear Mayor Watson:

I am writing as a resident of Ottawa to urge you and Ottawa City Council to prohibit new country lot subdivisions.

As you know, from City Staff reports for the Official Plan Review, country lot subdivisions result in wasteful uses of land and fragmented housing lots without integrated services and amenities. They also break-up linkages to natural areas for wildlife,

Such subdivisions increase Greenhouse Gas emissions from automobiles commuting to and from the city.

Any new country lot subdivisions will negate the opportunity to create light rail and other public transportation links to city suburbs.

At the recent City of Ottawa Greenhouse Gas Roundtable, you said: “I think we are going in the right direction.” I urge you to keep going in the sustainable direction of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by prohibiting new country lot subdivisions.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Lorne Peterson
Kichisipi/Westboro
Ottawa, Ontario

cc: interested residents, community and conservation groups
Ottawa city councilors

---------------------------------------------
I sent this letter by e-mail, April 9, 2013. This letter was first posted to Greenspace-Alliance of Canada’s Capital listserv on same date.

To learn more see Greenspace-Alliance of Canada’s Capital website:
Note about the proposed prohibition of country lot subdivisions
http://www.greenspace-alliance.ca/node/588