City staff recommend developer's proposal for former Bayview School

City of Ottawastaff are supporting aproposal to build aretirement community on the site of the former Bayview School.

In a report to the planning committee, staffrecommended the approval of a mix of low-rise townhomesand a six-storeyapartment complex fora total of623 units.

The city's land development agency Ottawa Community Lands Development Corporation sold the four-hectare parcel to Canoe Bay Developments Inc.after a request for proposals was issued.

• 'Betrayed' Riverside Park residents protest school redevelopment
• Former Bayview School site could become home to retirement community
• ANALYSIS |Riverside Park residents angered by sudden changes to Bayview school plan

"We all recognize that progress has to move forward, sowe want to be good neighbours [and] in favour of the development,"said CraigSearle, president of the Riverside Park Community Association.

"Just not some aspects of the development."

Searlesaid he isconcerned about the impactthe development would have on the community of Riverside,particularly thetraffic andnoise.

"Everybody in the community that I've spoken with are tired of the process, they're disillusioned with the process," he said.

"We feel betrayed, we feel unheard. We've been fighting this fight since 2007."

According to the report, two public meetings were held in 2017, with over 200 residents attendingeach session.

One of the mainsticking points has beenthe project's proposed density. Currently, at the city, there are no clearparametersaround the issue, which Searlebelieveshas made defining theproject's sustainability difficult.

"The city does not have a definition of low, medium or high density," he said.

Concept plan was a guide

Searle noted that the project looks verydifferent todayfrom what was initially proposed in the concept plan.

However, the councillor for the area saidthe plan was simply a guide to help shape the proposals and without it, there would have been much larger project proposalsbrought forward.

"Nothing matched the community-led concept plan by 100 per cent,"saidRiver WardCoun. RileyBrockington.

"There were no exact matches. Every bid received deviated in one way or another. And that's to be expected," he said.

"If there was no concept plan you would probably see submissions that were much more dense and much taller. Absolutely much taller," he said.

The impact of increased density

Brockington said while he understands the project'sdensity is problematic for many residents, he's not sure where the boundary should be.

"I don't know what the ideal number is," he said."The height, in my mind, is reasonable, but they have a lot of units in them and I think people are looking at the number and saying that's a lot."

Brockingtonbelieves the fact the development caters specifically to seniors alleviates many of the community's concerns about the negative impact of the project.

"They don't have wild parties," he said.

"When you look at statistics about people who live in seniors' residence, they don't drive cars, they're not going to be swamping the streets with traffic," said Brockington.

"They're going to be fairly self-contained."

Height concerns

The developer has also proposeda three-storey strip one floor of commercial tenants topped with two floors of apartments along Riverside Drive.

Searlesaid heightening the building would ruin theexisting view of Mooney's Bay, which is central to the community.

"That's one of the best views in the city, overlooking the river," he said.

"It'll block that view."

Brockington agrees and said he would beadvocating to remove one of the apartment floors. "I will be absolutely, without hesitation, be moving a motion to,at the very least, chop off one of those floors."

Meanwhile, Searle questions the usefulness of the commercial space given the difficulty other properties in thecommunity have had.

"There is a commercial retail establishment maybe half a kilmometreaway, to the north, and it has many unused [lots] now that they can't rent out," he said.

The idea of a commercial space with facilities like a doctor's office, pharmacy and coffee shophas garnered some community support said Brockington.

"The commercial strip on Riverside that was added would allow services that the community would need."

The report by city staff tothe planning committee will be presented on February 27.