Last week was the official deadline for comments on the proposed Zoning By-law Amendment for the proposed development at Hazeldean and Savage. Here are the comments that I provided to City staff.
Resident parking
- A total of 148 resident parking spaces and 86 visitor parking spaces are proposed, for a total of 234 parking spaces.
- 148 parking spaces for 421 units = 0.35/unit
- The Official Plan and Draft Zoning By-law support a reduction in parking requirements, however the proposed reduction in this case goes too far.
- The 2022 Origin-Destination survey found that 31% of Stittsville apartment households did not own a vehicle. 56% owned a single vehicle; 13% owned two vehicles or more.
- Based on that data, the current market demand for parking would suggest a ratio of at least 0.70/unit, or a minimum 295 parking spaces to meet market demand.
- The applicant should include dedicated spaces for car share parking.
Commercial parking
- Concerns with the reduction of commercial parking spaces proposed. Section 3.3 of the planning rationale states that “there appears to be ample on-street parking capacity within the adjacent residential area to accommodate occasional visitor or short-term commercial parking demand”. However, Savage Drive does not have sidewalks on either side of the road, and the road is relatively narrow (approximately 6 metres) – not friendly to pedestrians.
- For commercial parking spaces, the current Zoning By-law requires a minimum of 3.4 parking spaces per 100m2 of gross floor area; whereas the new Zoning By-law proposes a maximum of 4 parking spaces per 100m2. Based on the proposed size of 438m2, the applicant should provide at least a dozen on-site parking spaces for commercial use, including employee parking.
Building height
- The applicant proposes three buildings, with heights of 4, 19, and 25 storeys.
- The latest draft of the new Zoning By-law includes a height limit of 18 storeys along Hazeldean Road.
- Maximum height for this development should be capped at 18 storeys.
Unit mix and affordability
- The applicant should include 3-bedroom units as part of the unit mix. Most applications for multi-story projects in Stittsville and Kanata have included larger units. This project should have a minimum 5-10% 3-bedroom units.
- I encourage the applicant to participate in the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan (CIP), and ensure that a minimum 15% of units in the building are below Average Market Rent.
Traffic
- Savage Drive access to Hazeldean Road remains a significant concern for the community. This intersection needs to be upgraded to a signalized intersection to ensure safe access for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
- I am glad to see the additional “right-out only” access proposed for Hazeldean Road.
Conclusion / recommendations
- The applicant has indicated that the zoning being sought is for a development that would occur over a very long timeframe.
- Their intention is to build the 4-storey building as a first phase, and each of the taller buildings when market conditions in Stittsville make them viable, particularly with the parking ratio proposed. This part of Stittsville has a potential to evolve into a more walkable neighbourhood, but it will take at least a decade or more to get there.
- My recommendation is for staff to cap building heights at 18 storeys, to align with the limits in the draft Zoning By-law.
- This would give permission to build Building “C” at 4 storeys and potentially “Building A” at 18 storeys rather than 19.
- Rough calculation: Building “A” (reduced unit count of 164 apartments) + Building “C” (35 apartments) = 199 units.
- Visitor spaces required for 199 units (0.2/unit) = 40 spaces. That leaves 194 spaces (out of the 234 currently proposed), or a 0.97 parking ratio for 199 units –> more than reasonable for the current environment in Stittsville.
- Building “B” (proposed at 25 storeys), in addition to being capped at 18 storeys, should have a provision that prevents development until the Hazeldean LRT station is funded via a firm commitment from the provincial and federal governments. By that time, a lower parking ratio may be viable.
Note: You can still register for future notifications about this application and provide your comments by contacting Colette Gorni at 613-580-2424, ext. 21239 or Colette.Gorni@ottawa.ca and including File No. D02-02-25-0070 in the subject line. You can copy Councillor Glen at glen.gower@ottawa.ca. Since the official deadline for comments have passed, your feedback may not be reflected in the staff report.