Planning Committee

Minutes

Meeting #:

64

Date:

Friday, June 03, 2022

Time:

9:30 A.m. - 4:30 P.m.

Location:

Electronic Participation

Present:

• Co-Chair: Councillor G. Gower, 
• Co-Chair: Councillor S. Moffatt, 
• Councillor R. Brockington, 
• Councillor J. Cloutier, 
• Councillor C. Curry, 
• Councillor L. Dudas, 
• Councillor A. Hubley, 
• Councillor C. Kitts, 
• Councillor J. Leiper, 
• and Councillor S. Menard

Absent:

• Councillor T. Tierney

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1.

Notices and meeting information for meeting participants and the public

Notices and meeting information are attached to the agenda and minutes, including: availability of simultaneous interpretation and accessibility accommodations; in camera meeting procedures; information items not subject to discussion; personal information disclaimer for correspondents and public speakers; notices regarding minutes; and remote participation details.

Accessible formats and communication supports are available, upon request.

The deadline to register by phone to speak, or submit written comments or visual presentations is 4 pm on June 2, and the deadline to register to speak by email is 8:30 am on June 3.

2.

Declarations of Interest

No Declarations of Interest were filed.

3.

Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development Department

3.1

Site Plan Control - 325, 327, and 333 Montreal Road, 334 Montfort Street and 273 Ste. Anne Avenue

File No. ACS2022-PIE-PS-0064 - Rideau-Vanier (12) 

Jean-Charles Renaud, Planner II, Planning Services, Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development Department (PRED), presented an overview of the application.  A copy of the slide presentation is filed with the Office of the City Clerk.

The Applicant/Owner as represented by Marco Manconi (ND Management), Patrick Bisson (Hobin) and Glenn can Gulik (Salvation Army) provided an overview of the Application and responded to questions from Committee. They were accompanied by the following: 

• The Salvation Army: Marc Provost, Vinny Mithra, Julia Coley Phillips, Joanne Tilley and Jeff Barrett;
• Fotenn: Miguel Tremblay, Paul Black
• Hobin: Gord Lorimer
• Soloway Wright: Ursula Melinz
• Security Through Safe Design: Will VanRyswyk
• CGH Transportation: Chris Gordon
• McIntosh Perry: Alison Gosling
• Project Paysage: Serge Gallant

The following staff from PRED were also present and responded to questions: 

• Douglas James, Manager, Planning Services;
• Stephen Willis, General Manager.

The following speakers addressed the Committee to speak to the Application:

• Collette St. Denis expressed concerns relating to safety and noting the need for supervised living, affordable housing and improved services to assist those trying to reintegrate into society. 
• Nathalie Carrier, Vanier BIA felt there was inadequate consultation with the community and Salvation Army, reducing the top two floors limits shelter for the homeless and expressed concerns wth impacts the proposal will have on businesses in the area.
• Léo Lavergne, Executive Director, Pauline Charron Centre expressed concern with the increase in people the development will bring to the community, security concerns and lack of consultation
• Marc Maracle, Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition (OAC) expressed concerns with the scope and scale of the proposed facility, the impacts on the community at large and disproportionate impact on indigenous individuals in the community.
• Michel Gervais noted Vanier needs healthy, clean and permanent affordable housing not a shelter.  The impacts of the propoals on the surrounding area need to be considered.
• Andrew Lumsden noted the homeless need to be treated with dignity, shelters deprive individuals of privacy, they need their own ‘front door’.
• Wendy Muckle, Ottawa Inner City Health, Inc. spoke in support of the proposal noting they had signifiant imput into the process and it reflects the wishes of their clients for a welcoming space.  The building doesn’t look like an institution which is important for how they feel about themselves.
• Lauren Touchant spoke in opposition to the application based on inadequacies and lack of engagement of the Advisory Committee with stakeholders.  There is need for more consultation and expressed concerns with safety and duplication of services that are already offered in the community.
• Chris Greenshields expressed concerns with the proposal, noting the model is outdated and noted the need for better consultations.
• Drew Dobson, SOS Vanier noted modern evidence based solutions should be used rather than outdated shelter models, lack of community consultation and the need for supportive housing.
• Tom Ryan spoke to artwork entitled “Two sides to the same story” that he published illustrating the drawing still developing and correlating with Vanier as doing the same.

The following written submissions were received by, and are filed with, the Office of the City Clerk, and distributed to Committee Members: 

• Email dated May 25, 2022 from Keith Walsh, opposed
• Email dated May 26, 2022 from Deirdre Freiheit, President and CEO, Shepherds of Good Hope, in support
• Email dated May 26 from Stephen Collins, opposed
• Email dated May 27 from Dr. Katie Hunt, with comments
• Email dated May 30 from Mary-Anne Cote, with comments
• Email dated May 30 and June 1 from Josée Shymanski, with comments
• Email dated June 1 from Tim Aubry and John Sylvestre, Centre for Research on Eduational and Community Services, with comments
• Letter dated June 1 from Rhéaume Soucy, opposed
• Letter dated June 2 from Colette St-Denis, opposed

The report recommendations, as amended by motions no PLC 2022-64/1, PLC 2022-64/2, PLC 2022-64/3, PLC 2022-64/5, PLC 2022-64/6 and PLC 2022-64/9, CARRIED on a division of 9 yeas and 1 nay.

The Committee also accepted the following Directions to staff:

Councillor R. Brockington

DIRECTION TO STAFF

WHEREAS the Salvation Army has expressed its intent to the Rideau-Vanier Councillor to ensure there is no loss of levy as a result of the change in use at this location; and

WHEREAS the Salvation Army has expressed its intent to the Rideau-Vanier Councillor to create a fund for a capital account to support the Vanier Business Improvement Area with its members for the management of beautification, remediation and maintenance of Montreal Road and neighbourhood streets;

That the General Manager of Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development be directed to write a letter to the Salvation Army to request that, if the Salvation Army chooses to proceed with their project at 333 Montreal, an agreement between the Salvation Army and the Vanier BIA be advanced to the reflect the intent mentioned above.

Councillor M. Fleury

DIRECTION TO STAFF

That the General Manager of Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development be directed to write to the Salvation Army to request that they supplement their future work on safety and security measures and practices with an Indigenous lens.

DIRECTION TO STAFF

1. That Housing staff be directed, in the event of a future funding agreement request for emergency and transitional supportive housing services between the City of Ottawa and the Salvation Army at 333 Montreal Road, to negotiate a contract with the Salvation Army that pursues the following best practices related to community safety and wellbeing:  
   
   1. the provision of programming that allows for safe consumption practices in consultation with community health agencies to ensure all best practices and health guidelines are followed and form part of such an agreement;
   2. the provision of 24/7 on site security and an active neighbourhood patrol to provide supports and response within a two-block radius of the facility; and 
   3. the emergency shelter component as defined by Housing Services to have no more than 99 shelter beds. 
2. That Housing staff be directed, in the event of a future funding agreement request for supportive housing between the City of Ottawa and the Salvation Army at 333 Montreal Road, to negotiate a contract with the Salvation Army that pursues the following best practices for supportive housing, including:
   
   1. self-contained dwelling units; 
   2. independent access to and from the building; and
   3. private internal programming and amenity space for supportive housing residents.

• Report recommendations

  1. That Planning Committee endorse a Site Plan Control application for 325, 327, and 333 Montreal Road, 334 Montfort Street and 273 Ste. Anne Avenue to permit the development of a low-rise building containing Residential Care Facility uses and a Shelter, as detailed in Document 2.
  2. That Planning Committee return Delegated Authority to staff for further changes to the approved plans, conditions, reports, and for the Site Plan Control Agreement.

  For (9)	Councillor L. Dudas, Co-Chair: Councillor G. Gower, Councillor J. Leiper, Councillor R. Brockington, Councillor J. Cloutier, Councillor C. Kitts, Co-Chair: Councillor S. Moffatt, Councillor A. Hubley, and Councillor C. Curry
  Against (1)	Councillor S. Menard

  Carried as amended (9 to 1)
• Amendment:
  Motion No. PLC 2022-64/1
  Moved by Co-Chair: Councillor S. Moffatt

  WHEREAS staff have the authority to issue site plan approval on submitted site plan applications when there is either Councillor concurrence or approval by Planning Committee;

  WHEREAS, given the significant community interest with respect to site plan application D07-12-17-0077, staff have returned the matter before Planning Committee as report ACS2022-PIE-PS-0064;

  WHEREAS minor changes to site plans are often necessary, and Council is not advised of these changes;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that with respect to report ACS2022-PIE-PS-0064, Planning Committee approve the following:

  1. Deletion of the word “endorse” and replacement with the words “approve, subject to any minor revisions that the Director of Planning Services will have authority to approve” in Recommendation 1; and 
  2. Direct the Director of Planning Services to communicate with the Ward Councillor on any changes to the site plan after staff approval and until a building permit is issued.
  Carried
• Amendment:
  Motion No. PLC 2022-64/2
  Moved by Co-Chair: Councillor S. Moffatt

  WHEREAS Staff Report ACS2022-PIE-PS-0064 details the site plan application with respect to 325, 327, and 333 Montreal Road, 334 Montfort Street and 273 St. Anne Avenue; and

  WHEREAS the staff report includes a number of supporting documents, including those providing background information on the site plan application and comments from community organizations (Documents 1-12); an

  WHEREAS on June 1, 2022, the General Manager of Planning Real Estate and Economic Development issued a Memo to Planning Committee providing background information the Salvation Army Site Plan Review and Programming Advisory Committee and a copy of the Agenda and Minutes summary for each of the Advisory Committee's meetings; and

  WHEREAS it would be appropriate for this information to be on the public record;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that, with respect to report ACS2022-PIE-PS-0064,  the General Manager's Memo dated June 1, 2022 and associated appendices be added to the staff report as Document 13.

  Carried
• Amendment:
  Motion No. PLC 2022-64/3
  Moved by Co-Chair: Councillor S. Moffatt

  WHEREAS; the Staff report ACS2022-PIE-PS-0064 contains conditions of Site Plan Approval in Document 4; and

  WHEREAS, since the Staff report has been prepared there have been further negotiations between Staff, the Ward Councillor and the Salvation Army on additional conditions; and

  WHEREAS, these additional conditions need to be added to the existing Document 4 for approval as conditions 27 through 31;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that, with respect to report ACS2022-PIE-PS-0064, that the existing Document 4 be replaced with the enclosed revised Document 4, to reflect the conditions of concurrence for the site plan control approval.

  Carried

• The following motion was moved by Co-Chair S. Moffatt (on behalf of Councillor M. Fleury) and then subsequently withdrawn by Co-Chair Moffatt:

  Amendment:
  Motion No. PLC 2022-64/4
  Moved by Co-Chair: Councillor S. Moffatt

  WHEREAS the Staff report ACS2022-PIE-PS-0064 contains background information regarding the changes to the site plan application made by the Salvation Army on page 13; and

  WHEREAS the Salvation Army has through its documentation supporting the site plan application, submitted a letter from Fotenn, dated November 23, 2021, which provides a breakdown of the number of beds throughout the facility; and

  WHEREAS the staff report only reflects the number of beds within the shelter as ninety-nine (99) beds and does not include the full number of beds in the facility, being two hundred and eleven (211); 

  WHEREAS clarification of the information provided to Planning Committee is desired and a fulsome report including all information should be presented;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, on page 13 of the staff report, the first paragraph under the heading “site plan control proposal and evolution”, the following be added as a fifth bullet point:

  • Number of beds in addition to the emergency shelter

  Shelter beds: 99 beds
  Special Care Unit: 60 beds
  Transitional Independent Living: 90 beds
  Supportive Housing: 32 beds
  For a Total of 211 beds.

  Withdrawn
• Amendment:
  Motion No. PLC 2022-64/5
  Moved by Co-Chair: Councillor S. Moffatt

  WHEREAS; the Staff report ACS2022-PIE-PS-0064 contains conditions of Site Plan Approval in Document 4: and

  WHEREAS, since the Staff report has been prepared there have been further negotiations between Staff, the Ward Councillor and the Salvation Army with respect to driveway access to Montfort Street, additional buffering and sidewalk conditions; and

  WHEREAS, these additional matters are to be reflected on the final Site Plan and Landscaping Plan.

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that, the final Site Plan and Landscaping Plans submitted by the Applicant shall include the following:

  1. Driveway access from Montfort: The gate closest to the street, to 6 metres from the property line, restricting the queuing to one car;
  2. A “green-friendly” buffer will be placed between the fence of a residential property to provide additional landscaping, so long as there is no interference with underground services along the western fence of the property at 333 Montreal Road.
  3. Provision of a segregated sidewalk at the front of the property, being along the Montreal Road frontage, with a minimum width of 2 metres and wider sidewalks throughout the site, at a minimum of 1.5 metres.
  Carried
• Amendment:
  Motion No. PLC 2022-64/6
  Moved by Co-Chair: Councillor S. Moffatt

  WHEREAS the Staff report ACS2022-PIE-PS-0064 contains conditions of Site Plan Approval in Document 4; and

  WHEREAS it is desirable to have the parking lot at the rear of the property, which is in close proximity to the Montfort Street residential community, to be restricted to employees and service providers only;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the notes to the Site Plan contain the following:

  1. The rear parking area, in closest proximity to Montfort Street, shown as having 27 spaces on the Site Plan, is intended to be restricted to use by employees and service providers only, with the Owner providing signage noting same.
  Carried

• The following motion was moved by Co-Chair Moffatt (on behalf of Councillor Fleury) and was ruled out of order by Co-chair G. Gower.

  Amendment:
  Motion No. PLC 2022-64/7
  Moved by Co-Chair: Councillor S. Moffatt

  WHEREAS the Staff report ACS2022-PIE-PS-0064 contains conditions of Site Plan Approval in Document 4; and

  AND WHEREAS all other shelter uses within the City of Ottawa have Neighbourhood Patrols and Outreach Programming;

  AND WHEREAS the Salvation Army has advised that they will be implementing such programming in the form of a “Proactive Patrol” which will be run by the Salvation Army to provide support to this facility and its clients, as well as to respond to community safety and well-being concerns;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the conditions of concurrence for the Site Plan Approval contain the following condition:

  1. That the Owner shall implement a Proactive Patrol Program, patrolling the neighbourhood, to clients and to prevent community safety and well-being issues.

• The following motion was introduced and subsequently replaced by the below-noted Direction to Staff from Councillor R. Brockington:

  Amendment:
  Motion No. PLC 2022-64/8
  Moved by Co-Chair: Councillor S. Moffatt

  WHEREAS the Salvation Army has expressed its intent to the Rideau-Vanier Councillor to ensure there is no loss of levy as a result of the change in use at this location; and

  WHEREAS the Salvation Army has expressed its intent to the Rideau-Vanier Councillor to create a fund for a capital account to support the Vanier Business Improvement Area with its members for the management of beautification, remediation and maintenance of Montreal Road and neighbourhood streets;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, if the Salvation Army chooses to proceed with their project at 333 Montreal, an agreement between the Salvation Army and the Vanier BIA be advanced to the reflect the intent mentioned above.
• Amendment:
  Motion No. PLC 2022-64/9
  Moved by Co-Chair: Councillor S. Moffatt

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that recommendation 1 be amended to make replace “Document 2” with “Documents 2 and 3.”

  Carried

• The following was originally proposed by as a direction by Councillor Fleury, and was not accepted as a direction by the Committee. 

  Councillor S. Menard, as Member of the Planning Committee moved the direction as a Motion (on behalf of Councillor Fleury), and then Councillor Menard withdrew it. 

  Motion No. PLC 2022-64/10
  Moved by Councillor S. Menard

  WHEREAS the Staff report ACS2022-PIE-PS-0064 contains a document representing the public consultation, comments and staff responses to such comments: and

  WHEREAS there was a comment included at page 66 of the staff report at bullet 6 as follows:

  Given the diversity of residents, it will be important for the site to feature native art. The area previously labelled as a chapel needs to be neutral and confessional in nature, without solely Christian symbology. Francophone art must also be represented.

  AND WHEREAS the staff report provides the following response, at page 67, to the above comment:

  While the functioning of the chapel is not an issue for site plan control, the applicant has committed to providing indigenous and francophone art as part of the development. The Salvation Army will be working with members of the indigenous community to commission artwork for both exterior and interior spaces and will be working with members of the francophone community to commission artwork for interior spaces as well as make every effort to restore existing artwork currently displayed on the outside walls of the Thrift Store. 

  AND WHEREAS we have heard comments from members of the Francophone and Indigenous communities today regarding such intent from the Salvation Army, and that such intent is offensive to these communities who do not wish to be associated with this development;

  I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A DIRECTION TO STAFF: That the site plan conditions not include any reference or requirement for public art representing or reflecting the Indigenous or Francophone Community with respect to this development.

  Withdrawn

4.

In Camera Items

There were no in camera items.

5.

Notices of Motions (For Consideration at Subsequent Meeting)

There were no Notices of Motion.

6.

Inquiries

There were no Inquiries.

7.

Other Business

There was no other business.

8.

Adjournment

Next Meeting

Thursday, June 9, 2022.

The meeting adjourned at 2:18 PM.