A proposed development that would create approximately 2,000 new residential units in Bells Corners is awaiting a decision from the province after delays at the city prompted the company behind the project to file an appeal.
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A proposed development that would create approximately 2,000 new residential units in Bells Corners is awaiting a decision from the province after delays at the city prompted the company behind the project to file an appeal.
The Properties Group submitted an application to the city in 2021 to build nearly a dozen new residential buildings at 1987 Robertson Rd., a property located at the northern edge of Bells Corners next to Stillwater Creek.
The project would include a number of mid-rise buildings, ranging from six to nine storeys, as well as three highrise towers. In total, the development would create 1,925 new residential units, according to a 2023 planning document.
The site’s proximity to Stillwater Creek, however, has led to delays for the project, according to Brian Lahey, principal consultant with The Properties Group.
He said that early in the process, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority raised concerns about the stability of the land due to some of the planned buildings being too close to a slope down to the creek. As a result, The Properties Group adjusted the plan to increase the setbacks from the slope, which Lahey said satisfied the authority.
But a change in the process created unexpected delays.
“The City of Ottawa took the responsibility of examining lands that have a slope next to any kind of creek or river,” Lahey told OBJ on Tuesday. “At that point, basically everything across the city that met that criteria went on hold for about two years. Now, we’ve finally kind of lost patience and appealed.”
The appeal was recently heard by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), a provincial body that handles disputes about land use planning and other related issues.
Lahey said he hopes the work that’s been done in the past two years, including soil testing and evaluations by both soil and structural engineers, will allow the issue to be resolved without a hearing. He said the decision will come in the next 60 days.
“Fingers crossed,” he said. “There’s no reason not to resolve it. We’re next to a creek bed, so the city wants assurances.”
If the issue is resolved, Lahey said the next step is to complete the site plan agreement as well as the rezoning and site plan application with the city to get the project moving again.
When it first hit the market, the 20-acre property didn’t sell due to a narrow laneway entrance, which wasn’t wide enough to permit access for development, Lahey said. But once the company worked out a three-way deal with the city and the National Capital Commission to use NCC land for a new entrance, Lahey said the property had plenty of potential.
“Within the Greenbelt, there’s not many parcels like that left,” he said. “What attracted us to it is just the ability to get to redevelop one of the last remaining large parcels within the Greenbelt.”
Though Bells Corners itself wasn’t a primary selling point for the property, Lahey said its proximity to the future Moodie LRT station was. Located on the other side of Highway 417, the station is currently a rapid transit bus stop, and will be the future terminus for the O-Train Line 3 extension.
Lahey said the company is proposing a shuttle service to better connect residents to the LRT.
He added that overall, the project has received support from residents.
“We’ve had community meetings and we have broad support from both the business community and the residential community,” he said.
“It will add to the population in Bells Corners, which is needed to support the general commercial activity there. And it’s something the local people who live here support because it’s an alternative to the single family homes they have. They may want to stay in the area, but not live in a home as they get older. This provides an alternative.”
