Community Design Plan Study of Carling Station District has begun

The City of Ottawa is doing a study to prepare a Community Design Plan (CDP) for the area along the Light Rail Train (LRT) corridor from Carling Avenue to Bayview. A Public Advisory Committee (PAC) has been established to assist and provide guidance during the study. The PAC is currently looking at the Carling station district, which includes lands that fall within the CHNA catchment area. For more information, go to http://chna4u.blogspot.com/2011/03/community-design-plan-coming-to-carling.html and http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/carling_bayview/intro_en.html

Aims of CDP design framework

The CDP design framework for the Carling station district aims to:

1. Develop higher densities on the north side of Carling Avenue with the highest densities immediately adjacent to the LRT.

2. Create a series of buildings with high design quality on the south side of Carling Avenue, while reinforcing view corridors to Dow’s Lake from the streets on the north side.

3. Protect existing stable residential areas with defined transition zones from the concentrated density at Carling station location.

4. Improve accessibility to and from the LRT station by:

•Protecting and enhancing the multi-functional pathway on the east of the LRT.

•Implementing the green linkage on the west side of the LRT.

•Providing new pedestrian bridges, pathways, and streets.

5.Strengthen green pedestrian connection between Carling and Dow’s Lake.

6. Transform existing streets through extensive tree planting and enhanced pedestrian amenities as these streets get rebuilt.

7. Explore possibility of extending Ev Tremblay Park and connecting the neighbourhoods by decking over the corridor to the east.

8. Incorporate and accommodate the future East-West LRT.

Questions

The CDP-PAC meeting on January 10th looked at the following questions:

1. Intensification Vs Compatibility: How to organize high-rise buildings around the Carling/LRT intersection and along Carling to facilitate intensification and create a strong sense of place while at the same time to ensure reasonable transition towards the adjacent low-rise residential areas?

2. Protecting the potential development of the LRT: How to design the area around Carling/LRT intersection without compromising future possible LRT planning and operations?

3. Parks and Open Spaces:

•What are the opportunities and challenges for expanding Ev Trembly Park over the LRT?

•What are the opportunities and challenges for greening the side streets between Preston and LRT?

•What are the opportunities and challenges for creating view corridors on the NCC and Federal Government properties?

Proposed schedule

•Januray to March: CDP team to develop a planning concept for Carling district

•March: TAC and PAC meetings to discuss planning concept for Carling district

•April: online open house to present planning concept

Contextual information

A number of developers have made their own plans in advance of the CDP.

DEVELOPMENTS NEAR CARLING O-TRAIN STOP

125 Hickory (Mastercraft Starwood) - Town houses and two condominium towers - 16 storeys and 20 storeys. An estimated 342 residential units. 263 parking spaces (Construction has not begun)

100 Champagne (Domicile) - One residential 12 storey apartment building with 94 units. One three storey townhouse dwelling with 6 townhouses. 109 parking spaces. Two car sharing spaces (Vrtucar) and six visitor spaces. (Under construction)

330 Loretta / Caring and Breezehill (Domicile) - Two buildings. One 8 storey on Breezehill with 66 units. One 10 storey on Loretta with 86 units. A number of townhouses. Shared garage with 160 parking spaces (Already constructed)

AT OMB

855 Carling (Arnon) - Two office towers. One 15 storeys. One 12 storeys. 800 parking spaces.

Note: This may not include changes at the Arnon site due to OMB hearings. Arnon believes it should be allowed to build higher towers. It may also consider building apartments or condos instead of office buildings.

AT PROPOSAL STAGE

101 Champagne (Ashcroft Homes) - A 22 storey building and a 25 storey building right next to Ev Tremblay Park on the former Humane Society site. Approximately 252 condominium units. 175 or 275 parking spaces

You can get more information at : http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__8ODN8V

ADDITIONAL VEHICLES IN NEIGHBOURHOOD IF APPROVED DEVELOPMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS UNDER CONSIDERATION ARE BUILT: 1515 TO 1615*

* This figure is based on the number of parking spaces.