Subject: Sustaining the Vision in CLC Communities

Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 / 21:12:46

Dear Public Advisory Group,

Further to discussions that many of us have had, my Canada Lands Company (CLC) colleagues and I have compiled some information about how CLC maintains consistency in the implementation of our master planning vision after we sell serviced blocks and lots to developers and builders. You are welcome to share this information with your community members.

When developing communities such as the former CFB Rockcliffe, CLC creates master plans for those communities and follows all of the necessary municipal requirements prior to commencing the sales programs directed toward developers and builders. CLC does not conduct “pre-sales” or programs requiring deposits prior to the formal sale of properties. CLC puts certain legal and financial measures in place through agreements with developers and builders, which allow the Company to continue to participate in these projects until their completion. The City of Ottawa approvals that will regulate the development of this project will include:

• Community Design Plan (CDP)
• Secondary Plan
• Official Plan Amendment
• Zoning
• Conditions of Subdivision Approval
• Development Charges

The CDP will serve as a broad policy plan to indicate generally where different land uses will be developed and the types of infrastructure that will be required to support those land uses. Approval of this CDP will be formalized through Ottawa City Council approval of a Secondary Plan and Official Plan Amendment, which will provide the legal assurance that development will proceed in accordance with the CDP.

The CDP, Secondary Plan, and Official Plan Amendment will in turn direct which types and locations of zoning shall be approved within the new community. Because of Council’s approval of the Secondary Plan and Official Plan Amendment, zoning or rezoning of land that does not conform with the CDP shall not be permitted. Each zoning approval will establish the land uses and built forms (e.g., building heights) that will be permitted in the zoning district.

The CDP, Secondary Plan, Official Plan Amendment, and all zoning applications must be approved by City Council. Each one of these approval processes includes certain requirements for public consultation. The City of Ottawa also requires certain studies and consultation processes for the subdivision of land into blocks and lots prior to the registration of individual land titles. Conditions of subdivision approval include requirements that landowners enter into subdivision agreements with the City regarding matters such as the construction of roads, servicing, and parkland dedication. Subdivision applicants are required to provide letters of credit in order for the City to ensure that all subdivision conditions are fulfilled.

The City of Ottawa also imposes Development Charges at the time of building permit approval. When building permits are issued, the City levies fees on property owners and developers to assist in financing the costs of new infrastructure and municipal services. Such new infrastructure and services can include: roads, pathways, and related infrastructure; sanitary sewer; water; stormwater management; police, fire, and paramedic emergency services; public transit; development of parks and indoor recreational facilities; libraries; child care; City vehicles and works yards; and affordable housing programs.

In addition to these City regulations and requirements, Canada Lands Company requires that builders and developers who purchase serviced lots and blocks from CLC enter into legal agreements that address items such as conditions of development and design guidelines. For example, builders and developers enter into agreements with CLC that deter the re-sale of blocks and lots without developing such lands in accordance with CLC’s design guidelines. Site development matters that are typically addressed CLC’s Design Guidelines include:

• Confirmation of Land Use ( Zoning)
• Lot Coverage or “building footprint”
• Maximum Gross Floor Area (particularly for commercial development)
• Maximum Numbers of Residential Units
• Building  Height or Maximum Numbers of Floors
• Development or Building Set-Backs (from roads, adjacent properties, slopes, significant woods, etc)
• Placement of Buildings on Sites
• Exterior Building Façade Materials and Design
• Parking
• Planting and Landscaping
• Site Access, Service Access, and Barrier-Free Accessibility
• Sustainability Initiatives and Performance Standards
• Site Furniture and Street Furniture
• Walls, Entry Features, Fences, etc
• Street Lighting

All of CLC’s development agreements and design guidelines are legally enforceable and are guaranteed through measures such as financial securities similar to the letters of credit required by the City of Ottawa as conditions of subdivision approval. As master developer, CLC maintains these interests in the communities we develop through the completion of all sales and the full built-out of each development phase.

Canada Lands Company has demonstrated its commitment to ensure that the vision established for each community is fulfilled until the community is completely developed. This commitment includes not only the agreements we enter into with builders and developers who buy our blocks and lots. It is also apparent in the standards of quality to which CLC holds itself, in public places, streetscapes, park design, sustainability measures, and significant commemoration of community heritage.

Please contact me directly if you have any questions about how CLC ensures that our community vision is implemented. I look forward to our further collaboration.

Thank you,

Don

Don Schultz

Director, Real Estate, Rockcliffe, Canada Lands Company,  30 Metcalfe Street, Suite 601, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5L4 | Tel: 613-998-7765 | Cell : 613-863-6693 | Web: www.clc.ca | Email/Courriel: dschultz@clc.ca Rockcliffe web site/Site internet de Rockcliffe: https://www.clcrockcliffe.ca/