Goulbourn Wetland: 6851 Flewellyn Road

Planning and Environment Committee
28 September 2004
Agenda item 9
ZONING/subdivision - 6851 Flewellyn Road ACS2004-DEV-APR-0189 GOULBOURN
That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend that Council refuse: 1. An application to amend the former Township of Goulbourn Zoning By-law to change the zoning of 6851 Flewellyn Road from Rural Zone (RU) to Estate Residential (ER). 2. A draft plan of subdivision on this site.
See City of Ottawa web site

OFGAC comments

The Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee supports the staff recommendation not to approve the requested amendment to the zoning bylaw in the former Township of Goulbourn that would result in a change of zoning of 6851 Flewellyn Road from Rural Zone to Estate Residential.

We also support the second recommendation to refuse the approval of the draft plan of subdivision. In making these recommendations, we are supported by the Goulbourn Wetlands Group. We also support the Greenspace Alliance in their submission on this issue.

If you agree, you will save part of the Goulbourn Wetland at least in the short term. There are strong indications that the land is part of the Goulbourn Wetland complex even although it has not been properly evaluated yet.

We further urge you to ensure that this wetland, and all of the as-yet-assessed wetlands in Goulbourn and other parts of Ottawa are fully and properly evaluated by wetland specialists who are competent to make such determinations.

We are pleased to see that the staff have recommended that you refuse this application and we strongly urge you to accept their recommendation. This is what the Official Plan would have you do, so please follow your Plan.

We were astounded to read that the owner of the land created a road into the land prior to submitting the development application and that, at the same time, the owner has refused to allow city staff on the site so that a taxpayer-paid evaluation can be conducted.

This is one application that should not have reached this stage. It is not complete; the developer has not filed the required studies. OFGAC hopes that the statements in regard to incomplete applications in the On-Time Review Initiative you are considering later today will ensure that incomplete applications do not come to this table in the future

Finally, we ask that you give serious consideration to the scientific statements about this wetland in the presentation by Ken McRae. The Goulbourn Wetlands are an important resource for the people of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario. They should be evaluated and protected to the fullest extent possible.

Result

BE IT RESOLVED THAT Item 9 be referred back to staff for further study, such study to include a wetland evaluation on the property by representatives of the City, the Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Natural Resources.