Orléans development proposal sent back for review over parking concerns

Discussions about a major development proposal in Orléans were paused after the City of Ottawa Planning and Housing Committee unanimously approved a motion sending it back for review by staff on Wednesday, Aug. 19.

Since the project was proposed in March, Orléans East-Cumberland ward Coun. Matt Luloff said, residents and local business owners have expressed concerns over the lack of dedicated parking for its 1,505 residential units in four high-rise structures and one mid-rise building.

Business owners and property managers are particularly concerned regarding the absence of resident parking for the project at 530 Brisebois Rd. and 265 Centrum Blvd, the councillor said during the committee meeting.

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“Orléans is not the downtown core,” Luloff said. “Many residents may use transit to get to work and still rely on a vehicle for children, shopping and other everyday needs.”

Luloff said a development of this scale needed a realistic traffic and parking plan from Day 1. The motion he introduced rejected the application as submitted while directing staff to continue working with the applicant on a revised proposal.

“We cannot approve 1,505 homes with no identified resident parking and leave fundamental questions about where those vehicles will go to be addressed later,” Luloff wrote in a social-media post.

The proposal from developer Forum Asset Management relied on the construction of the Orléans Town Centre LRT station, which has not yet been designed, funded or scheduled for implementation, Luloff said.

“We cannot make decisions about how this development will function today based on transit infrastructure that does not yet exist,” he said.

Tannis Vine, executive director of the Heart of Orléans BIA, said businesses feared the proposed development would push hundreds of cars into nearby streets and lots.