OTTAWA – Ottawa should have a new Official Plan by the end of March 2021, after the city’s Planning committee approved a revised work plan today (March 28).

At a meeting in February, the committee requested work on the Official Plan be completed six months sooner than the November 2021 date initially proposed by staff.

To achieve the accelerated deadline, the city would need to hire additional staff to handle the required public consultations. That would free up city planning staff to concentrate on reviewing policy, writing the new Official Plan and preparing associated secondary plans and mapping.

The committee received the 2019 work plan for the Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Department.

In past years, the department reported its annual work plan solely to the Planning committee. This year, the department is reporting the entire plan to all relevant committees to provide each with a fuller picture of where their related work sits in the context of the department’s overall priorities.

The bulk of the department’s work and key initiatives for 2019 mainly relate to the Planning committee. Major projects approved by the committee include an update to the Development Charges Bylaw, reviews of residential fourth density zoning, inclusionary zoning and payday loans zoning, progress on public realm plans for Sparks Street and the ByWard Market, as well as a series of secondary plans related to the implementation of Stage 2 of light-rail transit.

 The committee also received the department’s year-end report for 2018, providing an update on key activities undertaken over the previous year. The report shows an increase in the number of planning applications received in 2018 and explores trends related to the city’s approval timelines.

Items approved at today’s Planning committee meeting will go to Council on Wednesday, April 10.