WEST CARLETON – Tuesday (May 19) the Planning and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs (ARAC) committees will reconvene for further discussion on the urban boundary.

It’s part two of the new Official Plan growth management strategy debate.

The committees spent two days last week listening to more than 110 delegations respond to the city staff’s recommendation on “balanced growth.”

The two groups will gather virtually again tomorrow starting at 9 a.m. to consider and debate the city staff’s recommendation for balanced growth (one of three scenarios city staff proposed) which accommodates 51 per cent of residential growth through intensification (building within the current urban boundary), with an intensification target that increases to 60 per cent in the 2041 to 2046 years. City staff also recommends the inclusion of a new urban residential and employment land expansion of between 1,350 to 1,650 hectares selected using already identified criteria on the basis of strategic additions to the urban employment land base.

Following the discussion, the joint committees will decide whether they should recommend the balanced scenario to council.

“The city continues to take COVID-19 seriously and, in following the advice of provincial and federal governments, is making significant changes to services and programming to help protect the health and wellbeing of the community,” city staff said. “City Hall is temporarily closed to help stop the spread of COVID-19. In-person meetings have been cancelled. Such meetings, as warranted, will be held electronically until further notice. For more information about service disruptions, please visit our COVID-19 webpage.”

 This Meeting may be viewed online on the Ottawa City Council YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUR3i_hvk3-3i8vtrPg6v1Q.