Hunt Club Neighbourhood Plan
Existing Conditions Report
November, 1997
(Final)

City of Ottawa Department of Planning, Economic Development and Housing

Table of Contents

1.0 PLANNING CONTEXT 

1.1 INTRODUCTION 

As a significant amount of time has passed since these planning studies were originally approved and new land use issues have emerged with the development of the area, it was considered appropriate to undertake a neighbourhood planning exercise in order to update the planning policies to guide future development of the study area in a comprehensive manner. As a result, the Hunt Club Neighbourhood Plan study was incorporated into the Department's 1996 work program. In April, 1996 Council also provided further direction that the results of the neighbourhood planning study be incorporated into the Official Plan as a Secondary Policy Plan. The updated neighbourhood plan would be used as the basis for amendments to the Official Plan (including a Secondary Policy Plan) and Zoning By-law.

This neighbourhood planning study is being undertaken in three phases: 1. An analysis of existing conditions. 2. Identification and evaluation of alternatives, including a preferred alternative. 3. Preparation of a draft and final Neighbourhood Plan.

This report constitutes the first phase, analysis of existing conditions in the neighbourhood.

During the preparation of this report, the public consultation program provided input by way of Public Advisory Committee (PAC) meetings, open house presentations, workshops, mail outs and articles in the community newspapers. 

1.2 LOCATION 

Two City of Ottawa Official Plan neighbourhood monitoring areas make up the Hunt Club Neighbourhood Plan study area. Hunt Club, the area east of Riverside Drive, is predominately residential while Uplands-Riverside, the area west of Riverside Drive, is predominantly residential north of Hunt Club Road and predominantly vacant¹ south of Hunt Club Road. Other prominent areas of the neighbourhood include the 67 hectare Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club and the vacant National Capital Commission (NCC) owned Southern Corridor, including McCarthy Woods and adjacent meadowlands, located along the northerly portion of the study area.

The study area boundaries, approved by City Council on December 18, 1996, are based on physical barriers such as rail lines and the Rideau River and adjoining municipal, ward, and neighbourhood boundaries. Although the South Keys Shopping Centre site forms part of the 1985 Hunt Club Secondary Policy Plan, the site is not included in the study area based on the Council approved boundaries. The planning for the shopping centre has been essentially completed and it is now in a different City ward than the Hunt Club neighbourhood. Nevertheless, the need for convenient pedestrian and cycling access to the shopping centre and associated transitway facilities and the environmental association with the Southern Corridor lands is an ongoing issue that has been identified by Hunt Club residents.

¹"Vacant" refers to the use of land that has no development as defined in Chapter 1.7 of the City of Ottawa Official Plan, but does not include dedicated parks. 

2.0 POLICY OVERVIEW 

2.1 FEDERAL POLICIES 

2.1.1 Federal Land Use Plan 

On the periphery of the neighbourhood the Ottawa International Airport is designated as a Secondary Federal Node and Plane Terminal. The 1994 Airport Master Plan and the Land Use in the Vicinity of Airports documents have some development impacts in the study area with regard to noise and electronic zoning. Lastly, the FLUP also designated the Airport Parkway (now transferred to the Region) as a Parkway and Driveway. 

2.1.2 Airport Master Plan 

2.1.3 Land Use in the Vicinity of Airports 

It should be noted that the Provincial Policy Statement (See Section 2.2) goes beyond Transport Canada's guidelines and prohibits new residential development above 30 NEF. This policy has a major impact west of Riverside Drive, affecting lands being proposed for future residential development.

Also forming part of this document are regulations for electronic zoning which protect an Instrument Land System localizer that is situated at the end of runway 14-32. These regulations establish height restrictions which ensure that objects do not interfere with signals being provided to aircraft. From the January 7, 1997 staff rezoning report on 4160 Riverside Drive, it would appear that a 1.2 metre height limit for metallic objects and a 2.5 metre height limit for non-metallic objects may affect a portion of this site where commercial/industrial uses have been proposed. Also affected by the electronic zoning provisions is the site to the north at 4070 Riverside Drive (See Sections 9.1.5 and 9.1.6 for more information on the status of these two sites). 

2.2 PROVINCIAL POLICIES 

The relevant policy guidelines are: 

2.1.2 Land requirements and land use patterns will be based upon:

1. the provision of sufficient land for industrial, commercial, residential recreational, open space and institutional uses to promote employment opportunities, and for an appropriate range and mix of housing, to accommodate growth projected for a time horizon of up to 20 years;
2. densities which:
   1. efficiently use land, resources, infrastructure and public service facilities;
   2. avoid the need for unnecessary and/or uneconomical expansion of infrastructure;
   3. support the use of public transit...;
   4. are appropriate to the type of sewage and water systems which are planned or available...;
3. the provision of a range of uses in areas which have existing or planned infrastructure to accommodate them.
4. development standards which are cost effective and which will minimize land consumption and reduce servicing costs;
5. providing opportunities for redevelopment, intensification and revitalization in areas that have sufficient existing and planned infrastructure.

To protect airports from incompatible development:

1. New residential development and othe sensitive land uses will not be permitted in areas near airports above 30 NEF/NEP, as set on maps (as revised from time to time) approved by Transport Canada: but
2. Redevelopment of existing residential uses and other sensitive infilling of residential and other sensitive land uses may be considered above 30 NEF/NEP if it has been demonstrated that there will be no negative impacts on the long-term function of the airport.

2.3 REGIONAL OFFICIAL PLAN 

2.3.1 Existing Regional Official Plan 

The Regional Plan also includes housing policies encouraging residential intensification and an adequate supply of affordable housing. Other polices address the existing transportation networks and planned improvements and extensions. These transportation policies are directed towards protecting required rights-of-way for future linkages as well as road widenings for existing ones. Riverside Drive and Hunt Club Road are identified in the Plan as Regional roads.

Policies and land use designations in the City of Ottawa Official Plan must conform to the Regional Official Plan. 

2.3.2 New Regional Official Plan 

Other changes from the existing Regional Plan include the designation of McCarthy Woods within the southerly boundary of the neighbourhood as a Natural Environment Area "A". This designation includes significant natural areas of such high quality that the intrusion of development would pose a severe risk to their continued health. The achievement of Regional Council's objectives for such areas will require long-term management, restoration and enhancement.

Another modification is that continuous strip of Waterfront Open Space along the Rideau River north of Hunt Club Road now has two sections of General Urban Area. South of Hunt Club Road, the Rideau River frontage is now Business Park, General Urban Area and Natural Environment Area "A".

For the transportation network, the new Plan deleted the Inner Provincial Bypass and adds the Airport Parkway to the Regional road network reflecting the parkway's transference from the NCC to the Region. Also new is a Rail Rapid Transit Corridor for a future commuter rail route along the rail line near and along the northerly boundary of the neighbourhood. 

2.4 CITY OF OTTAWA OFFICIAL PLAN

The Airport Parkway corridor and the NCC Southern Corridor lands between McCarthy Road and the Airport Parkway along the northerly boundary of the neighbourhood are all designated as Linkage. In the Uplands-Riverside area, the shoreline of the Rideau River is designated as Waterway Corridor in the most northerly corner of the neighbourhood, with the remainder of the shoreline designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA). A undeveloped park block on the northwest corner of Hunt Club Road and Riverside Drive is designated as Major Open Space. McCarthy Woods, in the northerly portion of the neighbourhood, designated as an ESA, has northern, eastern and southern boundaries defined by existing land uses but a western boundary that is less well defined, as it succeeds into meadowlands.

In addition to the Greenway System, the meadowlands to the west of McCarthy Woods is designated as a Special Study Area for which a secondary planning study is necessary to determine the appropriate Official Plan designation(s) as described in Section 9.4. McCarthy Park is designated as a Major Leisure Area as it has sports fields and the community centre serving the neighbourhood.

North of Hunt Club Road, a Secondary Employment Centre (SEC) is designated along the west side of Riverside Drive, including the Cognos office building on the east side of Riverside Drive. The applicability of the SEC designation, given the residential development of much of the area, is discussed further in Section 9.3. South of Hunt Club Road, much of the area is designated as a Business Employment Area (BEA), (although a portion of the 4160 Riverside Drive site is designated Residential Area), including the lands fronting on the south side of Hunt Club Road north of the airport. BEAs feature low profile/density business park type development having at least 2000 employees.

Two Site Specific Policies also apply to this area west of Riverside Drive. North of Hunt Club Road, development, as a general guide, is restricted to a gross floor space index of 1.0 and higher buildings are to be located along Riverside Drive. Water-oriented uses, such as marina and a beach, are allowed along the Rideau River in the northwest corner of the neighbourhood and a publicly accessible trail system is permitted notwithstanding the ESA designations on Schedule A - Land Use. South of Hunt Club Road, the gross floor space index, as a general guide, is limited to 0.5. Building heights are to be controlled to ensure that flight paths out of Ottawa International Airport are respected. The development of a publicly accessible trail system is encouraged and the existing detached dwelling residential uses fronting the Rideau River are permitted, notwithstanding the ESA designations on Schedule A - Land Use.

Any changes to the land use designations proposed in the Neighbourhood Plan will require an Official Plan Amendment (OPA) to Schedule A. In addition, as the neighbourhood plan is to be incorporated into the Official Plan as a Secondary Policy Plan, the format and content of the neighbourhood plan must conform to and help implement the policy directives of the Primary Plan (which is Volume 1 of the Official Plan). An amendment may also be required to the Regional Official Plan depending upon the final recommendations of the study. 

2.5 HUNT CLUB SECONDARY POLICY PLAN

The 1985 Plan designated the neighbourhood under several land use categories - Low, Medium and High Density Residential, Park Area, Major Open Space Area, Temporary Open Space, Institutional Area, Commercial Area and Industrial Area. The Major Activity Centre shown on Map 4 (now South Keys Shopping Centre) is not included in this neighbourhood planning exercise as discussed in Section 1.2.

The Low Density Residential Area category includes lower density row dwellings, singles, semi-detached and duplexes. Medium Density Residential Areas includes apartment and row dwellings between 173 and 312 persons per net hectare, while High Density Residential Areas includes mainly apartments at a density between 312 and 370 persons per hectare. Related and complementary accessory uses are also permitted in all the residential categories.

Park Areas include community and district parks, while the Temporary Open Space designation of the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club indicates that the lands are privately owned and that they will not necessarily remain indefinitely as open space, nor is there free public access, nor will they be purchased by the municipality at any time. There has been no indication from the club that they have any plans to redevelop their property.

The Government Functional Area includes all uses in the Major Open Space Area and Federal government building groups - McCarthy Woods is included in this area. Institutional Areas includes schools, places of worship, civic and community facilities and public utility installations. An Industrial Area - the lands along the south side of Hunt Club Road north of the Airport - includes industrial uses with limited nuisance features. Commercial Areas include local shopping, local commercial service facilities, and public utility installations.

Other policies established a maximum population of 17,000, based on the capacity of collector sewers and roads, optimum school population and residential development forms. On Map 4 a pedestrian way is shown through the neighbourhood along the roadway system linking across the airport Parkway to the South Keys Shopping Centre.

Overall, the neighbourhood has developed in accordance with the 1985 plan. One anticipated changes to the land use designations would be the Government Functional Area designation of McCarthy Woods and the adjacent meadowlands to more appropriate designations.

2.6 UPLANDS-RIVERSIDE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

1. The most northern part of the area, owned by the NCC, was to be reserved for a Regional transportation corridor (with the westerly extension of Hunt Club Road and the designation of the rail line along the northerly property boundary as a rapid rail transit route, this corridor is no longer required for a roadway), and open space.
2. A continuous open space system, including recreational trails along the Rideau River, to preserve the natural and environmental amenities was to be acquired and developed by the City. This acquisition has occurred in the two residential subdivisions at 3626 and 3700-50 Riverside Drive.
3. The remaining lands north of Hunt Club Road were designated and zoned as residential, with limited commercial uses such as offices and hotels. All of the lands (other than St. Mary's Cement site located at 3860 Riverside Drive which is vacant) have developed as entirely low to medium density residential, with no commercial component. The St. Mary's Cement site was recently the subject of an Official Plan Amendment application to redesignate it from Secondary Employment Centre to Residential Area. However, this application was withdrawn on October 28, 1997.
4. The area south of Hunt Club Road was designated major industrial, with limited commercial uses such as offices, hotels and highway commercial, but presently remains vacant. A 1988 amendment, approved by City Council, permitted residential uses on part of the 4160 Riverside Drive site. A 1992 business park subdivision proposal for 4070 Riverside Drive remains on hold (See Section 9.1.5), while a residential rezoning and subdivision proposal for 4160 Riverside Drive is currently the subject of an Ontario Municipal Board hearing.

3.0 DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS 

3.1 POPULATION 

Hunt Club's population is younger than the rest of the city with 27% under 20 years of age in 1996 compared to 18% for the overall city. This statistic is reflective of a newer suburban neighbourhood which has a higher proportion of ground-oriented units which are attractive to families with children. Correspondingly, the percentage of the population at least 55 years of age or older is lower in Hunt Club (14% compared to 24%) than for the city as a whole. In Hunt Club, in 1996, 48% of the population was male, 52% was female, almost identical to the city's percentages of 47% and 53% respectively. These demographic trends are important in the planning and provision of community facilities that meet the needs of a population going through different stages of the life cycle.

Currently the need for an expanded community centre to provide additional indoor recreational facilities has been identified and will form part of this study (See Section 9.5). The Community Services Department has also committed to reviewing the conditions of parks located in the Hunt Club area to determine if they are meeting the needs of residents. The need for a permanent library facility and social services, including a community resource centre have also been raised as community issues. However, the library issue affects a much larger geographic area of south Ottawa and an analysis of the need for social services is beyond the purview of a neighbourhood land use plan. Social service agencies and the Regional Social Services Department are better equipped to undertake such analysis. 

3.2 INCOME 

3.3 EMPLOYMENT 

3.4 LANGUAGE AND IMMIGRATION 

3.5 MOBILITY 

4.0 LAND USE AND ZONING 

4.1 RESIDENTIAL USES

In Hunt Club the predominant unit type (48%) is row dwelling units, although in actual land area single and semi-detached units take up the majority of the residential lands because of their lower density of development. Row dwellings tend to be concentrated along the collector streets (McCarthy, Uplands and Paul Anka) as well as west of Riverside Drive and north of Hunt Club Road. The highest density development in the neighbourhood is concentrated at the intersection of Paul Anka Drive and Uplands Drive. At 2260 Paul Anka Drive there is a 12 storey, 232 unit apartment building adjacent to McCarthy Park to the east. On the south side of Paul Anka Drive adjacent to the Hunt Club shopping plaza is a 10 and an 8 storey apartment building.

The building profile of the residential area is generally low, one to two storeys for single and semi-detached dwellings and two to three storeys for townhouse and low-rise apartment buildings. Only three buildings are more than 4 storeys in height, and as previously mentioned they are located on Paul Anka Drive. 

4.2 COMMERCIAL USES/PRIVATE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES 

The Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club is a private recreational facility that has been developed as a golf course. Although the golf club is labelled as a "park" on Map 6, based on the coding system used by the City of Ottawa for colour land use maps, it is recognized that in fact it is not a dedicated City park providing passive and active community leisure facilities to the neighbourhood. 

4.3 OPEN SPACE, PARKS AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES 

4.3.1 Open Space 

4.3.2 Parks 

Owl Park serves the eastern part of the neighbourhood, located between two elementary schools on Owl Drive. Facilities include sports fields, an outdoor rink, four tennis courts, play equipment and a wading pool.

In the southern part of Hunt Club there are two parks, Paul Landry and Cahill. Paul Landry Park has play equipment, a basketball pad, and benches, while Cahill Park has play equipment, an informal sports field and benches.

Located in the western part of the neighbourhood are two dedicated parks. Uplands Park, located east of Riverside Drive, has a playing field, double tennis courts, play equipment and benches. The large Uplands-Riverside Park located west of Riverside Drive along the Rideau River is a recent undeveloped park that has been created from the parkland dedication by the residential subdivisions at 3626 and 3700-50 Riverside Drive. In addition to this park is a children's play area between the two subdivisions, to be constructed in 1997. A pathway and active recreational facilities are to be developed, following a public consultation process, in the future.

Gillespie Park, located to the northwest of Hackett Street has a "park" name but in fact is not a dedicated park. It is actually a fenced (no public access) stormwater management pond known as the Hackett-Riverside pond. As this site does not fits the definition of a park, this study will recommend that Gillespie Park be renamed to reflect its actual condition as a stormwater management pond. On the northwest corner of Hunt Club Bridge and Riverside Drive is a 2.4 hectare site owned by the RMOC which the City of Ottawa is currently negotiating to purchase for a future park with active recreational facilities. 

4.3.3 Community Facilities 

Residents of a City Living housing development on Uplands Drive have constructed an informal baseball diamond and gardens in the Southern Corridor lands south of McCarthy Woods. 

4.4 INSTITUTIONAL USES 

There is one place of worship in Hunt Club - the Emmanual Apostolic Church located on McCarthy Road. Population growth in Hunt Club may provide opportunities for additional places of worship to locate in the area.

One other City of Ottawa facility serving the neighbourhood is Firehall #9, located on the northwest corner of McCarthy Road and Twyford Street. 

4.5 INDUSTRIAL USES 

4.6 HERITAGE 

Historical development of the community is represented by the two houses at the corner of Bowesville and Hunt Club Roads which appear to be all that remains of the village of Bowesville. The community was disbanded in 1951 as the land was expropriated for the construction of the airport and the Uplands base. Bowesville was the location of the first Gloucester town meeting in 1832, the same year the Rideau Canal was completed. Other historical house sites in the study area include the former Ossian Hall and its wharf and the Dowler House, both located near Fines's Flowers.

The Southern Corridor lands are the only remaining vestiges of the lands referred to in the poems of Archibald Lampman, the famous Canadian poet. The Southern Corridor lands were farmed and also used for fox hunting as far back as 1878. A permanent meeting place for the fox hunt was established in 1907, which later became the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. 

4.7 DEVELOPMENT TRENDS 

Development in the area located west of Riverside Drive and north of Hunt Club Road has varied from the original residential-office-hotel mix of the 1985 neighbourhood plan. Subsequent zoning and Official Plan Amendments (OPA) have resulted primarily in residential townhouse development now completed or under construction. The vacant St. Mary's Cement site was recently the subject of an OPA application to remove the Secondary Employment Centre designation to faciltate future residential development as discussed in Sections 2.6 and 9.3.

South of Hunt Club Road, a proposal to change the Business Employment Area Official Plan designation and industrial zoning of 4160 Riverside Drive to a Residential Area designation and residential zoning is currently before the Ontario Municipal Board. For 4070 Riverside Drive, immediately to the north, a 1992 subdivision and rezoning application for a business park has been on hold in order for the property owners to resolve access, servicing and circulation issues.

Other city-wide trends that may affect the neighbourhood would be increased numbers of residents operating home-based businesses or telecommuting. Home-based businesses are regulated by the Zoning By-law to ensure they do not become a nuisance to the neighbourhood. Increased telecommuting would reduce the traffic impact on the road network during peak periods. 

4.8 EXISTING AND PROPOSED ZONING PROVISIONS 

By-law Z-2K

R2 and R3

low density residential zones and R8 low-medium density residential zone for the detached dwelling areas, R4-x - for four semi-detached dwellings areas and a P-x zone for some of the detached dwellings along the Rideau River south of Hunt Club Road.

R4

for various townhouse developments and R5, R6 and R9 for mixed townhouse and apartment developments.

R7

for the vacant residential apartment site at 3596 Riverside Drive.

RO and C1-c [59]

zones covering the mostly townhouse development at 3700-50 Riverside Drive and the undeveloped St Mary's Cement site.

C1-c and C1-b

for two retail commercial areas, Cognos office building, Fine's Flowers and for the commercial/industrial uses on the south side of Hunt Club Road east of the airport.

M1

industrial zones for the northerly part of the neighbourhood, including part of McCarthy Woods, the remaining lands along the Rideau River located mostly south of Hunt Club Road and one site on the south side of Hunt Club Road immediately east of the airport.

P

zone covering the school sites, the golf club, the Airport Parkway lands, part of the Southern Corridor lands adjacent to the built-up area of Hunt Club.

P-x and PL-x

zones for the park sites.

G

Government zone covering the airport related uses on the south side of Hunt Club Road immediately north of the airport.

Draft Zoning By-law

R1A, D, E, G, N and K

detached house zones.

R2A and D

for the four semi-detached housing areas.

R3A, E, F and J, R4A and R5A

for various townhouse developments.

R6A

for the mixed apartment/townhouse developments and R6B for the vacant apartment site at 3596 Riverside Drive.

CG, CG2 and 3 - General Commercial

zone for Fine's Flowers and the commercial strip on the northeast corner of Uplands and Riverside Drives as well as the south side of Hunt Club Road east of the airport and west of Uplands Drive.

CS - Shopping Centre and CG4

zones for the plaza on the southwest corner of McCarthy Road and Paul Anka Drive and adjacent commercial uses respectively.

CE - Employment Centre

zone for the Cognos office building and 3860 Riverside Drive.

IL - Light Industrial Zone

for the northerly part of the neighbourhood including part of McCarthy Woods and the area west of Riverside Drive and south of Hunt Club Road; IL2 for the lands on the south side of Hunt Club Road immediately north of the airport.

I1 - Minor Institutional

zone covering the two elementary schools, the surplus high school site, a church and two properties on the south side of Hunt Club Road adjacent to the Airport Parkway.

L1 - Major Open Space

zone for the future park south of St. Mary's Cement site,

L2 - Leisure Linkage

zone for the Airport Parkway lands and the adjoining corridor to McCarthy Road, L3 and L3A-Community Leisure zone for the parks, the vacant elementary school site and the golf course, and

L4 - Major Leisure Area

for McCarthy Park.

EW - Waterway Corridor

covering the area along the Rideau River north of the 3700-50 Riverside Drive development, including the sewage treatment plant, and ES-Environmentally Sensitive Area zone for two strips of detached dwellings along the Rideau River south of Hunt Club Road.

Flood Plain provisions

apply to parts of the zones that abut the Rideau River.

5.0 TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS 

5.1 INTRODUCTION 

5.2 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ROUTES 

Schedule I - Hunt Club Land Use Plan of the Official Plan shows a pedestrian way connecting from Cahill Drive West to the South Keys Shopping Centre across the Airport Parkway. As with the bicycle pathway, this connection could also be part of a future twinning of the Airport Parkway, unless other means of achieving it become available. Another pedestrian oriented matter, the extension of the sidewalk network on Regional roads, is being addressed by a new Regional sidewalk priority program. The future trail system along the Rideau River is discussed in Section 2.6

A petition from residents on Pattermead Crescent for a pedestrian connection to Hunt Club Road was received during the preparation of this report. As no public land is available for a connection, it could only be considered at the time of redevelopment of 1053 Hunt Club Road, a 1.11 hectare parcel on the east curve of Pattermead Crescent. The issue of costs of noise attenuation barriers would also have to be addressed.

5.3 ROAD NETWORK 

Map 12 illustrates the existing (mostly 1996) AM and PM peak hour traffic volumes in the neighbourhood. Some roads, such as McCarthy Road, are experiencing traffic volumes above the Official Plan guidelines for roads under municipal jurisdiction. However, it is important to recognize that the Official Plan's description of various roadway classifications includes traffic volumes that are only guidelines, or indicators, of typical traffic volumes on City streets. It is not uncommon, unusual or necessarily inappropriate for traffic volumes to be in excess of these guidelines. Higher traffic volumes are considered reasonable when:

• land use planning decisions (e.g., community centre on a local street) demand higher access requirements to the community;
• the specific land use and intensity adjacent to the roadway generates higher volumes of traffic;
• the traffic on the road is predominantly local traffic only.
• the local roadway system is designed to concentrate traffic on "major" streets to minimize spillover of traffic to local streets.

5.4 TRANSIT SERVICE 

• Riverside Drive
• Hunt Club Road
• McCarthy Road
• Uplands Drive
• Paul Anka Drive
• Plante Drive
• West Cahill Drive

5.5 TRUCK ROUTES 

• Riverside Drive
• Hunt Club Road

6.0 INFRASTRUCTURE 

6.1 WATER 

6.2 SANITARY SEWER

The City of Ottawa provides local sanitary sewer service to the entire developed area of Hunt Club and the system is generally in good condition. The existing sanitary system in the area was designed to provide adequate capacity to meet the needs of the area assuming development within the approved sewer drainage areas built-out to the maximum level permitted under the zoning provisions at the time of construction of the system. Any new development not within these assumptions would require specific assessment to ensure no adverse impact on the existing sewer system. The NCC Southern Corridor lands are not included in the approved drainage areas for existing City sewers within the study area boundary. New sewers would be required to accommodate any future development. 

6.3 STORM SEWERS AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT 

The entire piped storm drainage system was designed to provide design level capacity to meet the needs of the area assuming development within the approved sewer drainage areas for the existing sewers built-out to the maximum level permitted under the zoning provisions at the time of construction of the system. Any new development not within these assumptions would require specific assessment of storm drainage needs. The NCC Southern Corridor lands are not included in the approved drainage areas for existing City sewers within the study area boundary. New sewers would be required to accommodate any future development. Stormwater management provisions would typically be required for any new development anywhere within the neighbourhood at this time. All future development in the area is required to contribute cash-in-lieu of storm water quality based on the area of impervious surface. 

6.4 GAS 

6.5 ELECTRICITY AND STREET LIGHTING

Ottawa Hydro supplies the entire Hunt Club neighbourhood with electrical power and street lighting. The neighbourhood is serviced with 13 kilovolt and 4 kilovolt lines from Albion TA (located on Albion Road south of Walkley Road), with backup from Riverside TR and Russell TB. A study prepared by Ottawa Hydro in September, 1996 showed that the Albion TA was close to capacity and in order to accommodate the expected increase in load of approximately 20MW over the next 20 years, load would have to be transferred to both Riverdale TR and Russell TB. In order to accomplish this, new circuits would be required from Riverdale TR into the Confederation Heights area and from Albion TA into the Hunt Club study area. Therefore, Ottawa Hydro would require at least 18 months notice in order to provide additional electrical service into this area. 

6.6 TELEPHONE AND CABLEVISION 

7.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS 

7.1 EARTH SCIENCE FEATURES 

7.1.1 Geology and Soils 

7.1.2 Topography and Drainage 

A small stream in the Rideau River watershed area of the neighbourhood, Hunt Club Creek, is a source of pollution of the Rideau River. Consequently, a 1995 Hunt Club Creek watershed study was undertaken to examine means of improving the water quality. The pollution problem stems from the conversion of the Hackett-Riverside stormwater management pond from a dry to a wet pond. The conversion was done in response to residents's complaints of sediment build-up, algae mats and odours. However, this action reduced the capacity of the pond to hold and treat stormwater, particularly during wet weather.

The key recommendations of the study were the following:

1. Upgrading and deepening of the pond on City property;
2. Instream enhancements and related source controls on DND and the golf club properties along the creek upstream of the pond;
3. A public education program regarding surface water quality in the watershed;
4. Construction of a wetland downstream of the pond; and,
5. Water quality monitoring of the watershed.

The City through the Department of Engineering and Works is proceeding with the implementation of recommendations 1 and 3 above and understands that recommendation 2 is being or has been implemented by the other property owners. Recommendation 5 will be implemented as other works are undertaken. Still outstanding is recommendation 4, involving the construction of a wetland on NCC lands on the west side of Riverside Drive north of Fine's Flowers, to provide stormwater management for the adjacent lands. Implementation of this recommendation will be a condition of approval to be satisfied prior to the development of these lands. 

7.2 LIFE SCIENCE FEATURES 

7.2.1 Vegetation 

Old field vegetation dominated by grasses and herbs, with scattered clumps of trees and shrubs occurs in the meadowlands immediately to the west and east of the Woods. A wetland exists mostly at the northeast corner of McCarthy Road and the CNR line east of McCarthy Woods. One resident has identified this wetland as a willow thicket swamp. West of Riverside Drive, the lower lands between the Rideau River and the steep slopes of the escarpment are heavily wooded.

Lastly, there is an approximately 25 hectare woodlot on the south side of Hunt Club Road east of the airport on DND lands of which only a small portion is in the study area boundaries. The woodlot consists of a white pine plantation adjacent to Hunt Club Road as well as a mixed deciduous forest of varying age. 

7.2.2 Animal Life 

7.3 ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS AREAS 

7.3.1 McCarthy Woods 

McCarthy Woods is important as a natural linkage between the Sawmill Creek corridor to the east and the Rideau River to the west. 

7.3.2 Rideau River Shore and Woods 

7.3.3 Sawmill Creek Corridor 

The most significant environmental function of the Sawmill Creek corridor is as part of a natural linkage between the Greenbelt forest area to the south and McCarthy Woods. It is also significant as a passive recreation area and is considered as an area suitable for environmentally sensitive pathway development. Gore and Storrie's 1994 watershed study also strongly recommends control of development to ensure minimum impacts of pollutants, ground water depletion, runoff volumes and potential downstream peak flows and erosion. In addition, the Sawmill Creek Valley Lands Management Strategy and Water Management Strategy, approved in principle by City Council in 1992 as a component of the Gore and Storrie watershed study, recommends specific management practices that should be applied to various reaches in the Creek, and outlines a methodology given land ownerships and funding agreements, etc. 

7.3.4 Cahill Tributary 

The area surrounding Cahill tributary is predominately herb, grass dominated old fields. There is no woody vegetation along the tributary with the exception of some mature crack willows, apples, and hawthorns in poor condition. It is a highly altered watercourse which appears to be organically and nutrient polluted to some level and does not contribute significantly to fish habitat productivity. Aquatic habitat is limited due to lack of instream cover, habitat diversity, and tree cover, and poor instream physical habitat. However, there may be some potential for fish habitat productivity as groundwater may be discharging in the area.

There are currently two projects being planned along the Cahill tributary. Firstly, the RMOC is planning to construct access ramps to the Airport Parkway at Hunt Club Road. The construction of the ramps will result in a direct loss of habitat along the tributary over a length of 45 metres and a width of 3 metres. This section of creek will be placed in steel culvert, however, the riparian zone of the creek will be enhanced with the establishment of live willow stakes. In addition, the bottom of the culvert and disturbed channel will be filled with riverstones of variable size. This project has been recently approved by Regional Council.

A constructed wetland is being planned and designed for the lands just north of the Cahill Tributary between South Keys Shopping Centre and the Airport Parkway. The constructed wetland was recommended as part of the Sawmill Creek Watershed Study to address water quality and flooding issues. An environmental assessment was conducted to determine the preferred design concept for the constructed wetland. It is proposed to construct a wetland that will ultimately consist of three wetland cells and occupy approximately 8 hectares. These cells will provide stormwater treatment through natural biological process and will be vegetated with wetland plants. In addition, the wetland will be designed to accommodate public use through a pathway network. In the future, Cahill tributary will flow directly into the wetland. It is proposed to construct the wetland in phases with the first two cells being constructed in 1998, and costing an estimated $2.9 million. 

7.3.5 4160 Riverside Drive 

Approximately 28 hectares or 80% of the property consists of predominantly maple and mixed upland deciduous forest. Two distinct yet contiguous upland stands are on the site. One fronts onto the Rideau River, and is approximately 75 years old. The other located on the tableland is roughly 50 years old, and encompasses a ravine system and intermittent tributaries and gullies that drain to the Rideau River. These tributaries drain into the Rideau River just downstream of the Black Rapids Dam, where approximately 35 species of fish are know to exist. Some forest interior bird species have also been found on the site. The balance of the site (north eastern section) has been disturbed at various times since 1945 by sand extraction, and is not vegetated. 

7.4 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINT AREAS 

mAP 15

Other environmental constraints are the NEF and NEP contours for airport noise affecting the undeveloped areas west of Riverside Drive as noted in the discussion in Section 2.1.3 regarding the Land Use in the Vicinity of Airports document. In addition, there are abandoned or redeveloped pits/quarries in the neighbourhood, including three former sand pits located north and one south of Hunt Club Road. The former McCarthy Road Quarry (south of Owl Drive and east of McCarthy Road), is an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest. The quarry, now mostly developed, is a section through the Middle Ordovician Bedrock formation. References Brunton, Daniel. "Ecologically Sensitive Areas Within the City of Ottawa", 1993. Dugal, Albert and Camfield, Martha. "Southern Corridor Plant List", 1997. Fenco MacLaren Inc. "Rideau River Ice Management Study", 1995. Geological Survey of Canada, Map 1425A, 1974. Gore and Storrie Ltd. "Sawmill Creek Watershed Study Data Report", 1992. "Sawmill Creek Watershed Study", 1994.

8.0 COMMUNITY ISSUES AND CONCERNS 

Transportation Issues 

Land Use/Zoning Issues 

• Concerned about the loss of McCarthy Woods and the entire southern corridor to industrial and commercial development.
• Make sure all of the Greenway Corridor (separating Riverside Park and Hunt Club) is preserved (This was the most frequently mentioned concern).
• NCC's position that the Southern Corridor lands are no longer in the Federal interest and are not required for a transportation corridor. NCC would like to dispose of the lands and feels that residential use may be appropriate in certain locations.
• City should buy the NCC lands (southern corridor) for the community or rezone and change Official Plan designation to greenspace.
• No development of industrial land at Hunt Club and Riverside with heavy industry - at both the NW and SW corner of the bridge.
• Want better mix of housing/commercial/industrial west of McCarthy to Rideau River along Riverside Drive.
• No more high density housing.
• Want site plans that are more sensitive to existing natural areas/features (e.g. south of Twyford/ McCarthy/ Cahill - school site and remnant lands along Riverside/southern corridor). Conserve as much of the natural landscape as possible. Don't want another South Keys experience.
• What will happen to the Airport and DND lands? What will happen on the base?
• The Greenway should be defined as part of the neighbourhood plan study.

Community Facilities/Social Issues 

• Development of recreational facilities along the river frontage.
• Enlarge the community centre - it is bursting - needs to be bigger.
• Have any lands been set aside for a permanent library?
• High School needed in neighbourhood.
• Should have community gardens within walking distance of high density areas.
• Need a place/programs for teenagers in the Uplands/ Riverside area to address teenage crime in area.
• Tot pool in Owl Park being used by skateboarders = problem. Need to provide a place for skateboarders.
• Need a larger sized swimming pool in the area.
• Put in a dirt parking lot/pedestrian access off of Riverside Drive so that the public could access McCarthy Woods.
• Need a bus shelter on the west side of McCarthy and Fielding for students.
• Need immigration support services for immigrants and other low income groups.
• High school site should be a park or left in its natural state or a retirement home site.

Environmental Issues 

• Hunt Club Creek should be treated like a creek and not a stormwater management device. Foam on the creek resulting from fertilizer used by the golf course.
• More vegetation should be planted along Hunt Club Road (ie. sumac). Need something to cut the pollution.
• Promote grey water for watering lawns and gardens.
• Garbage containers for dog waste - McCarthy Woods, Twyford and Cahill.
• Preservation of wetlands around Airport Parkway and natural areas such as McCarthy Woods, including wildlife corridors and major open spaces.
• Waterway abatement for Sawmill Creek and improve water quality and cleanliness in Sawmill Creek and Rideau River.
• Control population density to maintain quality of life.
• Air, water quality and noise issues.
• A now seasonal stream that ran through the grassland behind Vanhurst Place was disturbed by development and there is regular flooding in the grassland every spring.

Safety Issues 

• Want increased policing.
• Impose curfews in parks, (e.g., Owl Park).
• Lockup basketball hoops at night. Better lighting in parks might discourage people from hanging out at night.
• Better street lighting along Uplands Drive.

Public Involvement Issues

• Concerned that community input will have no value. e.g. South Keys - nobody asked the community if they wanted or needed a shopping mall.
• Monitor tax money and understand where it is spent and can be used in the Hunt Club community. Extensive development in Hunt Club is generating revenue that is not seen as benefiting the community while taxpayers pay the full costs because of waived development charges. Developers in the area are paying cash in lieu of parkland and parkland is set aside in unsuitable areas without public consultation.
• Use world wide web to support community participation.

Heritage Issues 

• McCarthy Quarry and cliffs along side Quarry Co-op and Plante Drive
• Gravel Pits
• St Mary's Cement works
• Wemys Junction (CPR rail lines)
• Cottages on Rideau River
• Farmhouse used as halfway house
• Houses used by groundskeepers for Golf Course
• Fines Nursery and Greenhouses
• Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club
• DND Marina
• Relocated log building in Shearwater Court
• "The Uplands" (NCC Southern Corridor), based on poem by Archibald Lampman
• The fault line at the railway bridge on Riverside Drive.

8.1 QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS 

The 43 respondents live all over the Hunt Club community, and have lived there on average for 10 years. Most have children, however not all the children live at home. Most children were either over the age of 18 years or under 14 years old. 32 live in single family houses and 14 in row houses. The number of renters and owners is unknown.

Most residents work full or part-time while the remainder are retired are homemakers or other. 65% travelled to work by car and 32% travelled by bus, while a small percentage cycled or walked. Since there were a number of people who are retired, are homemakers or other, it is then logical that some denoted that travel to work was not an issue for them. These findings were supported by both open ended questions and itemized questions.

Residents have a very strong preference for greenspaces and nature in their community. This was clear from the open ended questions asking people about their community, what they like about it and what their most important concerns were. It can also be said that people in the Hunt Club community value a quiet neighbourly environment with good traffic control, safe walkways and good bike paths.

60% of the respondents indicated that they walked in the residential areas of the community while a large percentage walk in natural spaces such as McCarthy Woods, the Southern Corridor and in open fields. 20% indicated that they liked walking to shop. Walking was also one of the main activities the respondents do in their community, followed by cycling and cross country skiing. Walking in this community is a leisurely activity and is not a main means of transport to work.

Transportation is a frequently mentioned item in this survey and considered to be important. Respondents were clear that they did not want any new roads nor any roads becoming wider. They did indicate that their tax dollars should be spent on the maintaining of existing roads and services and in the improvement of bike paths and pedestrian walkways.

Many people indicated that they lessen their use of the transitway yet the reasons are not known. Many respondents indicated that they would be encouraged to use the transitway if there was a direct route downtown and others were very clear that nothing would encourage them to use it. Another transportation issue raised in the survey was the twinning of the Airport Parkway, 45% supported doing so while 33% said they would not.

As for institutions, many respondents, namely 36%, wished to have a library. A community centre, and a place to swim both had 25% support. Not surprisingly, respondents did not want high density housing in their community. Parks were ranked as the most desired development, followed by low density housing (single family), a library and a community health centre. Commercial development was not very highly ranked, but if so, then located at the edge of the community, such as near the Hunt Club/Riverside or Riverside/Uplands intersections, on Hunt Club Road, or in South Keys Shopping Centre. It was recommended that a library be located with existing infrastructure, such as in the South Keys Shopping Centre or in the community centre. Finally, a community health centre could be centrally located.

The respondents indicated that they were concerned about the preservation of nature, high density housing, transportation issues especially to not have an increase in traffic or new roads. Crime and a lack of things to do were also important. 

9.0 SUMMARY OF ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED IN PHASE 2 

9.1 POTENTIAL FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SITES 

9.1.1 Ottawa Board of Education Vacant School Sites 

Area 1a - 735 Cahill Drive West 

Area 1b - 3155 Uplands Drive 

9.1.2 NCC Lands (Southern Corridor between the Rideau River and the Airport Parkway) 

• Area 2a - East of McCarthy Road
• Area 2b - Between Riverside Drive and McCarthy Woods
• Area 2c - West of Riverside Drive.

Development of Areas 2b and 2c will require the construction of a wetland, as outlined in the 1995 Hunt Club Creek watershed study, on NCC owned lands located on Riverside Drive immediately to the east of Area 2c. 

9.1.3 3596 Riverside Drive 

9.1.4 3860 Riverside Drive (St. Mary's Cement site) 

The site was the subject of a recent Official Plan Amendment (OPA) application (withdrawn on October 28, 1997) to replace the Secondary Employment Centre (SEC) designation with a Residential Area designation to accommodate a future residential development. The issue of the continuing applicability of the SEC designation given the current and proposed residential development of the area is discussed below in Section 9.3. Much of the site is located between the 30 and 35 NEF airport noise contours, which under the Provincial Policy Statement (See Section 2.2), would prohibit residential development. 

9.1.5 4070 Riverside Drive 

9.1.6 4160 Riverside Drive 

• airport noise, as much of the area is between the 35-40 NEF contours, in conflict with Transport Canada policies and the Provincial Policy Statement on residential development;
• non-conformity with the Official Plan (airport noise and full commercial uses in a Business Employment Area);
• impact of the airport electronic zoning (as noted for 4070 Riverside Drive) on building heights in the commercial area;
• exterior noise levels;
• transportation, school bussing, public transit and stormwater management deficiencies; and,
• compatibility and slope stability issues.

In addition, this site is designated in the Official Plan as Business Employment Area, Residential Area and ESA along the Rideau River shoreline. However, most of the site is a woodlot and has been identified as a Candidate Area by the Natural and Open Spaces Study (See Section 9.2 below). 

9.2 McCARTHY WOODS 

9.3 SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT CENTRE DESIGNATION 

A 1990 background study for the Central Area Development Capacity Analysis study did some preliminary calculations on the employment potential (3500 employees) for the Uplands-Riverside SEC based on the geographic boundaries as described above. However, 3626 and 3700-50 Riverside Drive, both located within the conceptual SEC boundaries, have now been developed as residential subdivisions. The 1991 City Council report approving the residential zoning for the subdivisions noted that the minimum 2000 employees required for a SEC could still be achieved by concentrating office development on the 3860 Riverside Drive site. The existing zoning of 3860 Riverside Drive permits a maximum of 60,835 square metres of building area, which is sufficient to accommodate at least 2000 employees. Combining 3860 Riverside Drive with the Cognos site would put the two sites well within the range of 2000-5000 employees of a SEC. Given that 3860 Riverside Drive is unsuitable for residential development because of airport noise, and that the other SEC criteria can be satisfied, a preliminary analysis would suggest that the area may be appropriately designated as a SEC. This issue will be further examined in Phase 2 of the study, including potential boundaries of the SEC. 

9.4 McCARTHY RIVERSIDE SPECIAL STUDY AREA 

9.5 HUNT CLUB/RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY CENTRE 

9.6 SAFETY AUDIT