The City of Ottawa has announced new dates for the revised Official Plan process.

Many citizens have provided comments on the new Plan. In a presentation by planning Staff on June 22nd, the City announced that plans for large-scale renewable energy power projects would be “directed” to Ottawa’s rural areas.

The revised draft Official Plan states that:

Renewable Energy Generation (in Section 4.11)

3) Renewable energy generation facilities that are subject to Provincial approvals will be permitted as a principal use within the following designations:

a) Rural Countryside;

b) Greenbelt Rural and Greenbelt Facility; and

c) Natural Environment Area sub-designation, subject to the policies of Subsection 7 .3.

4) Renewable energy generation facilities that are subject to provincial approvals and are subordinate to a principal use will be permitted within the following designations:

a) Agricultural Resource Area, only as an on-farm diversified use; and

 b) Rural Industrial and Logistics.

5) The following considerations will be used to establish zoning by-law provisions for such renewable energy generation facilities:

a) Limiting nuisance impacts. such as through siting and screening requirements;

b) Limiting impacts on significant natural heritage features and agricultural resource area lands; and

c) The ability to access the electricity transmission network and arterial roadways.

See the current version of Section 4, here

New date announcement:

In order to provide additional time for public review of the draft sections of the New Official Plan in advance of Committee and Council consideration of the final staff report, the Planning Committee co-Chairs and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Chair have agreed to move the joint statutory meeting of the Planning Committee and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee to October 14, 2021.

Please be advised of the following revised dates in respect of the consideration of the comprehensive final draft of the New Official Plan:

• Wednesday, September 29^th – Public Open House. The location and format of this meeting is to be determined. Details will be communicated at a later date.
• Thursday, October 14^th – Joint statutory meeting of the Planning Committee and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, under the Planning Act, convened in accordance with Subsection 88 of the Procedure By-law pursuant to the delegated authority granted by City Council at its meeting on February 10, 2021. The location and format of this meeting is to be determined. Details will be communicated at a later date.
• Wednesday, October 27^th – City Council Consideration of the report on the final draft of New Official Plan.

It is our view that industrial-scale wind turbines are an industrial use of the land and should not be a permitted use.