UPDATE: Claridge appeals city's Portrait Gallery zoning decision
By Peter Kovessy, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Mon, Jun 2, 2008 5:00 PM EST
Claridge Homes is among three parties appealing city council's zoning decision to permit the Ottawa developer to build a 20-storey tower and an adjacent 24-storey tower to potentially house the National Portrait Gallery.
Douglas Kelly, a lawyer acting on behalf of Claridge Homes, filed documents with the city last month to appeal the passage of the zoning bylaw to the Ontario Municipal Board. The owners of a neighbouring apartment unit have also filed an appeal, as has Centretown resident David Gladstone, according to documents provided by the city's legal department.
Claridge had originally sought permission to build two 27-storey residential towers at 187 Metcalfe Street, which is located between Lisgar and Nepean Streets and has been used as a parking lot for the past three decades. In late April, city council agreed to a zoning amendment that would permit the slightly shorter towers, even if the city's portrait gallery bid is unsuccessful.
When contacted by the
OBJ , a Claridge official said he had no comment on any of the appeals, except to say he had no reason to believe they would affect Ottawa's bid to host the portrait gallery, which was submitted last month along with proposals from Calgary and Edmonton. A message left for Mr. Kelly was not immediately returned.
In his separate appeal, David Gladstone, who is the associate editor of a not-for-profit community newspaper in Centretown, argues the rezoning fails to respect Centretown's Secondary Plan, which he says requires buildings south of Nepean Street, between Elgin and Metcalfe Streets, be substantially less than the height of the buildings in the city's central business district.
While Mr. Gladstone notes he has no objection to a museum, such as the National Portrait Gallery, being located at the site, the third appellant, James Beach of Algonquin Property Management says all land use south of Nepean Street between Elgin and Bank Street should remain primarily residential.
The company made its objection in a February letter to the city's planning department that was written before city council made its April zoning decision but was marked "Notice of Appeal." Algonquin Property Management owns properties to the west, east, south and south-west of 187 Metcalfe, according to the letter.
A spokesperson for Library and Archives Canada refused to comment on what effect, if any, the OMB appeal would have on Ottawa's bid to host the National Portrait Gallery.
Pauline Portelance said that in order to "respect the integrity of the process," the government can not disclose any information on bids, applicant cities or even the members of the selection team until a decision is made this fall.