Community head 'disappointed' after land tribunal overturns city's rejection of Dymon storage facility
Andrew Duffy, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Nov 25, 2021 • 11 minutes ago • 3 minute read
The province’s land tribunal says Ottawa city council was misguided in its bid to “save” the Merivale Triangle area by rejecting a new Dymon storage facility on Clyde Avenue.
The tribunal has overruled the city and approved the development, which includes a six-storey building with ground-floor retail, boardroom and office space, and a separate restaurant.
In overturning council’s January 2020 decision to nix the proposal, the tribunal called the Dymon project an innovative mixed-use development and “an important step toward the evolution of this area.”
Marjorie Shaver-Jones, president of the Copeland Park Community Alliance, said she was “incredibly disappointed” with the tribunal’s decision. She characterized the new development as a “sterile warehouse.”
“It’s not something we want,” she said Thursday. “We have a vision of what we want our community to be and this just doesn’t fit: We want wide sidewalks with lots of pedestrian activity, and businesses that create that activity.”
Steve Creighton, senior vice-president of the Dymon Group of Companies, said the tribunal decision reflects the recommendations of city staff and the city planning committee.
“I think what the tribunal recognized is that we’ve become an extension of people’s homes and businesses,” he said. “The city is focused on intensification, and Dymon helps it achieve that: You can live in a smaller condo or home, or work in a smaller space, and use Dymon as your overflow.”
In its decision, the Ontario Land Tribunal said it could find no basis in land use planning for council’s decision to reject Dymon’s request for a zoning exemption. The tribunal said the project, on a 1.1-hectare parcel of land near the corner of Clyde Avenue and Baseline Road, conforms with the city’s official plan and a secondary plan for Merivale Road.
The Merivale Triangle is a three-sided piece of land bounded by Clyde Avenue, Baseline Road and Merivale Road. It’s now home to several low-rise strip malls and other commercial buildings.
The city told the tribunal the Dymon development was inappropriate for a “gateway site” to the Merivale corridor.
The tribunal, however, concluded the Dymon development is suitable for an arterial road and supports planned residential growth in the area. It said the project will improve the area’s streetscape, public realm and “sense of place.”
The development represents a vast improvement over the existing strip plazas and their curbside parking lots, tribunal vice-chair Sarah Jacobs wrote, adding: “The proposed development, in introducing a six-storey, attractive building, along with a one-storey restaurant, is certainly improving the subject property and will introduce positive urban design elements to the corridor.”
City planning staff had recommended approval of Dymon’s application in November 2019. The planning committee also endorsed the project, but council rejected it by a vote of 14-8 even though city planning lawyer Tim Marc warned Dymon could successfully appeal the decision.
City council said the proposal did nothing to foster a sense of community, encourage pedestrian traffic, or add to the housing mix.
Coun. Keith Egli led the charge against the development, saying the site was ill-suited to a warehouse and not zoned for one. “I am urging you today to say that Merivale Road is not a lost cause,” he told council.
In an email Thursday, Egli said he was disappointed with the land tribunal’s ruling. “I believe this decision makes the case for looking at options for a better way to engage and incorporate community feedback into planning decisions, and especially appeals,” he said.
Shaver-Jones, who participated in the online tribunal hearing, called it a frustrating experience. She was able to make a written submission, she said, but not allowed to speak. “I felt from the very beginning that the community had no voice in this at all,” she said.
Dymon has 11 storage facilities in Ottawa and four more in various stages of development. Construction is expected to begin on the Clyde Avenue site in the spring.
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