A zoning by-law amendment and subdivision plan revision for 6015, 6021 and 6041 Fernbank Road, submitted by Tartan Land Consultants, will come before the City of Ottawa Planning Committee on Thursday, February 10. The proposed development had previously been approved in December 2014 to allow a 546 unit subdivision with 164 single-detached homes and 282 semi-detached homes slated to be built between Fernbank Road and Kemp Woodland. The location is within the Fernbank Community Design Plan.
Tartan wants to revise the approved plan to increase the total number of houses to 636 that would include 262 townhouses, 234 single-detached homes and 140 semi-detached homes. Single and semi-detached homes would be decreased in number to allow for the 262 townhouses. The park, pathway and road locations will remain the same.
Tartan is proposing to rezone a portion of the land from the existing Residential Third Density Subzone Z, Exception 2238 (R3Z [2238]) to Residential Third Density Subzone Z with no exception. Exception 2238 only allows for single-detached and semi-detached units, so by removing the exception it will allow for the proposed townhomes in that portion of the land on the east side of the development.
In May of 2021, Councillor Gower held a community information session on the proposed development. You can watch the meeting here. To read the proposed zoning by-law amendment and subdivision plan click on this link. The original application and documents for # D02-02-21-0012 can be read here.
It’s interesting to re-read this article which tells of Tartan’s request in 2021/22 to rezone parts of its (6041) Fernbank development. In 2022, the City agreed to let Tartan add to the number of higher density townhomes but only along the eastern part near Shea Road (i.e. provide a buffer to the established neighbourhoods of Liard, Caribou and Basswood). The City did so in exchange for certain conditions (#1 – a linear park be added along the western edge; and #2 – NO townhomes allowed within 2 or 3 blocks of established dwellings). The city even established a new “exception” to the zoning that clearly indicated the town-home free area. Now, fast forward to 2026, and Tartan has come back asking that the city rezone the area bordering the established dwellings to remove the exception so that it can build town homes in that area. In other words, the City is now being asked to cancel the condition (i.e. exception) that was added to address community concerns in 2022. Those concerns have not diminished. A number of people objected to our counsellor but, to no avail. I learned tonight that the city committee will recommend that the Council approve Tartan’s request to remove the exception against building town homes in the new neighbourhood along Basswood, Caribou and Liard. I’m not an urban planner, but I suspect that the demands on traffic, etc will also increase for those 3 neighbourhoods.