2021/10/14
DRAFT MOTIONS – ACCESS TO GREENSPACE AND TREE CANOPY MOTION 1 – ACCESS TO GREENSAPCE
WHEREAS the City of Ottawa’s Official Plan is intended to provide a vision for the future growth of the city and a policy framework to guide the city’s physical development;
WHEREAS the City of Ottawa declared a Climate Emergency on April 24, 2019;
WHEREAS the Official Plan recognizes the role of greenspace in mitigating climate change, enhancing the health of residents and providing essential protection to people and buildings from rising temperatures and storm water.
WHEREAS these benefits accrue to residents who are in close proximity to greenspace;
WHEREAS the standards for equitable access to greenspace in the draft Official Plan are much improved;
WHEREAS there are no provisions specified to achieve equitable access and no measurement of progress toward the goal of equitable access,
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Draft Official Plan be amended as follows:
Replace subsection 4.8.3 Policy 2) “In general, and to support health, climate resiliency, accessibility, and gender and social equity, the City shall seek to provide all urban residents with the following minimum access to high quality greenspace:” with “To support health, climate resiliency, accessibility, and gender and social equity, the City shall by 2046 provide all urban residents with the following minimum access to high quality greenspace:”
Add new policies 3) and 4) to subsection 4.8.3:
3) Development and site alteration in neighbourhoods where this level of access is notcurrently achieved shall take a no net loss approach regarding greenspace.
4) Greenspace management measures will be taken to improve the equitable distribution of accessible greenspace distribution to meet minimum standards by 2046
a) Progress toward achieving these standards must be reported on a five year or term of council basis.
Current Policy 3) be re-numbered to Policy 5).
NOTE: We anticipate an alternate motion to come forward with the support of staff.
MOTION 2 – ACCESS TO CANOPY COVER
WHEREAS the City of Ottawa’s Official Plan is intended to provide a vision for the future growth of the city and a policy framework to guide the city’s physical development;
WHEREAS the City of Ottawa declared a Climate Emergency on April 24, 2019;
WHEREAS the Official Plan recognizes the role of trees in mitigating climate change, enhancing the health of residents, providing essential protection to people and buildings from rising temperatures and managing storm water;
WHEREAS these benefits accrue to residents and buildings in close proximity to trees and canopy cover;
WHEREAS equitable access to canopy cover is not defined, there are no provisions specified to achieve it and no measurement of progress toward the goal of equitable access,
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Draft Official Plan be amended as follows:
Amend subsection 4.8.2, Policy 2) by replacing “The City shall pursue an urban forest canopy cover target of 40 per cent” with
“The City shall set an overall urban forest canopy target and local targets for access to canopy by residents.
a) The City must take steps to achieve an urban forest canopy cover of 40% by 2046;
b) For neighbourhood with canopy cover currently below this threshold targets must be set targets that require steady increases in canopy cover with a view to improving equity by 80% by 2046.
c) Development and site alteration in neighbourhoods currently below the target set under 4.8.2 Policy 2(b) shall take a no net loss approach regarding canopy cover;
BE IT FURTHER BE RESOVLED THAT Subsection 4.8.2 Policy 6) be rescinded. NOTE: We anticipate an alternate motion to come forward with the support of staff.