Greenbelt Master Plan Review
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Greenbelt Master Plan Review Phase 1 - Step C Land Use Concept Prepared for the National Capital Commission By SENES Consultants Limited January 2012 Page Cover: Mural of the Greenbelt painted by children at Fairview Child Care Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, courtesy of Ann Coffey. Table of Contents 1.0 Executive Summary......................................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 Background to Inform the Recommended Greenbelt Land Use Concept ...................................................... 3 2.1 Gréber’s Vision Elements to Inform the Land Use Concept ....................................................................... 3 2.2 What is a Greenbelt Concept Plan?............................................................................................................ 4 2.2.1 The 1996 Greenbelt Master Plan ........................................................................................................... 4 2.3 Updated Directions for Proposed Land Use Concept................................................................................. 5 2.4 The Greenbelt in the Global Context.......................................................................................................... 8 2.4.1 Our Global Environment ........................................................................................................................ 8 2.4.2 Relevant Experiences of Greenbelts Worldwide.................................................................................... 9 2.5 The Greenbelt in the Capital Context....................................................................................................... 10 3.0 Greenbelt Concept Options .......................................................................................................................... 12 3.1 Regional Map: Capital Context for the Greenbelt ................................................................................... 12 3.2 Three Land Use Concept Options ............................................................................................................. 13 3.3 How these Concept Elements link to the Vision and help achieve the 2067 Greenbelt.......................... 19 4.0 Summary of Public and Stakeholder Feedback............................................................................................. 19 4.1 Public Response Summary........................................................................................................................ 19 4.2 Stakeholder Feedback .............................................................................................................................. 20 5.0 Analysis & Recommendations for Ultimate Greenbelt Concept .................................................................. 22 5.1 Recommended Strategic Statements....................................................................................................... 22 5.2 Recommended Land Use Concept............................................................................................................ 22 5.2.1 Exploration of Other Concept Elements............................................................................................... 26 5.2.2 Comprehensive Review of Land Additions for the 2067 Greenbelt..................................................... 27 5.3 Challenges and Possible Solutions............................................................................................................ 31 6.0 Conclusion..................................................................................................................................................... 32 Appendices A – List of Greenbelt Stakeholders Consulted B – Greenbelt Strategic Statements C – Recommended Land Use Concept for the 2012 Greenbelt Master Plan D – Comparison of Proposed Areas of Addition to Greenbelt 1.0 Executive Summary The Greenbelt of Canada’s Capital is a unique place. These 21,500 hectares within Canada’s Capital Region (CCR) belongs to the people of Canada. The Greenbelt is the most ecologically diverse natural landscape within an urban area. The Greenbelt supports a viable base of prime agricultural lands that in close proximity to a large urban population. It is also a myriad of places and experiences for recreation that provide solitude, observation of nature, the opportunity for many forms of exercise, glimpses into the experiences of our ancestors or connection with our local food system. And it hosts selected federal government facilities with functions of national significance such as military training, satellite communications research, agricultural research, defense communications monitoring, geotechnical research and energy and explosives research. These features reflect the four main roles of the Greenbelt: 1. Primary role ‐ Natural Environment 2. Secondary role ‐ Sustainable Agriculture 3. Secondary role ‐ Capital Experiences & Recreation 4. Tertiary role ‐ Facilities. A current review of the 1996 Greenbelt Master Plan, being completed between 2008 and 2012, has as its main purpose to update the entire plan – its directions, land use concept and designations, policies, guidelines and sector plans – to reflect changes since 1996 and desired directions for the future. The types of changes proposed include land use, the priorities of managers and stakeholders, regional growth trends, a greater focus on sustainability and global environmental and climate conditions. The recommended land use concept is consistent with the Greenbelt strategic statements that implement the approved 2067 Greenbelt vision and provide the direction for the next step of refinement of plan policies, guidelines, land designations and sector plans. This report recommends a 2067 land use concept for internal NCC discussion and refinement through the fall of 2011 and final approval by the National Capital Commission Board of Directors in January 2012. The concept has been developed through ongoing research and analysis of issues, trends and results from this study’s analysis of the Greenbelt’s existing conditions and potential for 50 years from now. Concept development and review was further informed by detailed consultations with stakeholders and the public during the first half of 2011. The recommended or ultimate concept for the year 2067 is one which contributes to and is mainly responsible for a sustainable community in Canada’s Capital Region. The vision, mission, fundamental premise, role and goal statements included within this report are met through this concept. Visually, the Greenbelt as a landscape feature is connected for human, animal and plant life, provides food, refuge and recreation, elicits national pride, provides areas of employment and enhances quality of life for communities of the Capital. Many individuals and organizations work with the NCC in the management of both the function and health of the Greenbelt lands and of those areas to which the Greenbelt connects. Page 1 – Recommended Greenbelt Land Use Concept The recommended concept for the 2012 Greenbelt Master Plan includes: • Strengthened and expanded natural areas within the existing Greenbelt; • integration of forest plantations to the Greenbelt’s Natural Environment, managed for diversified and rehabilitated natural habitats over time to enhance the Greenbelt core natural areas in function, area and ecological linkages; • addition of natural areas immediately adjacent to the Greenbelt to further strengthen Greenbelt core natural areas and improve connectivity from the Greenbelt to significant regional natural areas; • adjustment of natural area boundaries for more natural shape and to provide net ecological benefit to the Greenbelt; • transfer of former rural lands within the Greenbelt to Sustainable Agriculture lands; there is a resulting increase in the agricultural land base, to compensate for the transfer of other agricultural lands to strengthen the core natural areas and natural area linkage functions. • Achievement of sustainable agriculture includes diversification of farm types, support for smaller farm parcels and ongoing integration of farm management practices that support biological processes of the Greenbelt’s natural environment. • selected parcels of the proposed natural environment land additions also enhance visual resources and recreational opportunities to strengthen the Recreational & Capital Experiences for the Greenbelt and there is enhancement of the connectivity of the Greenbelt Pathway to the regional pathway system; • retention of existing facilities within the Greenbelt, with a focus specified for federal facilities requiring isolation and location within the Capital; all facilities, federal and non‐federal, will be encouraged to maintain and, where possible, reduce the land footprint supporting built structures. • Discouragement of new facilities and gradual long term phase-out of existing facilities followed by re-naturalization of their lands; • Recognition of the Ottawa International Airport, DND facility on Carling Avenue, Queensway Carleton Hospital and Nepean Sportsplex as edge facilities that are special operating zones which interface with Greenbelt and urban landscapes • reinstatement as NILM (National Interest Land Mass) of NCC‐owned lands immediately adjacent to the Greenbelt to strengthen Greenbelt roles of Natural Environment and Capital Experiences and Recreation; these parcels were previously recommended for removal from the