Tewin urban expansion –likely between Ramsayville Rd and Farmer’s way; Natural Land Trust area east.
It seems that a large area west of Hwy 417 will stay “natural” according to documentation and a map on the Algonquin’s presentation that was done on January 26 to the City’s joint committee on planning and rural affairs.
In the map above the area that is close to Hwy 417 on Piperville Rd and up to Thunder Rd will be part of a “Natural Land Trust” area of Tewin. Tewin will establish a Natural Land Trust comprised of approximately 600 hectares of natural heritage features that will integrate with the Greenbelt and provide an extensive trail system for the enjoyment of everyone. The urban community will likely be situated between Ramsayville Rd and Farmer’s Way and from Leitrim Rd to Thunder Road and possibly up to Mitch Owens Road according to the documentation the CSCA (Carlsbad Springs Community Association) has received. There is still a lot of unknowns but the more we study the documents and the maps our analysis points to those areas above. The core of the community will either be situated near Rene’s Corner or Anderson Links or somewhere near Anderson road and Piperville road and the Farmer’s Way.
Tewin vision –
With Tewin, it will be possible to create a true 15-minute community that delivers best practices in contemporary, sustainable, transit-oriented design “from the ground up”. This form of development is just not possible through small additions to the edges of existing suburban communities that were not designed to support transit. The vision for Tewin requires approximately 500 hectares of developable area (net of natural heritage lands) to accommodate the 35,000-45,000 residents and thousands of jobs that we believe are needed support the full range of services and amenities a complete community requires. It will be purposefully designed and built with an integrated mix of land uses at transit-supportive densities from Day 1. Tewin will establish a Natural Land Trust comprised of approximately 600 hectares of natural heritage features that will integrate with the Greenbelt and provide an extensive trail system for the enjoyment of everyone. The Tewin lands do not contain any designated Agricultural lands, and are perfectly positioned as a missing part of the city structure, between the existing Greenbelt and proposed “Gold Belt”. Day 1 transit will include express bus service north to the Confederation Line (Cyrville Station) and west to the Trillium Line (Leitrim Station). Future transit will include the introduction of bus priority lanes along Hwy 417 and a potential extension of the LRT from the Trillium Line to Tewin. Jobs will be embedded within Tewin, with next generation digital infrastructure and 5G technology in place to support telecommuting and the new economy. Tewin will have convenient access via transit to three major employment areas (including the Airport) and significant frontage on the Highway 417 corridor. As noted by Staff in their Reports, its location fronting Highway 417 between Ottawa and Montreal, will create a new eastern gateway to the City
Wastewater Servicing –
The proposed trunk sewer connection to the South Ottawa tunnel takes advantage of one of the most underutilized pieces of existing wastewater infrastructure in Ottawa. The existing tunnel is a deep system that has reserved capacity for long-term buildout of development in the Tewin area. The proposed trunk sewer connection to the South Ottawa tunnel fulfills the original design intent of the tunnel from the 1970s.
The developers would assume construction costs related to the trunk sanitary sewer. Construction of trunk sewers in sensitive clays is not unique to this site, as similar soils are found around Orleans and around Barrhaven/Nepean. Trunk sanitary sewer connections of this scale are often extensive and deep, but in this case their construction would provide an unparalleled opportunity to build a distinct new area for long-term growth.
Water supply –
The developers would assume construction costs related to the trunk watermain system. Trunk watermain systems of this scale are often extensive, but in this case their construction would provide an unparalleled opportunity to build a distinct new area for long-term growth.
The expanded and upgraded water infrastructure will also eliminate the existing trickle feed water system, which is expected to save the City millions in long-term maintenance costs.
Soil Quality
There are soil deposits with a variable degree of sensitivity across the Tewin lands. These lands are capable of being engineered from a geotechnical perspective similar to what has been previously undertaken in many other communities in the Ottawa area with similar subsoil conditions. Examples of these communities are Half Moon Bay in Nepean, Avalon in Orleans and Eastboro in Navan. Managing site grading in response to grade raise restrictions is the primary objective. Only localized areas where the hydraulic grade elevation requires exceeding grade raise restrictions, would consideration can be given to using lightweight fill and sump pumps to manage this geotechnical issue. From a geotechnical perspective, density and building heights for this area can be addressed with a combination of foundation solutions and grade management based on permissible long-term settlements.
Stormwater Drainage –
Tewin will be developed with sensitivity towards the characteristics of existing watercourses. Specifically, erosion protection practices and other industry-leading best management practices will form part of the stormwater management strategy, and Low Impact Development measures (LIDs) will be investigated as a means to mitigate against unacceptable changes in flow regime in the downstream watercourses. Based on the commitment to manage the stormwater runoff from Tewin effectively, there should not be any concerns related to sufficiency of outlet. The stormwater management strategy offers an opportunity to maintain sensitive small local watercourses by extending direct outlet(s) to the main channel of Bear Brook. Consistent with City requirements across all development areas, slope stability reviews are expected to form part of the development plan and stormwater management strategy, to ensure the longterm stability of any affected slopes. Tewin gives an opportunity to further study the characteristics of the Bear Brook watershed and provide additional means to fund projects that would help improve overall watershed drainage conditions. Construction of stormwater management ponds in sensitive clay soils is not unique to this site, as this is encountered in many existing and developing communities in Ottawa, including around Orleans and around Barrhaven/Nepean. The soil conditions have been and found appropriate for the planned development. The developers would assume construction costs related to development of stormwater management facilities, and there would be no anticipated premiums to future operation and maintenance costs as compared to similar existing facilities across the City.
Transit –
While the Transportation section of Document 3 speaks to the various ranking criteria, it fails to properly consider Tewin’s transit/transportation and financial commitments, as outlined in the Tewin Brochure and its appendices. Appendix A of the Tewin brochure outlines the Tewin Transit Strategy, which commits to excellent transit service, day one. The approach to delivering transit for Tewin is to fund and make transit a viable option from day one, supporting a culture of transit ridership at no added cost to the taxpayer. New transit will be designed to extend, integrate with, and support the broader transit network, to connect Tewin to destinations throughout the city, and to deliver benefits for existing communities along the way. The Tewin transit strategy has the potential to create an integrated city-wide transit network linked to nearby communities and destinations. Nearby communities such as Leitrim Village/Findlay Creek can be serviced by future rapid transit, and major employment nodes such as the Airport, St. Laurent Blvd, etc. will benefit from the completion of the eastern transit loop (which mirrors the western loop serving Barrhaven and Riverside South). Unlike Ottawa’s three other suburban communities outside the Greenbelt, where the Transitway was developed by the RMOC and funded with 75 cent dollars, the Tewin proposal includes a proactive funding plan which is based on the development of an Area-Specific Development Charge. The funding strategy (as found in Appendix E of the Tewin submission) outlines a sustainable funding model for not only transit, but all roadways connecting the community. Tewin has the opportunity to develop through the implementation of innovative technologies such as 5G. Transit connectivity, along with significant person trip reducing trends resulting from ‘working from home’, will see significantly less reliance on regional roads and reduced VKT. However, it is noted that Document 3 acknowledges that options exist for important roadway needs such as goods movement. The Tewin Funding Strategy includes the costs for roadways, so these needs will be funded by Tewin’s specific development charge. Lastly, the City’s draft Official Plan policy is appreciated as many of the requirements listed have been initiated and vetted by the proponents. We look forward to working with city transportation and planning staff to develop these concepts further. Additionally, internal to Tewin, draft OP policies for 15-minute neighbourhoods contained in Section 4.1 are achievable, such as 30 km/hr streets and vision zero.
Timeline? When will this all start?
According to Janet Stavinga, Executive Director for the project the goal is to provide the first homes within five years, therefore by 2026.