Community Submission – Jorgen Hoeven, Hintonburg Resident (March 12, 2026)
A detailed 14-page submission from a Hintonburg resident argues that the proposal seeks a 59% increase in GFA over what is actually permitted as-of-right, would produce density 16 times the expected minimum for this site designation, violates the Private Approaches By-Law, relies on an understated TIA, and offers no binding commitments on affordability or community benefit. The author supports redevelopment but opposes the proposed scale.
Key Points
- The developer's as-of-right GFA is overstated: correct calculation yields 17,693.80 m², not the figure used in the Planning Rationale — the proposal seeks 59% more GFA than currently permitted.
- At 1,314 DUs per net hectare, the proposed density is more than 16 times the 60–80 DU/ha minimum expected for a Minor Corridor designation.
- The 38-storey tower would be the second tallest building in Ottawa; every comparable tower in the city fronts a Mainstreet Corridor or faces the federal Tunney's Pasture campus.
- No binding commitments exist on commercial affordability, tenant retention, or community uses — verbal assurances at public meetings are not enforceable.
- The proposal fails the Private Approaches By-Law: 322 parking spaces require a 60m setback from the arterial street line; the ramp is planned at 30m, and no mitigation is offered.
- TIA data is outdated (some counts from 2016), assumes 0% traffic growth, and omits the Tunney's Pasture intensification from its forecast model.
- Approving 38 storeys would set precedent for further height exceptions across the southern portion of the node — this site itself benefited from a precedent chain starting at 7 Hinton Avenue.
Full Analysis
Overview
Submitted March 12, 2026 by Jorgen Hoeven, a Hintonburg resident, based on a review of the PPS, Ottawa Official Plan, Wellington West and Scott Street Secondary Plans and CDPs, the 2014 OMB decision, and the proponent’s Planning Rationale, Design Brief, and TIA.
Key Finding: As-of-Right GFA Is Overstated
The 2014 OMB decision set FSI 6.0 for the 3 Hamilton / 233 Armstrong parcels and granted no additional density — only redistribution of existing approved volume. The correct as-of-right GFA calculation:
- 3 Hamilton / 233 Armstrong: 2,654.24 m² × FSI 6.0 = 15,925.44 m²
- 223 and 229 Armstrong: 884.18 m² × FSI 2.0 = 1,768.36 m²
- Total: 17,693.80 m² (FSI 5.0 across the consolidated site)
The proposal requests 28,100.24 m² — an additional 10,406.24 m², or 59% over the currently permitted GFA. The Planning Rationale frames the amendment as simply removing a height cap, without prominently acknowledging this density increase.
Density and Height
The site is designated a Minor Corridor within the Inner Urban Transect, with an expected minimum of 60–80 DUs/net hectare. The proposal would produce 1,314 DUs/net hectare — more than 16 times the minimum and nearly five times the Hub-wide average. At 38 storeys, it would be the second tallest building in Ottawa.
Affordability and Business Retention
No binding mechanisms exist to enforce the proponent’s verbal commitments on tenant retention, affordable commercial space, or community uses. The WWCDP’s 200 m² unit size limit for ground-floor retail (Policy A11a) — intended to foster neighbourhood-scale businesses — was removed during OMB proceedings and has not been reimposed.
Traffic and By-Law Non-Compliance
The TIA uses traffic counts as old as 2016, assumes 0% background growth, and omits the Tunney’s Pasture intensification from its forecast model. The Spencer/Parkdale intersection already operates at capacity during peak hours.
More critically, By-Law 2003-447 s.25.1.m.ii requires that apartment buildings with 300+ parking spaces locate their ramp at least 60m from the nearest arterial street line. The proposal places the ramp at 30m. The consultant’s claim that this requirement doesn’t apply because Spencer Street is a local road is incorrect — the condition is based on the use type (apartment building), not the street classification.
Precedent Risk
Approving 38 storeys would extend a precedent chain that already runs from 7 Hinton Avenue through the 2014 OMB decision. The submission cautions that any approval here will be used to justify further height exceptions on adjacent properties within the southern node.
Suggested Recommendations
- Cap GFA at the consolidated as-of-right total (FSI 5.0)
- Reimpose WWCDP Policy A11a commercial unit size constraints
- Require an updated TIA including exempted sections (4.6, 4.7, 4.9)
- Require off-street mitigation for loading and waste collection
- Scale proposal to bring parking below 200 spaces (Private Approaches By-Law compliance)