Manage Growth

Growth should strengthen our neighbourhoods, not overwhelm them.

Kitchissippi needs more homes, but we also need to plan for the people who will live in them.

At the doors, I've heard concerns about the loss of mature trees, traffic, parking and whether our infrastructure and services can keep up.

I believe we can welcome new neighbours while protecting what makes Kitchissippi a great place to live. Here's how.

More housing choices

Kitchissippi needs different types of homes so young families, seniors and people at different stages of life can live and stay in our community.

I support more housing choices, including duplexes, triplexes and low-rise apartments. But adding homes is only part of the job. We also need to plan for the roads, transit, parks and services that new residents will need.

Protecting trees and green spaces

Mature trees provide shade, help prevent flooding, and make our neighbourhoods better places to live. Kitchissippi's tree coverage is well below Ottawa's 40% target. We need to protect the trees we have and plant more.

I'll push for stronger rules that require developers to:

• Plant enough replacement trees, taking their size and maturity into account.

• Make sure new trees survive, with longer monitoring periods before tree deposits are returned.

• Face stronger penalties for cutting down mature trees unnecessarily.

Protecting trees needs to be part of the plan before construction begins, not an afterthought.

Planning for traffic, parking and infrastructure

More homes mean more people using our streets, transit and City services.

I'll push for a closer look at how new buildings affect traffic and parking. For example, even if a building is close to transit, we still need to consider how many cars it could bring into the neighbourhood and where they'll park.

We also need to look at the combined impact of several developments, not just one building at a time. 

Parking is already a concern for many residents. New developments can put more pressure on residential streets, while paid parking on our main streets has created other challenges for residents, businesses and visitors.

Read my plan for fair parking solutions in Kitchissippi. 

As Kitchissippi grows, we need our fair share of City investment.

I'll push for clear information about how much money the City collects from development fees in Kitchissippi and advocate for a fair share of that money to be invested back into our roads, parks, recreation facilities and other essential services.

We need to plan for growth before the problems appear.

More recreation space

As more people move into Kitchissippi, we need more places to play, exercise and come together.

I'll push for recreation and community space to be included in major new developments.

I'm also proposing a new recreation and wellness centre for Kitchissippi, with Tunney's Pasture offering an opportunity for a modern community hub.

Read my full plan for recreation and wellness in Kitchissippi. 

Holding developers accountable

Developers need to take responsibility for how their projects affect the people living nearby.

I've heard from residents who struggle to find parking because new buildings have added more homes without providing enough parking.

I'll push for stronger accountability, including looking at financial penalties that encourage developers to provide parking within their projects instead of relying on residential streets.

I'll also work to make sure developers follow the rules and that concerns about construction, trees and neighbouring properties are taken seriously.

Residents deserve to know what's being proposed, have a chance to share their concerns and understand how decisions are made.

Developers shouldn't leave residents to deal with the problems caused by poor planning.

Growth that works for Kitchissippi

We can build more homes while protecting the things that make our neighbourhoods special.

That means protecting mature trees, planning for traffic and parking, investing in roads and services, creating more recreation space and holding developers accountable.

We need to think beyond one building at a time and plan for what Kitchissippi will need five, 10 and 20 years from now.

Growth should strengthen our neighbourhoods, not overwhelm them.