Barrhaven development vote postponed amid questions about report

A City of Ottawa planning report in support of a 500-home development on a gravel pit inBarrhavensays the province'sministry in charge of natural resources confirmed the site has been mined of its sand and gravel.

Only one problem: the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestrysays it hasdone no such thing.

"[The ministry] has not stated that aggregate resources on the licensed site are 'exhausted'," according to an emailedstatement from ministry spokeswoman JolantaKowalski.

CaivanBrazeau Development Corp.purchased the aggregate pit at 3809 Borrisokane Rd. in late 2018 for more than $17 million, according to land registry records.

A few months later, the developer filed an application to the city to develop a new subdivision on the site known as the Brazeau Pit and the rezoning was headed to the planning committee next week for final approval.

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But re-purposing lands that containmineral aggregates the much-needed materials like sand and gravel that are used in construction isn't straightforward.

The provinceprotects these sorts of resource for long-term use, and the City of Ottawa'sown official plan only allows the new use of a mineralextraction site, "where the aggregate resources of a property have been fully extracted."

And that's what the city's report said had occurred.

According to the staff report on the item:"Mineral resource extraction operations were recently wound down as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry had confirmed that the aggregate resources on the site have been exhausted."

City staff relied ondeveloper's own report

But that's not true, says the ministry.

As far as the ministry is concerned, the Brazeau Pit is still licensed under provincial law, and significant changes to the site "would be processed as amajoramendment," which would be a months-long process that would include the opportunity for the public to comment through the Environmental Registry of Ontario.

After CBC began asking questions about the report, the city postponedthe item late Wednesday. No reason was given.

Earlier in the week CBC asked the city whenthe ministry hadconfirmed the depletion oftheBrazeau pit's aggregates.

The city responded by pointing to a "mineral impact statement" that was included in the developer's application for the rezoning.

But that "statement" was written by consultant Paterson Group,and paid for by the development company, Caivan.

The report states: "It is understood that the pit has been depleted of the useable aggregate and will be rehabilitated for future development." The report does not quote the ministry or any other sources in making thatassertion.

It's alarming that this would land on councillors'plates ... We rely on staff to provide us with the accurate information we need to make decisions.- Coun. Jeff Leiper, planning committee member

In fact, during the community design plan discussions for expanding Barrhavento the south, a city staff report dated May 2018 stated that the Brazeauand adjacent Costellopits "continue to supply sand and gravel for customers in the Ottawa area."

While the lands were expected to be developed after all minerals were extracted, the city said in May 2018 the timing for that transition was "currently unknown."

In the summer of 2018, provincial and city staff "discussed options" with the landowner of Brazeau Pit about transitioning the site to a new land use, according to Kowalski of the ministry of natural resources.

But that transition hasn't been completed.

Councillors caught off-guard

Planning committee members were only hearing of the file being pulled from next week's agenda on Wednesday evening.

Some privately expressed concern that a misleading piece of information would be included in a staff report.

"It's alarming that this would land on councillors'plates," said Coun. Jeff Leiper, who sits on the committee.

"We rely on staff to provide us with the accurate information we need to make decisions To be fair, I think it's important that staff be given the opportunity to explain the discrepancy."

The city has told CBC it will provide more information on the issue on Thursday.