Concerns over shadows on Central Experimental Farm causing city staff to pause on Baseline towers

A new Ottawa housing development consisting of new residential towers on Baseline Road looks to be in danger due to shadowing concerns on the nearby Central Experimental Farm.

A staff memo to the city's Planning and Housing Committee outlines recommendations for the site located on Baseline Road which currently serves as a strip mall containing the original location of the Lone Star Texas Grill.

The development application proposed by Theberge Homes would see the construction of three mixed-use but predominantly residential high-rise towers in two phases that would include 1,089 residential units and a total of about 2850 square metres of commercial space on the ground floors, split relatively equally between all three towers.

The proposal would also include just over 1,100 parking spaces in a four-level underground parking garage.

The property is just south of the experimental farm, a designated National Historic site, which was considered as part of the city staff review and recommendations.

The federally-run farm is the site for laboratories and research.

After consultations with the public and staff last year, changes were made in the design of the towers to minimize the shadowing impacts to the farm.

But city staff are still not satisfied with the approval of a 24-storey and 32-storey building as part of phase two of the project until a better assessment of the impacts of shadows from the buildings onto the farm is completed.

"Staff are not making a recommendation on phase two until such time as further research is done on the impacts of this proposal to the Central Experimental Farm and its heritage attributes, in accordance with the recommendation of the updated Heritage Impact Assessment," the memo read.

"We were surprised because planning was supportive of this as a development application, the urban planning," said Joey Theberge, president of Theberge Homes. "They've all agreed it's good development."

"We believe there's no cultural heritage impacts on this site, it doesn't affect any of the buildings or any of the above grade planters that AG-Canada has so we've done our due diligence."

"Personally I'm really happy, I think it needs to be paused" said Corey Peabody, the planning liaison with the Fisher Heights and area community association board. "You don't want to get to the point that development starts to affect the role of the farm's research and the value of that research because if they ever lose that value who knows what will happen to that property."

A 2023 Heritage Impact Assessment attached to the memo found that phase two of the proposed development could have significant impact and says the experimental farm's role as a place of research may over time be 'irrevocably compromised.'

The assessment's author describes that the proposed development will impact the experimental fields, plots and shelterbelts.

"Phase two would result in continuous shadow on a small portion of the experimental fields throughout the morning from 8 am until after 12 pm at certain times of the year," the staff memo said.

Location of the proposed new residential towers on Baseline Road across from the Central Experimental Farm. (Theberge Homes)

While the amount of shadow time would be below the five or more hourly interval times the city uses the determine 'net shadow,' the impact assessment concluded that Theberge Homes was not qualified to dispute the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) scientific findings and suggested that mitigation measures be explored.

AAFC attached a shade study which found the shadows could harm agronomic research and crop breeding. The most significant affects from the shading will come from the variability in sunlight during the growing season.

"Increased solar variability will affect the soil microbiome resulting in soil variability that will eliminate these lands for research purposes," the study found.

The AAFC acknowledged that the height of the first phase Tower A and location will only minimally impact the farm.

"Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is aware of the decision by City staff to delay a recommendation on the proposed re-zoning of 780 Baseline Road until further study can be completed," AAFC said in a statement. "AAFC remains committed to working with the City of Ottawa and all stakeholders to ensure this development works for Ottawa residents, while at the same time protecting the integrity of the Central Experimental Farm and the agricultural research that is vital to food security in Canada and around the world."

A development of two residential high-rises in the Civic Hospital neighbourhood on Carling Avenue was approved in August despite similar concerns from AAFC that the shadowing from the building would also have an impact on the farm.

"The city has obviously decided that they're going to pay attention to the residents and Agriculture Canada," said Peabody. 

Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine agreed with staff and AAFC on the concerns for the Baseline Road site.

"There is clear evidence from the farm’s scientists that adding large towers on the southern periphery of the farm will severely impact the research being done at this important facility," Devine said in the staff memo.

"How can we advance our intensification goals but also pay close attention to the impact that these kinds of developments have on a very treasured asset the central experimental farm," Devine added. "And so I appreciate the fact that the city is taking a careful and nuanced look at this particular file."

"Sean and I have worked really hard at coming up with options that we're going to continue to do over the next couple of years on different massing of the buildings just to appease both the community and Ag-Canada. We don't believe this should hold up the zoning," added Theberge.

Planning staff are recommending that the city explore consulting a third-party to confirm whether impacts are in fact adverse to the experiment farm's research.

"Staff acknowledge that there is an impact from the proposed development, however, it remains unclear that this impact crosses the threshold into unacceptable, when other growth management goals are met. As a result, staff are not recommending the zoning for phase two be implemented at this time."

The revised proposal awaits approval by the planning and housing committee meeting on Nov. 26 which will then receive final approval by council on Dec. 6.

--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Katie Griffin.