OTTAWA — Should the city relax development standards during economic hard-times? That’s a question being debated by the Ottawa Planning Commission and city planning officials. Some developers say the city should water down its rules to spur more building. City planning director Wynndee Lee said that probably isn’t the way to go. The city has re-written its development rules to provide more flexibility to builders without compromise standards – for example, allowing construction on smaller lots, she said. Planners say the economic conditions will change but the results of poor construction and planning hang around a long time.
