Councillor Kelly's statement on Ferry Road Property
At the January 23, 2025 meeting of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, we discussed the acquisition of the property at 5689 Ferry Road. This matter rose to Council on Wednesday (Jan 29).
I have made it clear that I do not believe the Ferry Rd. property requires additional protections at a cost of $2 million, but I do believe in the merits of this program and fully support protecting important rural land.
“Keep West Carleton Rural” is my mantra.
There were several things that motivated me to run for City Council. One of which is continuous urban boundary expansions into West Carleton-March. This is something I will fight against. I cannot, in good conscience, support the acquisition of this property on Ferry Road as it is currently structured while our ward and farmland get eaten up by urban sprawl.
This purchase does not provide value for taxpayers. Based on its location and zoning, as well as the fact that it is not serviced with water or sewer make this land unattractive for development. It’s been on the market for 14 months.
We can do better for Ottawa residents, and I moved a motion, which passed, to defer this decision until Council and staff can explore potential partnerships and other ways of reducing the cost to the Ottawa taxpayer, while getting real value out of this program and protecting areas that are truly threatened.
Here are my wrap-up comments on my argument at Council on Wednesday: