The City of Ottawa has signed an agreement with a developer to buy the Shea Road Woods in Stittsville in a deal that includes the city shelling out $1.65 million.

That agreement still needs to be approved by the planning committee next week, and eventually full city council.

However, Mayor Jim Watson and Stittsville Coun. Shad Qadri already had a photo-op and news conference about it on Tuesday.

Great news for the community in Stittsville! I joined <a href="https://twitter.com/ShadQadri?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShadQadri</a> to announce the acquisition and preservation of Shae Rd. Woods Park. <a href="https://t.co/BdEKD4pE41">pic.twitter.com/BdEKD4pE41</a> —@JimWatsonOttawa

The plan to buy the five hectares of woods, considered a natural urban feature, has been in the city's long-term plans since 2009.

All developers have to put aside a certain amount of land when building subdivisions. Under this deal, CRT Developments would be allowed to build homes on 3.28 hectares of land that was originally reserved for a community park.

In exchange, that parkland requirement would apply to the Shea Road Woods in the Fernbank lands development.

The remaining 1.72 hectares of the woodlot would be purchased for $1.49 million. With the addition of $90,000 in realty fees and another $70,000 on studies, the total cost comes to about $1.65 million.

Purchase would drain reserve

In 2013, the Shea Road Woods was one of the three parcels of natural urban land that council agreed to try to purchase.

Another was the Armstrong Road South Woods that was acquired through a land swap.

It's unclear whether the city will be able to purchase the third piece of land. The Nantes Woods in Cumberland is still privately owned, but the Shea Roads Woods deal will all but empty the reserve fund for these purchases, which now stands at about $1.8 million.

"Staff will be meeting in October 2018 to consider options for securement of that woodlot," according the report released Tuesday afternoon.