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Enter a new city planner and a new plan. The planner, Mark Young, has roots in Stittsville, and understood the concerns of residents. The original height limit of six storeys, for instance, was just too high. The new plan balanced such concerns with the benefits of intensification. The height limit was lowered to four storeys and set backs were adjusted to ensure the street would not feel cavernous.

Further, the new CDP sets regulations on the types of buildings that may be erected. There are recommendations for rooflines, windows and porches. We are not going to see radical departures in style; the CDP quells the potential infill squabbles that plague so many of our neighbourhoods.

Here we see the benefits of collaboration between planners and residents. Despite initial tensions, we have a worthwhile plan for Stittsville.

Paramount in this endeavour was capturing the historic nature and village feel of Stittsville Main Street, but the CDP goes further. It sketches an outline of a more liveable and walkable Main Street. There is a focus on mix-use development. The idea is to get people living, working, shopping and relaxing on Main Street. There will be more shops and more restaurants, but the commercial elements will be interspersed with public space.

The Trans Canada Trail has replaced the railway in the centre of town; it brings greenspace and outdoor recreation. There will be parks and patios along the street, places to sit and chat and people-watch. The library bookends the street, drawing people along the corridor, encouraging more visiting, shopping and community.