Common Sense Planning Coalition

The Common Sense Planning Coalition is a grassroots alliance of Ottawa residents. environmental organizations, public planners and environmental law experts committed to protecting our city’s natural spaces and demanding transparency in public planning decisions. 

Our mission is simple: ensure that development projects benefit the whole community without sacrificing the very spaces that make healing, wellness, and community life possible.

Why We Formed

What We're Asking For

Join the Movement

We are not against progress. We are for progress with principles. Let’s find a better solution—one that meets the needs of people recovering from addiction without compromising community wellness or the environment.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Upcoming Events

April 10, 2025, 7:00 - 9:00 PM 

Kitchissippi United Church

Resident Meeting re: Matthew Perry House

Advocating for Responsible Development. Protecting Public Greenspace.

The catalyst for our formation was a shocking announcement at a March 20th public meeting. The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre revealed plans to sign a 75-year lease with the Matthew Perry Foundation to build a transitional housing facility—not on the underused six-acre parking lot next door, but by bulldozing three acres of public greenspace.

This greenspace is not empty land—it’s a vital public asset that includes:

• Forested Walking Trail
• A Grass Playground 
• Tennis Court 
• Open-Air Gathering, Park and Meditation Areas 
  

We support the mission of the Matthew Perry Foundation and recognize the critical need for recovery services. But the location matters. That’s why we are calling for:

• Immediate termination of the current lease negotiations 
• A full and transparent review of alternative sites—particularly the adjacent six-acre asphalt parking lot 
• Meaningful community consultation before any final decision is made

This is not a case of NIMBYism. This is about choosing sustainability, wellness, and smarter urban planning. Ottawa Public Health, the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, and numerous environmental and community organizations agree protecting greenspace must remain a priority.

Why This Matters

The Royal’s own research and public statements affirm that natural environments are critical to healing. 

Yet the hospital is prepared to destroy the very space it once championed—all while leaving a broken asphalt lot untouched.

This decision threatens: 
• Community wellness
• Patient recovery
• Public trust in The Royal and the Matthew Perry Foundation

Let’s Do This Right—Together.

Sign Up for the Common Sense Planning Coalition Mailing List: