Now that we have a new Official Plan (OP), Ottawa is preparing a new Zoning By-law (ZBL) to put the plan into practice. The OP is “the what.” The ZBL is “the how.”
Note: The ZBL is not an opportunity to re-write the OP.
The “old” (current) zoning will remain in effect until Council approves the final draft of the new Zoning By-law, expected to occur in 2026.
To take the suspense out of this story, Crystal Beach Lakeview should not expect dramatic change over the 20-year lifetime of the OP. There will continue to be change around us, and in our neighbourhood, but don’t plan to build a forty-storey tower on your lot. You won’t likely be able to do that. But what will you be able to do?
An introductory overview of what will be in the first draft of the new zoning bylaw was released recently for the April 29 joint meeting of the Planning & Housing and Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committees. The introductory overview is at:
https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=cbdbabf5-4050-44bb-a20a-66c3842bbbee&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English.
A video recording of the April 29 joint meeting of the Planning & Housing and Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committees meeting is at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgdorTXVqxk&t=2871s
You might find the staff presentation beginning at 9:34 a.m. helpful.
R1 to R 4 Zoning
“R1 to R4” residential zones will be replaced by “N1 to N4.”
Much of CBL is zoned R1, but the new N1 zoning will be different from R1, in that now, up to four dwellings will be permitted “as of right” on any serviced lot in Ottawa. “As of right” means that an exception to the Zoning Bylaw or the Official Plan is not needed. So, while you can’t yet build a 40-storey tower on an R-1 residential lot on CBL, you can build four dwellings. Some members of the Federation of Citizens’ Associations (FCA) are puzzled that four dwellings are allowed on any lot, not matter the size of the lot. Oh well, it’s just what it is. Municipalities, the Province, and the Federal Government were all part of that decision to encourage more housing, and to keep growth dense and not allow it to sprawl all over farmland.
In CBL, the increase in density is expected to occur slowly over the years.
The following is a description of how development will occur in an R1 neighbourhood from
Document 10—Neighbourhood (N1-N6) Zones and Provisions of the Introductory Overview at:
https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=178621
“Gradual Evolution”
Infill development occurs on a lot-by-lot basis, which means that even major zoning reform will result in gradual shifts to the overall built form. The following diagrams show how Neighbourhood might evolve over the life of the Official Plan, which has a planning horizon of 2046.
Data from building permit applications in Ottawa for existing neighbourhoods shows that on average, fewer than one out of every hundred lots in a neighbourhood will be redeveloped each year. Those lots being redeveloped are highlighted with yellow or blue buildings in the following diagram.”
Note: In the diagram, ignore the red dashed line and blue buildings. The red dashed line would be the boundary of the Evolving Neighbourhood Overlay. CBL does not have an Evolving Neighbourhood Overlay. We also do not have major corridors or corridors.
Lots with zoning other than R1
We will not know until we see the ZBL how the lots with zoning other than R1 will translate. When Nepean was amalgamated with Ottawa in 2001, the zoning became confused and inconsistent. Perhaps it will be straightened out. Or not.
More commercial uses
Many more commercial uses will be allowed in what are currently residential areas. The details of that will need to be worked out. Some members of the FCA have pointed out that while it may seem charming to have a bakery on your street, having a commercial fan start up beside your bedroom window at four in the morning might not be as appealing.
Parking
As currently proposed, people providing housing will not be required to provide a minimum amount of parking on the lot. Indeed, in some places, such as hubs at transit areas, parking maximums might be imposed to discourage driving. Parking will probably continue to be a topic of conversation but, to some extent at least, parking may be something the Province will control. Expect street parking to continue to increase all over the city, including in CBL.
Coming soon….
The first draft of the new Zoning Bylaw is coming on May 31.
We will have more to say next month.
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