Committees approve new Zoning By-law to build more homes, promote economic development

Committees recommended Council approve the final draft of the new Zoning By-law.

In a joint meeting today, the Planning and Housing and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees recommended that Council approve the final draft of the new Zoning By-law, following five years of consultation on the new Official Plan and earlier zoning drafts.

The new Zoning By-law will enact the policies of the Official Plan that Council approved in 2021, and will help prepare the city for significant population growth in the years to come.

In line with provincial land-use policies that guide how municipalities manage growth, housing and development, the new Zoning By-law significantly streamlines zoning regulations to minimize barriers to development. As such, it will be a key part of the City’s comprehensive response to Ottawa’s housing challenges. Together with other policy tools like the Housing Acceleration Plan, the zoning by-law will play a key part in making Ottawa the most housing-friendly city in Canada.

The new by-law expands opportunities for development through:

• Simpler, easy-to-use zoning regulations based on building size and location instead of building type (e.g. duplex, semi-detached dwelling)
• Straightforward permissions for midrise and highrise development near transit
• Flexible parking policies to ensure market demand determines a development’s parking needs
• Streamlined rules to gently increase density in existing neighbourhoods
• Fewer restrictions on prefabricated and modular housing
• Increased maximum building heights in strategic growth areas to align with the Official Plan
• New permissions to encourage residential development aimed at seniors
• Policies to encourage larger, family-sized units in four-to-six-unit buildings

Greater flexibility in the new Zoning By-law will encourage the construction of more missing-middle housing, which, in Ottawa, generally includes small residential buildings of eight to16 units. Existing zoning rules have long limited the development of this type of housing.

Beyond supporting the housing construction sector, the new Zoning By-law promotes broader economic development. It introduces a simplified framework of commercial zones to reduce restrictions on small businesses and expand permitted uses on busy streets, near transit and in commercial areas. It will also expand permissions for home-based businesses in rural and urban areas, supporting small businesses and enabling growth.

Check out Episode 7 of the City’s OttaTalk podcast to learn more about the new Zoning By-law and how it will lead to more affordable housing choices in Ottawa.

Committees make it easier to submit development applications

The Committees also approved simplifying planning processes by reducing the number of studies the City requires before a development application is considered complete. These changes address commitments made in the Housing Acceleration Plan and would make it easier for applicants to advance new housing developments.

Some of the studies to be removed will be redundant under the new Zoning By-law while others would be removed to align with direction from the Province. Several may still be requested later in the application process.

Currently, the City may require as many as 49 studies to support a development application. As a result of the approved changes, 13 of those 49 studies will be removed and no longer required. An additional 13 studies would be simplified and reduced in scope to ensure the City only asks applicants for the level of detail needed.

The amended list of studies will provide certainty about requirements for each development application type and simplify the process that previously required studies to be determined on a case-by-case basis. The changes will also help developers anticipate costs, leading to more housing construction in Ottawa.

The committees also received an update on changes to legal agreements the City has made to help further streamline the delivery of housing. The City has improved how files are tracked and is working with the development industry to streamline legal agreements. The update outlined efforts to deliver a better experience for the development industry while also prioritizing matters of health and safety for residents.

City Council will consider the recommendations from today’s meeting on Wednesday, January 28.