New rules will strengthen drainage, grading for smaller housing projects

The Planning and Housing Committee today approved changes to the City’s Building By-law that would ensure stormwater management is properly addressed as part of the building permit process.

The Planning and Housing Committee today approved changes to the City’s Building By-law that would make sure drainage and stormwater are properly managed before building permits are approved.

New smaller residential developments are now exempt from site plan control – a process the City uses to review building layout, parking, landscaping and drainage before construction begins. Recent changes to the provincial Planning Act exempted new residential buildings with up to 10 units from the site plan control process. As part of its Housing Acceleration Plan, the City expanded this exemption to buildings with up to 12 units, to help get more homes built faster.

Because drainage and stormwater runoff can affect nearby properties, these considerations are normally reviewed as part of the City’s site plan control process. Since fewer developments are required to go through site plan control, the amendments approved today would change how drainage and stormwater runoff are reviewed. To ensure there are no oversight gaps, the City is shifting some requirements for grading, drainage and surface water plans to be considered as part of the building permit process. The changes will help ensure water is directed away from nearby buildings and that drainage is properly considered before construction begins without imposing unnecessary regulatory burdens on builders.

Zoning change to allow more affordable housing on Heatherington Road

The Committee approved a zoning amendment to allow mid-rise buildings on part of the City-owned property at 1770 Heatherington Road, just south of Walkley Road. The City plans to dispose of the land to support more affordable housing development.

The rezoning will enable the development of mid-rise buildings up to six storeys on part of the site, increasing the potential number of affordable units across the entire site from 158 units to between 240 and 285 units.

How Ottawa is tracking progress on new housing 

City Council has committed to helping address the housing crisis by supporting the construction of 151,000 quality market homes by 2031. The City tracks the progress of residential development in Ottawa and shares that data through an interactive housing approvals dashboard.

Tracking began in January 2023, and between that time and the end of 2025, Council has provided approvals for more than 69,600 new homes. This means about 46 per cent of the homes needed to meet the 2031 goal can now be built. If Council approves the land-use permissions that the Committee recommended today, applicants will be able to build another 127 new homes. Since the start of 2026, it is estimated this Committee has enabled the development of more than 1,400 new homes.

City Council will consider the recommendations from today’s meeting on Wednesday, June 24.