3-storey homes could be built in all Ottawa neighbourhoods as part of zoning update

Councillors are set to vote on the city of Ottawa’s new zoning bylaw, which recommends allowing 3-storey homes in all neighbourhoods. CTV’s Austin Lee reports.

New homes and buildings in Ottawa neighbourhoods will be bigger and have more units in the future as the City of Ottawa looks to boost the housing supply.

The final draft of Ottawa’s new zoning bylaw recommends allowing three-storey buildings in all N1 and N2 neighbourhood zones across Ottawa’s urban and suburban areas.

The report for the Planning and Housing Committee and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meeting on Dec. 17 says the final draft of the new zoning bylaw calls for a maximum height of 11 metres in neighbourhood zones.

“A maximum height of three storeys in N1 and N2 Zones implements Official Plan policies that generally permit three storeys in neighbourhoods and allow up to four storeys ‘where appropriate,’ staff said.

“A maximum height of three storeys also supports the construction of larger, family-sized dwelling units in four- to six-unit buildings in N1 and N2 zones as a result of the additional floor area available within the third storey.”

The maximum height for buildings will remain at three storeys in the N3 and N4 H(11) zones.

Other changes to the zoning bylaw include:

• Increasing the maximum height for a high-rise building from 27 storeys to 30 storeys
• Reducing the separation distance for the tower portion of the building from 30 metres to 25 metres
• Limiting the height of high-rise buildings to 18 storeys in the suburbs when it is located farther than 600 metres from an existing or planned transit station
• A minimum parking space rate of one parking space per dwelling in Village Residential Zones

Planning committee chair Jeff Leiper says the zoning bylaw will result in “several big changes’ to Kitchissippi Ward.

“Including allowing more units on lots, an across-the-board three-storey limit instead of the current two that’s now in some of our neighbourhoods, the elimination of minimum parking regulations, and mid-rise buildings on our main corridors. In some areas very close to transit, tall towers will be allowed to be a little taller,” Leiper said in a post on Facebook.

“The new rules will allow more housing in Kitchissippi, helping more people live in this transit, services and amenity-rich ward. As our city grows by hundreds of thousands of people in the next 25 years, opening our neighbourhood to more people will help ensure an affordable and sustainable future for Ottawa. I’m excited to see how we grow.”

The zoning bylaw review is intended to form a key component of the comprehensive strategy to address housing affordability and supply in Ottawa. The city is required to build 151,000 new homes from 2021 to 2031.

“Stacked townhomes, row townhomes those sorts of things that are now going to be considered on every lot in the city are even more important. Because there is value in owning a home,” said Alta Vista Ward Coun. Marty Carr.

“It will take the right opportunity for the right person to develop as well. It’s not going to be automatic and overnight. We’re not going to wake up and have four units on every lot. The change is designed to be gradual.”

The province expects Ottawa’s population to continue to grow, reaching nearly 1.8 million residents by 2051.

The new zoning bylaw is meant to alleviate some of the demand for housing.

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“There is still concern within the community about certain elements, but in order to meet the goals for housing, change is necessary,” said Carr.

“I think it will be an interesting discussion at the joint committee for several days.”

The Housing Committee and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee are set to meet on Dec. 17 to vote on the new zoning bylaw before city council will make a final decision in late January.

For many young people in the city, the proposed changes are welcomed news as they struggle with housing affordability.

“I’d love to own where I live, but it’s not even something that I have actively thought about because it’s been so out of the way in terms of possibilities for me,” Madi Richardson, soon-to-be graduate from Carleton University.

“Ideally, I would like to stay in Ottawa, but realistically I don’t know.”

Others say they are considering a move away from the city, citing home prices as a driving factor.

“I’m a student at Carleton, about to graduate, and I’m considering moving away to find somewhere to actually live full-time and I think the same goes for a lot of the other students,” said Olivia Smith, who is studying law and legal studies.

She, and many other young people in Ottawa say they are on board with the new zoning bylaw.

“Anything that’s going to let people live here for longer because I think a lot of people really do love this city and do want to stay, but it’s just impossible,” said Smith.

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With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Austin Lee