Ontario Construction News staff writer
To address the growing need for new homes, Guelph City Council will now allow taller buildings in the downtown and Stone Road/Edinburgh Road areas.
Taller buildings with added community benefits: Under the current zoning bylaw, buildings can be:
- Up to six storeys in mixed use areas
- Up to 10 storeys in high-density residential areas
- Under the new bylaw, buildings can be:
- Up to 18 storeys in mixed use areas
- Up to 14 storeys in high-density residential areas
To build at these new heights, builders must include affordable housing or other needs identified by the city as part of the project.
โBy building up these key growth areas, especially near our central transit station, the City is making it easier to bring more housing to Guelph,โ said Mayor Cam Guthrie. โThese new height allowances will ensure more people have a place to call home as our city grows and will amplify the vibrancy of the downtown core.โ
Council has approved an Official Plan Amendment that will allow taller buildings in the Downtown Secondary Plan Area. Taller buildings will be restricted to strategic locations and include the following requirements:
- maximum building height has increased to 24 storeys in some locations
- tall buildings will be allowed in the peripheral areas of Downtown to preserve the historic character of the cityโs core
- the iconic view of the Basilica of Our Lady from Macdonell Street is now being protected.
Council has approved a new Community Planning Permit Bylaw and Official Plan Amendment for the Stone Road/Edinburgh Road area. The changes are part of a community planning permit systemโa Provincial land use planning tool that municipalities can use to help plan the future of their communities.
The new bylaw combines zoning bylaw amendments, minor variances and site plan approvals into a single, more efficient approvals process.
Officials will also look at how a Community Planning Permit bylaw could be applied to Downtown Guelph. The focus of this next phase will be to assess core needs in the Downtown and speed up approvals. There are no current plans to further increase building heights in the Downtown as part of this project.