Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Ottawaโs Planning and Housing Committee has given the green light to development applications that could bring 342 new residential units to Hintonburg and Westboro. The approvals, aimed at addressing the cityโs housing needs, include significant infill projects and amendments to existing zoning regulations.
In Hintonburg, the committee approved Official Plan and zoning amendments for a development southwest of Somerset Street West and Bayswater Avenue. The proposal includes a 16-storey addition to the existing 17-storey building at 52 Bayswater Ave., adding 76 residential units and ground-floor commercial space. A new six-storey building along Somerset Street West will add another 25 dwellings and further commercial space.
“The Official Plan amendment would expand the boundary of the secondary plan for this area to fully include the Somerset Street West portion of the property,โ says a news release from the city. โLike the zoning amendment, it would also increase permitted height for the 16-storey building, allowing for further development of this underused site and growing this 15-minute neighbourhood.โ
In Westboro, a zoning amendment was approved for a 22-storey building southwest of Scott Street and Clifton Road. The building will house 241 dwellings and feature ground-floor commercial space. The development includes a six-storey base along Scott Street and a four-storey base facing Clifton Road.
As part of a previous zoning amendment, the developer has committed to providing community benefits, including a $450,000 contribution towards affordable housing initiatives in Kitchissippi Ward and the design and construction of a refrigerated rink and utility building at Lionโs Park, valued at $1.1 million. The current amendment primarily addresses an increase in tower height from 68.5 to 69 meters.
The committee also approved other developments in Ottawa’s west end. In Stittsville, a zoning amendment will facilitate a larger park within an ongoing subdivision development along Cope Drive, with the applicant adding residential lots to the park boundary and creating new residential lots elsewhere to accommodate 22 townhouse dwellings. In Kanata North, Official Plan and zoning amendments were approved for a five-storey, 103-unit apartment building southwest of Old Carp Road and Halton Terrace.
These approvals are part of the cityโs commitment to addressing the ongoing housing crisis. “To help address the housing crisis, Council committed to providing home builders enough opportunities to build 151,000 quality market homes by 2031 โ or 15,100 per year,” the cityโs release stated. The approved developments are expected to contribute 467 new dwellings towards this goal.
A graphic displaying the quarterly progress towards Ottawaโs housing pledge targets is available at ottawa.ca/residentialdwellings.
The recommendations made by the Planning and Housing Committee will be presented to City Council for final approval next Wednesday (March 26).