Ontario Construction News staff writer
Ottawa’s planning and housing committee has approved changes to Ottawa’s city planning processes that it says will speed up the review of development applications and accelerating the construction of needed housing.
Changes, which could be approved by city council on Sept. 18, align with the Province’s Bill 185, the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act.
Under the new process, decisions on zoning applications, including concurrent zoning and site plan applications, must be delivered within 120 days and site plan applications alone must be processed within 90 days.
Also, greater flexibility will be introduced for applicants, allowing applications to be revised during the review phase to address issues raised by planning staff or feedback from public consultations.
The pre-consultation process will be simplified to no more than 21 days. Although Bill 185 does not mandate pre-consultation, the City recommends it to ensure complete submissions and increase the likelihood of receiving staff and Council support.
Also, the committee approved making 33 temporary full-time equivalent staff positions permanent to maintain service levels for applicants.
Changes to the demolition control by-law were also approved to improve planning timelines, to allow the issuance of demolition permits once a Planning Act application is approved, rather than waiting for a building permit, reducing potential delays.
The following zoning amendments were also approved:
- Heron Gate: Zoning changes will support an affordable housing project on City-owned land, with about 158 dwellings in low-rise apartments and townhomes, all with affordability agreements.
- Stittsville: Zoning was approved for two high-rise buildings on Hazeldean Road, including a 12-storey and a 21-storey building, totaling 431 units. This development aligns with Official Plan policies and includes guidelines to transition appropriately to nearby homes.
- Orléans: Zoning was approved for a draft subdivision southwest of Innes Road and Lamarche Avenue. Phase one will add three apartment buildings with 285 units, designed to step down from six and seven storeys to three storeys near existing low-rise communities. The applicant will also construct a signalized intersection at Innes Road and Lamarche Avenue to address traffic concerns.