Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Ottawa is moving forward with plans to require site plan control for all new battery energy storage systems, natural gas generation facilities and renewable energy generation facilities proposed in the city.
The change comes as the city’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee approved amendments to the city’s Site Plan Control By-law to ensure land development is safe, functional and in line with construction standards.
The bylaw exempts residential buildings with 10 or fewer units from site plan control. The committee also approved an exemption for small mixed-use buildings that meet certain conditions, as well as for applicants proposing to add up to five units to an existing building, provided no changes are proposed to the building’s exterior.
The committee also approved amendments to the Official Plan and related planning policies to delegate minor zoning applications to city staff for decision, in a move to simplify and shorten the process for certain applications.
Under the proposed changes, city staff would have the authority to consider surplus farm severances, which are routine applications that occur when a lot zoned Agriculture is purchased to be used for agricultural purposes and the farmhouse lands are severed and must be rezoned to prohibit future residential development.
The criteria would be expanded to include applications for buildings up to five storeys or 25% taller than currently permitted. The city says this would ensure height-increase requests align with current permissions, preventing applicants from seeking significant additional height through a minor rezoning.
Applications that fail to meet the amended criteria would be processed as major re-zonings.
The recommendations from the committee will go to city council for consideration tomorrow (Nov. 13).