Carol Ruddy, Program Manager, Zoning & Intensification, Planning, Development and Building Services (PDBS) provided an overview of the report and answered questions from the Committee. A copy of the slide presentation is held on file with the Office of the City Clerk.
The following PDBS staff were present and participated in the presentation:
- Robert Sandercott, Planner III
- Jeff Nadeau, Planner III
The following PDBS staff were also present to respond to questions:
- Vivi Chi, General Manager
- Lesley Collins, Program Manager, Heritage Planning
- Royce Fu, Manager, Policy Planning
- John Lunney, Planner III
- Derrick Moodie, Director, Planning Services
- Tim Rowe, Program & Project Management Officer
The Committee then heard from the following delegations:
- Nick Grover, Ecology Ottawa expressed that the new Zoning Bylaw will encourage 15-minute neighbourhoods, minimize car use and place limits on parking maximums towards the goal of devoting more space to liveable areas and greenspace, increasing water absorption and dissipating heat. He said that a tightening up of the rules will also support long-term objectives for public transit and make transit more attractive and enticing.
- Robert Brocklebank and Paul Johanis, Federation of Citizens Associations (FCA) said the FCA had engaged with city staff from the beginning, and that early engagement has led to changes in maximum building heights, density limits and additional flexibility with regard to parking. They said they recognized that some concerns cannot be addressed directly in the Zoning By-Law and expressed hope that others will be able to join in, in considering wider issues.
- Paul Czan, President and, Nicole Christy, CEO, Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) noted that Ottawa is in middle of a housing affordability crisis in that too much of residents’ income is being consumed by housing costs. Czan expressed that too few houses were being built and noted that construction times had doubled since 2016, a major contributor to housing costs and a barrier to affordability. He added that with current economic disruptions, now is a good time to address housing affordability and supply. Ms Christy said that OREB supports the processes in the draft bylaw but that it was necessary to avoid policies that present restrictions. She encouraged Council to create a regulatory environment that allows for new housing and encourages innovation.
- Carolyn Mackenzie, Walkable Ottawa expressed that a lack of affordable housing has real-life consequences for residents. She said that Walkable Ottawa is advocating for more parking types, related to different kinds of residences, in that flexible parking would allow for more, and different types of development which could still add to densification goals though a context-sensitive approach.
- Jason Burggraaf, Executive Director, Greater Ottawa Homebuilders Association (GOHBA) spoke to issues related to the difference in height restrictions both inside and outside of the Greenbelt. He offered that existing heights had been adopted seemingly without justification, the result of which was a limitation on potential density of neighbourhoods inside the Greenbelt.
- Miguel Tremblay – FoTenn felt that the draft By-law is trending well in its inclusion of development corridors. He felt that a more prescriptive approach would be disruptive. He expressed a desire to continue to work with staff, noting that it was important to be not overly prescriptive, which could take away opportunities for added density.
- Lisa Dalla Rosa, FoTenn, thanked staff for working with the industry on a team approach. She said results had proven positive, but that some issues remained to be addressed. She suggested that overly aggressive parking restrictions could result in people using alternate modes of transportation, and that parking options were needed. She suggested that, using the example of Electric Vehicles (EVs), the City should ensure that utility providers are include in ongoing conversations, and that the City consider the issues of height restrictions should be revisited, and that the City needs to include considerations of height restrictdions and rear-yard setbacks.
- Tony Faranda, a resident of Rideau-Jock Ward (21) expressed opposition to increased separation distances from sand and gravel and resource areas, which had doubled in the current draft By-law. He suggested that doubling separation distances would affect landowners wishing to build on their own properties, a factor that would be worse for the owners of smaller properties. He said that almost all affected landowners were unaware of the current proposal.
- Erica Shardlow, Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES)+ spoke to a slide presentation to illustrate her organization’s speaking points. A copy of this presentation is held on file with the Office of the City Clerk.
- Paul Goodkey, a resident of old Ottawa East, echoed that the average resident was unaware of the changes proposed under this new By-law. He expressed surprise that the documentation did not include Community Association comments and questioned how Councillors could make their decisions if they were unaware of these comments. He the public were equally unaware of comments made by Developers. He expressed that there were many policies in secondary plans thatt should be implemented, and he highlighted the importance of trees and tree protection.
- Courtney Argue spoke to a slide presentation to illustrate her speaking points. A copy of this presentation is held on file with the Office of the City Clerk.
- Wilson Wood spoke to car-sharing initiatives and their importance in providing active transportation in addition to public transit. He suggested flexibility in parking to allow shared cars access to all zones. He praised on-street parking permits as a way to provide equity and to supply additional revenue to the City.
[ Individuals / groups, as marked above, either provided comments (*) in writing or by e-mail; all submissions and presentations (+) are held on file with the Office of the City Clerk. ]
The following written submission was received by, and is held on file with the Office of the City Clerk, and was distributed to Committee Members:
- Letter from Jason Burggraaf, Executive Director, Greater Ottawa Homebuilders Association (GOHBA) dated March 28, 2025
Following questions to the delegations, and to staff, and at the conclusion of Committee discussions the report recommendations were put before Committee and were ‘CARRIED’ as amended by Motions NOS Joint PHC-ARAC 2025-04-01, 2025-04-02 and 2025-04-03, along with the following Directions to Staff:
Direction to Staff (Councillor C. Curry)
That staff be directed to consider the recommendations of the Heritage Conservation District Feasibility Assessment for Beaverbrook as part of preparing the final version of the new Zoning By-law.
Direction to Staff (Councillor G. Gower)
That staff be directed to review N1E zoning provisions in Stittsville area as shown in Attachment 1 below and on file with the City Clerk, and determine if the zoning can be changed to N1D and report back with Draft 3 of the New Zoning Bylaw.
Direction to Staff (Councillor T. Kavanagh)
That staff examine the feasibility of requiring all new front yard parking and communal parking areas to incorporate permeable surface materials, such as permeable pavers, porous asphalt, or other green infrastructure solutions, in order to prevent the loss of natural drainage capacity, support stormwater management, and encourage the growth and retention of trees.