Joint Planning and Housing and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

WHEREAS Stittsville residents have expressed concern with proposed height limits for high-rise buildings in the suburban transect; and WHEREAS the Official Plan introduced a transect approach to planning to better distinguish, by context, Ottawa’s distinct neighbourhoods; and WHEREAS “Option 3” for Mainstreet Corridor height and transition requirements recommends an as-of-right height of 90 metres beyond a 30-metre transition zone, with no distinction between transects; and WHEREAS in the suburban transect, properties adjacent to land on Mainstreet Corridors are predominantly low-rise in character, particularly at the outer edge of the transect; and WHEREAS Section 5.4.2 of the Official Plan encourages higher-density mixed-use environments at strategic locations close to rapid transit. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED with respect to Issue 4, as contained in Document 3, that staff consider and consult on a new Option 4 which limits the maximum ‘as-of-right' height for high-rise buildings along Mainstreet Corridors in the Suburban Transect based on distance from a rapid transit station.

WHEREAS various members of the development industry and community organizations have expressed concerns with respect to management of parking in association with new infill development in residential neighbourhoods, and have expressed support for “communal parking lots” as one potential method of addressing these concerns; and WHEREAS the Neighbourhood (N1-N6) zone provisions released in the first draft of the Zoning By-law include conditional permissions for privately-operated “parking lots” and “parking garages” to allow for “communal parking” to be provided; and WHEREAS there exist potential concerns with respect to the development and maintenance of “communal parking” that would benefit from more in-depth study on a transect basis, including but not limited to the design and maintenance of such facilities and the extent to which they can support multi-unit infill development; and WHEREAS the Official Plan prioritizes active modes of transportation such as walking, cycling and transit over off-street parking and automobile-oriented uses within the Downtown Core and Inner Urban transects. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that staff review the communal parking provisions in Draft 2 and develop a transect-based approach to permitting privately-operated “communal parking lots” and consider car-sharing as part of the provisions, to be included in Draft 3 of the new Zoning By-law.

WHEREAS the draft Zoning By-law proposes a choice-based approach to parking space rates, allowing property owners the flexibility to provide the number of spaces they expect to meet the specific demands of a proposed development or align with their business operations; and WHEREAS transportation alternatives to personal vehicles in Rural Villages are limited or do not exist; and WHEREAS through public consultations on Draft 1 of the Zoning By-law comments were received about the adequacy of Rural Villages to accommodate removal of minimum parking rates because of the lack of transportation options. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that staff be directed to return to Joint Committee for Draft 3 with revisions to the draft Zoning By-law that incorporate Option 2 with respect to Issue 1, as contained on page 1 of Supporting Document 3, mandating a minimum of one parking space per dwelling unit in Rural Residential zones (V1, V2 and V3); and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, despite the above resolution, retirement homes, rooming houses and residential care facilities be exempt from minimum parking requirements. For (9) M. Luloff, L. Dudas, J. Leiper, R. Brockington, C. Kitts, C. Curry, C. Kelly, D. Brown, and W. Lo Against (4) G. Gower, T. Kavanagh, L. Johnson, and A. Troster