Ottawa City Council Reviews Zoning By‑Law Draft and Economic Strategy Update

On April 16, Ottawa City Council received an update on the implementation of the City’s Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan, alongside the second draft of a comprehensive new Zoning By‑law. The report addresses five key issues raised during last year’s consultations on the first draft, offering a range of options to refine parking requirements, building height limits, zone conversions, transition frameworks and communal parking permissions. Council also approved surplus‑land declarations for eight properties to support affordable housing and adopted amendments to protect the South Bear Brook Wetland.

Zoning By‑law Second Draft

The second draft maintains the first draft’s stance on minimum parking rates in rural villages—proposing no fixed minimums—but introduces options for staff to consult this spring on requiring some parking in specific hamlets. In suburban neighbourhoods (N1 and N2 zones), the draft reinstates a three‑storey height limit to preserve existing development rights. Rather than converting all R4 zones to N4 as initially proposed, the revision would rezone certain R4 areas as N3 to reflect current standards. A new building‑height transition framework simplifies regulations by allowing high‑rise development as‑of‑right on larger lots while ensuring mid‑rise feasibility on smaller parcels. Finally, the draft expands communal parking‑lot permissions across all neighbourhood zones, offering a more permissive approach than the first draft’s restriction to multi‑building developments.

Affordable Housing Land Transfers

Council declared eight City‑owned properties surplus and approved their transfer to not‑for‑profit housing providers for a nominal fee. Sites—including 40 Beechcliffe Street, 2548 Cléroux Crescent and 1770 Heatherington Road—are earmarked for affordable housing. Ottawa Community Housing Corporation will develop the first two buildings at Heatherington Road and oversee the construction of a connecting public road, funded jointly by the Province’s Building Faster Fund and the City.

Environmental Protection Measures

To safeguard the ecological integrity of the South Bear Brook Wetland, Council approved concurrent Official Plan and zoning amendments, strengthening protection against future development pressures and ensuring long‑term wetland conservation.

Next Steps and Public Engagement

Consultations on the second draft of the Zoning By‑law will continue through June. Residents and stakeholders can review timelines and details, and provide feedback. Submissions will inform the preparation of a third draft later this year.