Zoning innovations in support of place-making Ottawa examples

Zoning innovations in support of place-making Ottawa examples Alain Miguelez Program Manager - Zoning, Intensification and Neighbourhoods Planning and Growth Management Department, City of Ottawa

SUMMARY The challenges of zoning Turning a tool around Ottawa examples: The Mature Neighbourhoods by-law The Local Commercial by-law The review of minimum parking standards

The Mature Neighbourhoods By-law

A Bit of History

Lead-up to new by-law Two years of consultation 2012-147 Initial compromise with industry allowed front yard parking on all lots Appeal to OMB by some industry

Infill Over 1,600 units in 5 years (2010-14) On side streets Just in the Mature Neighbourhoods Outside Intensification Target Areas

Problems and Complaints Complaints Loss of green front Garage-dominated facades No interaction at grade Loss of on-street parking Snow storage challenges Excessive height Out of character Problems Zoning allows this Perception of market demand Where do you park? I agree, that is a horrible infill.

Purpose of By-law: LINK ZONING TO Streetscap e character Infill I: CHARACTER Grade Parking Relationship of buildings to streets Front yard hard/soft landscape Built form and block character Infill II: - Height, massing - Setbacks from side and rear yards

KEY PRINCIPLES Infill that fits

KEY PRINCIPLES Your street gives you your rules

KEY PRINCIPLES Fitting in properly with the streetscape trumps parking

KEY PRINCIPLES in other words, The wishes and convenience of one will not override the overall harmony of the whole street

Where does it apply? Mature Neighbourhoods Overlay

To what does it apply? Application for Development or Private Approach in Mature Neighbourhoods Building Permit Private Approach Permit leading to a parking space or driveway Committee of Adjustment consent for severance, minor variance Site Plan, Zoning Amendment You only do it once

HOW DOES THIS WORK? 1. What are the rules? 2. How do you apply them?

1. Align to your neighbours Front yard setbacks determined by alignment to abutting properties that face the same street

2. Use of land in the front yard YOU MUST PROVIDE A FRONT YARD THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE STREET'S DOMINANT CHARACTER. THIS OVERRIDES PARKING. IT IS A REQUIREMENT.

Front Yard Character Groups

The key to front yards Incidental use of lands It is EITHER: Amenity: a place for human enjoyment (vegetative or mineral landscaping, benches, planters, fountains, etc.) OR Utilitarian: parking, loading, storage

Walkway cannot abut driveway

Parking is not allowed on walkways

The right way to build a walkway Between entranceway and driveway 1.2 m. max. width From right of way to dwelling

3. Parking NO PARKING REQUIREMENT UNDER 12 UNITS BUILDINGS WITH 12+ UNITS HAVE A PARKING 'DEDUCTIBLE' FOR THE FIRST 12 UNITS Parking is permitted ONLY if it fits in with the streetscape character.

Parking and Driveway

3. Parking Where driveways are permitted, the maximum driveway width is: Lot width, or street frontage width Shared driveway Single driveway Double driveway Under 6 m 3.0 m Not permitted Not permitted Between 6.0 m and 7.49 m 3.0 m 2.4 m Not permitted Between 7.5 m and 8.24 m 3.0 m 2.75 m Not permitted Between 8.25 m and 14.99 m 3.0 m 3.0 m Not permitted Between 15 m and 17.99 m 3.0 m 3.0 m 5.5 m 18 m and more 3.0 m 3.0 m 6.0 m

Examples of shared driveway

'Shortened driveway' = front yard parking Unless legal, it's hard landscaping

Front Yard Parking Unless the applicant demonstrates that front yard parking has been legally established, this area is required to be documented as HARD LANDSCAPING. ⅓ or less

Front Yard Parking

4. Front Doors YOU MUST PLACE THE FRONT DOOR AT A LOCATION THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE STREET'S DOMINANT CHARACTER. IF THE DOMINANT CHARACTER ON THE STREET IS TO HAVE A FRONT DOOR ON THE FRONT WALL OF THE HOUSE, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PLACE YOURS THERE.

Front Doors

New zoning permissions Long semi Corner-lot wrap-around

Long semi-detached dwelling

Corner Lots

Streetscape Character Analysis How? What? What are the steps?

Streetscape Character Analysis Document the attributes of: Landscaping of front yard, interior yard, interior side yard and corner side yard Location of driveways, parking spaces and walkways Orientation of principal entranceways

Streetscape Character Analysis Dominant = the most frequently occurring 11 out of 21 = character group with 11 is dominant 8, 7 and 6 = character group with 8 is dominant 6, 5, 5 and 5 = character group with 6 is dominant 6 and 3 = character group with 6 is dominant This cannot be minor varied - it is a fact. 6 and 5 = character group with 6 is dominant

Streetscape Character Analysis

Patterns are found in Table 140(1)

Patterns are found in Table 140(2)

Patterns are found in Table 140(3)

Amsterdam

Brussels Oslo

Lisbon Paris

Barcelona New York

Chicago

Ottawa

Local Commercial Study City-initiated Zoning By-law amendments for local shops and services in residential areas Images: Colin White

Zoning History The Impact of Zoning Euclid v. Ambler (1926) Segregated use zoning vs. Mixed-use zoning https://vimeo.com/123128997 https://vimeo.com/123128997 https://vimeo.com/123128997

Local Commercial Study Purpose: Introduce zoning within residential neighbourhoods to permit smallscale commercial (micro-retail) Provide opportunities for establishing neighbourhood services/conveniences Identify non-conforming stores and assign zoning that maintains the ability to operate local-serving businesses Identify streets that act as pedestrian/cyclist connections to larger mainstreets/destinations for new commercial opportunities The STUDY AREA = mature residential neighbourhoods in Wards 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18

Existing Local Commercial

BEFORE AFTER

Public Questionnaire Are there any small scale commercial/retail (corner stores, barber shops, coffee shops, small restaurants, small Laundromats, small florists, etc) sites located in your residential neighbourhood? Do you typically walk, cycle, or drive to local commercial sites? Are you aware of any sites that were once commercial and have since been converted to residential? Would you have any concerns if a drive-through facility were located close to your home?

Public Questionnaire What type of commercial and service/convenience uses would you like to see in a residential neighbourhood? What connector streets in the neighbourhood serve as a primary pedestrian/cyclist connection to the larger mainstreets? Image by Colin White

Do you typically Walk, Cycle or Drive to Local Commercial sites? 90% 84.68% 84.96% 80% 70% 71.03% 60% 50% 40% 30% 28.97% 20% 10% 15.32% 15.04% 0% Walk Bicycle Drive Yes No

What type of local commercial and service/convenience uses would you like in your residential neighbourhood? 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Yes No

Public Consultation Study launched in November 2013; newspaper advertisements, study website, public online questionnaire, postcards/posters in local shops, and e-mail blast to all registered community groups Study updates via the website August 2014, January 2015, March 2015 Formal notice of proposal January 2015 with newspaper advertisements and letters to affected property owners and community groups. Public Meeting (community information session) January 21, 2015 (approx. 80 attendees). All property owners notified April 29, 2015 via mail.

Zoning approach Existing little stores in neighbourhoods: Updated zoning to allow more commercial uses, cap size, remove parking requirement New zoning permissions for little stores Residential root zone, commercial suffix with specific provisions

Existing stores: LCc Neighbourhood Commercial zone (LCc) created as a new subzone in Local Commercial Zones Typically larger sites that permit residential or commercial Predominantly existing Local Commercial zoned sites Animal Care Establishment Artist studio Bank / Bank Machine Community Gardens Health & Resource Centre Convenience store Day Care Instructional facility Library Medical facility Personal service business Post Office (ancillary) Restaurant Retail store Retail food store Service & Repair Shop Small batch brewery

New little stores: Suffix -c The Residential Neighbourhood Commercial permits local commercial business opportunities that fits within the character of a residential neighbourhood RESIDENTIAL ROOT ZONE Suffix c permits commercial Artist studio Convenience store Instructional facility Medical facility Personal service business Restaurant (conditional) Retail store Retail food store

New little stores: Suffix -c Commercial provisions Commercial use restricted to ground floor and basement Must be located in a building with a residential component (at least one dwelling unit) Maximum total size of commercial is 100 m 2 Parking is not permitted for commercial use Allow small outdoor patio / seating area on corner lots, max 10 m 2 Manage waste & recycling on site

Impact Zoning amendments that benefit: 70 legal non-conforming businesses 315 residential properties situated to permit micro-scale commercial 125 existing commercial properties that will be rezoned to better align with the Official Plan Recommendation 2 = phase 2 study

Examples

Currently underway REVIEW OF MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS

VIDEO

Study information WWW.OTTAWA.CA/ MINIMUMPARKING Discussion paper FAQ s Video As we heard it