Affordable Housing in Ottawa, Ontario: Part 5

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Revised 2005 November 8
COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES
SOCIAL RESEARCH UNIT
Affordable Housing in Ottawa, Ontario: A Case Study of Land Use Policy and Transferability
Prepared for the Affordable Housing Implementation Team by Greg Sauer 1
Planning Student, Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary
© 2005 The City of Calgary, Community and Neighbourhood Services, Social Research Unit

1 The opinions expressed in this paper are strictly those of the author and not The City of Calgary. The information contained in this report has not been verified by The City of Calgary.

References

City of Calgary. 2005a. Report to Calgary Planning Commission: Land Use Bylaw Parking Strategy. PDF

. 2005b. Downtown Parking Strategy: Revisions to Downtown Parking Strategy (Draft). PDF

. 2005c. Discussion Paper: A Review of Vancouver's Land Use Planning Regulatory Tools and the Potential of Calgary to Emulate Similar Programs. Internal reference document (not for circulation). Calgary: City of Calgary, Corporate Properties and Buildings.

. 2004. Land Use Policy Review: Stage One Working Paper. Internal reference document (not for circulation). Calgary: City of Calgary, Land Use Planning and Policy.

. 1998. Calgary Plan: Municipal Development Plan. Calgary: The City of Calgary.

. 1995. Sustainable Suburbs Study: Creating More Fiscally, Socially and Environmentally Sustainable Communities. Calgary: City of Calgary, Planning and Building Department.

City of Ottawa. 2005a. "Creating a Legacy--Report." Housing. Website. web

. 2005b. "2.2.1 Strategic Directions: Managing Growth: Urban Area Boundary." Ottawa 2020 Official Plan. web

. 2005c. "2.5.2 Strategic Directions: Building Liveable Communities: Affordable Housing." Ottawa 2020 Official Plan. web

. 2005d. "3.1 Designations and Land Use: Generally Permitted Uses." Ottawa 2020 Official Plan. web

. 2005e. "Zoning By-law Amendment Proposal Summary." Public Consultation. Website. web

. 2005f. "FAQ's." Public Consultation. Website. web

. 2005g. "5.2.1 Implementation: Implementation Mechanisms by Authority under the Planning Act: General." Ottawa 2020 Official Plan. web

. 2005h. "4.5 Review of Development Applications: Housing." Ottawa 2020 Official Plan. web

. 2005i. "2.2.3 Strategic Directions: Managing Growth: Managing Growth Within the Urban Area." Ottawa 2020 Official Plan. web

. 2004. "Affordable Housing Policies--Official Plan Amendment and Implementation." Report to Planning and Environment Committee and Council 20 May 2004. web

. 2002. "Affordable Housing Strategy." Report to Health, Recreation, and Social Services Committee and Council 28 January 2002. web

Krushelnicki, B.W. 2003. Ontario Municipal Board: Decision/Order No: 1228. Toronto: Queens Printer for Ontario.

Langdon, Peter. 2001. Toronto Staff Report: Status of the Formulation of Citywide Official Plan Policy for the Use of Section 37 of the Planning Act. PDF

Province of Alberta. 2000. Municipal Government Act: Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000, Chapter M-26. Edmonton: Alberta Queen's Printer.

Province of Ontario. 2005a. Housing--Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Provincial Policy Statement. Website. web

. 2005b. Planning Act: R.S.O. 1990, Chapter P.13. web

Wilder, Stanley. 2005. Proposed Density Incentive Guidelines for the City of Ottawa. Unpublished. Personal communication.

Appendix A: Ottawa's Proposed Zoning Regulations for Secondary Dwelling Units

Definition

Secondary dwelling unit - means a dwelling unit located in the same building as, and subsidiary in nature to, its principal dwelling unit; and its creation does not result in a semi-detached, duplex, triplex, converted house, or three-unit dwelling as defined in any of the by-laws.

Related definitions

Dwelling unit, means a principal residential unit that,

  1. consists of a self-contained set of rooms located in a building,
  2. is used or intended for use as a residential premises,
  3. contains kitchen and bathroom facilities that are intended to be exclusive to the unit; and is not a secondary dwelling unit, a mobile home or any vehicle.

Detached dwelling--a building containing one principal dwelling unit only and includes detached house, fully detached dwelling, single family dwelling, etc.

Semi-detached dwelling--a building containing two principal dwelling units only divided vertically and includes linked-detached dwellings

Duplex dwelling--a building containing two principal dwelling units only divided horizontally

Principal--primary and not secondary usage

Rooming unit--

Garden Suite--a temporary one-unit, self-contained and portable detached residential structure that is ancillary to and on the same lot a s a detached or semi-detached dwelling

Zone Location

A secondary dwelling unit is permitted in all zones where detached, semi-detached and duplex dwellings are permitted uses.

Location within dwelling and number permitted

The secondary dwelling unit is to be contained within the same building as its principal dwelling unit

A maximum of one secondary dwelling unit is permitted per principal dwelling unit in the case of a detached and semi-detached dwelling; and

A maximum of one is permitted per the whole of a duplex building

Proviso

The secondary dwelling unit must be on the same lot as the principal dwelling unit. Size

If located at or above grade, the secondary dwelling unit must not be greater than an amount equal to 40% of the gross floor area of the principal dwelling unit. If located in a basement, it may occupy the whole of the basement.

Note: The principal dwelling occupant would continue to have access to facilities and services, associated with the principal unit or building, but located within the basement Where an attached garage is converted to create the secondary dwelling unit, such attached garage is counted as gross floor area of the dwelling.

External appearance and impact along street

The secondary dwelling unit must have a separate access, such access of which may not be located in an exterior wall facing the front yard.

Note: Internal shared entrances, accessed but not visible from the front of the building, are permitted.

Servicing

Secondary dwelling units must be connected to public services where such services are available; however, where only private services are available, new secondary dwelling units may be connected to private services subject to approval by the City, to provide opportunity to review water quality and servicing capacity.

Share on-site parking

The principal and secondary dwelling unit must share the parking area provided for the principal dwelling unit, and no new driveway may be created, except in the case of corner lots.

Note: The City's Private Approach By-law takes precedence on those large lots by permitting a second driveway on lots with frontages greater than 20 metres, and on through lots).

Parking

No parking is required for a secondary dwelling unit, but where provided, must be in conformity with the parking provisions of the by-law, and must not be located in the front yard.

The creation of the secondary dwelling unit must not eliminate a required parking space for the principal dwelling unit.

Note: A secondary dwelling unit may be created in an attached garage, which contains a required parking space, provided the required parking space is located elsewhere on the lot in conformity with the parking provisions of the By-law.

Other residential uses within principal dwelling lot

Where a secondary dwelling unit is located on a lot, neither a garden suite nor any rooming units are permitted on that lot.

Home-based businesses

In the case of the secondary dwelling unit, home-based businesses are permitted, although no home-based day care is permitted.

No on-site non-resident employees permitted and no customers permitted on-site

Appendix B: Alternate Roadway Standards Being Considered in Ottawa

Figure 1. The 8.5 Metre Pavement of a 14.0 Metre Right-of-Way

Figure 2. The 8.5 Metre Pavement of a 16.5 Metre Right-of-Way

Figure 3. An 8.5 Metre Road Allowance for a Rear Alley

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