The City of Ottawa Planning Committee has approved an $8.3 million dollar budget to develop a new Zoning By-law that will implement the policies of the New Official Plan that Council adopted in October of 2021. The By-law, which will be mainly funded through a new development charge, and partially through the City’s operating budget, will prepare growth-related zoning provisions stemming from the new Official Plan.
The City hopes that the new Zoning By-law will be in place by early 2025 with the first draft released in Q3 2023 and a second draft in Q3 2024. The Planning Act requires the City to adopt a new Zoning By-law no more than 3 years after the Province approves the City’s new Official Plan.
The Official Plan has yet to receive approval from the Province. However, a decision is expected following the June 2022 Provincial election.
The three-year period will ensure that residents, community associations, and other stakeholders have time to provide input about changes within their communities from current zoning regulations. As City staff prepare the new by-law, the City will continue to consult on customized approaches for intensification in all of Ottawa’s neighbourhoods.
Zoning Best Practices Review
In order to inform and support the development of the new Zoning By-law, a Best Practices Review of Zoning was completed by the City of Ottawa and released in a report in January 2022. The Review examines zoning practices in 15 Canadian jurisdictions and 7 American jurisdictions to offer contemporary perspectives on various zoning issues including affordable housing, infill, density targets, character and housing typologies.
The Best Practices Review of Zoning can be found here.
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