City of Ottawa doesn't want to lose local planning powers to province

The City of Ottawa could lose some local control over how future developments and buildings fit into existing neighbourhoods if the Ontario government were to enact sweeping recommendations from its housing task force, according to this city's chief planner.

The ability to preserve a neighbourhood's character was a key concern for residents during the two years of debate that led to Ottawa's new official plan. Some of the compromises made — especially over building heights along certain roads — would be supplanted by Ontario-wide rules if a few of the task force's recommendations were enacted. 

That task force struck by Premier Doug Ford made 55 recommendations in all as part of a report published a little less than a month ago. Ford wanted to find ways to boost housing supply and the report determined 1.5 million more homes were needed in Ontario for buyers and renters.

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That's a "very ambitious target" for housing construction, said Stephen Willis, Ottawa's general manager of planning, real estate and economic development.

The city takes no issue with the push to build more densely, especially near transit, or recommendations to allow underused commercial buildings to be converted for homes, he said.

"If you look at the report, much of what they're recommending we just did in our official plan," said Willis, who took part in the provincial consultations that fed into the report. 

Taller buildings near transit

Many of the suggestions from the provincial report would have a big impact on city finances and operations. 

Some would strip the city of existing zoning and site plan tools, said Willis, such as the "streetscape character analysis" it uses to help infill developments blend into existing neighbourhoods.

"When Ottawa's actually doing what they want, we don't want those powers taken away from us," said Willis. "I don't think you can set a set of rules that are the same in Kenora and in Ottawa."

One recommendation calls for zoning to allow property owners the right to build six- to 11-storeys on any street that has a public transit route. City staff say that decision should be made locally and not imposed by the province.

Just last fall Ottawa decided zoning for "minor corridors" should be limited to four storeys — although main streets could allow up to 40.

Jason Burggraaf, executive director of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association, says he would welcome taller buildings on transit routes because it "brings those units back into the fold, which we desperately need."

'Missing middle' housing

Burggraaf said some recommendations could help spur more of the so-called "missing middle" style of housing the city has long sought: housing that is neither a highrise apartment building nor a single-detached home.

He pointed to a recommendation that would waive development charges for new buildings of up to 10 units, but that's one of the recommendations the city rejects. It needs those fees to pay for new infrastructure, staff say.

Willis is also concerned about the task force recommendation to override any local policies to protect heritage areas — the task force said heritage preservation and registers had "become a tool to block more housing."

Even though the Ford government has less than three months before the June 2 provincial election, it is still expected to table legislation to change at least some of the rules governing development and planning approvals before the legislature rises.

That's why Willis will lay out Ottawa's position on each of the 55 recommendations in a report that heads to the planning committee next week.