The changes would impact 12 wards, including College, Somerset, Alta Vista and more.about 18 hours ago
By: Dani-Elle Dubé
The City’s planning committee approved a new zoning strategy to better balance front-yard features, focusing on soft landscaping and tree planting.
The committee approved the new zoning strategy Thursday, saying its landscape-first approach would “help maintain the streetscape character in older communities” as the City continues to encourage dwellings with high densities in established neighbourhoods.
“The biggest challenge when introducing more units or larger homes to an established neighbourhood has been balancing the community’s desire to retain trees and landscaped yards against the demand for driveways, walkways and projections on narrower lots,” the City said in a statement. “The new strategy would require setting aside a fixed percentage of the front yard and corner side yard for landscaping before the City would permit a driveway, walkway or other projection.”
The changes would impact 12 wards: Bay, College, Knoxdale-Merivale, Gloucester-Southgate, Beacon Hill-Cyrville, Rideau-Vanier, Rideau-Rockcliffe, Somerset, Kitchissippi, River, Capital and Alta Vista.
Ottawa’s population grew by 1.5 per cent in 2019, bringing the population to 1,006,211 by the end of the year. The City also saw a 1.6 per cent increase in the number of households along with 7,096 new housing starts to ensure space for the growing populations.