Report to/Rapport au :

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

and Council/et au Conseil

1 May 2006 / le 1^er mai 2006

Submitted by/Soumis par : Ned Lathrop, Deputy City Manager/

Directeur municipal adjoint,

Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Richard Kilstrom, Manager/Gestionnaire, Community Planning and Design / Aménagement et conception communautaire

Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Policy/Politiques d’urbanisme, d’environnement et d’infrastructure

(613) 580-2424 x 22653, Richard.Kilstrom@ottawa.ca

City Wide

Ref N°: ACS2006-PGM-POL-0024

SUBJECT:

DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE ZONING BY LAW -

BACKGROUND INFORMATION, PROPOSED PROJECT

AND PUBLIC CONSULTATION TIMELINES

OBJET :

RÈGLEMENT DE ZONAGE GÉNÉRAL PRÉLIMINAIRE – RENSEIGNEMENTS GÉNÉRAUX, PROJET PROPOSÉ ET CALENDRIER DES CONSULTATIONS PUBLIQUES

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council approve the proposed project and public consultation timetables for the draft Comprehensive Zoning By-law, found in Documents 1 and 2 of this report.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement recommande au Conseil d'approuver le projet et le calendrier des consultations publiques concernant le Règlement de zonage général préliminaire, joints au présent rapport (documents 1 et 2).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Assumptions and Analysis:

The purpose of this report is to provide background information on the Draft Comprehensive Zoning By-law project and to have Council approve the recommended public consultation strategy and timelines for the project.

The draft new Comprehensive Zoning By-law will harmonize the existing 36 Zoning By-laws, implement many of the policies of the City’s Official Plan approved in 2003, and provide staff and the public with clear direction in an accessible and user-friendly fashion.

It is recommended that a series of public open houses (7 in the urban area and 5 in the rural area) be held during the months of June and September and that notice be provided through community newspapers and the dailies. Additionally, there will be briefings organized with key stakeholder groups and additional meetings with the public organized in co-ordination with Members of Council.

It is proposed that a period of public consultation take place in June and September, and that a report on the comments received to date from the public be presented to Committee in October. The public hearings on the Draft Comprehensive Zoning By-law would be held in early 2007 following the completion of Budget 2007.

Financial Implications:

Costs associated with the public consultation activities are available in the capital budget for the project.

Public Consultation/Input:

The public consultation to date includes some 34 meetings that were held from May 2005 to January 2006 with the three advisory groups established for this project. All interested Advisory Committees are being briefed on the project.

RÉSUMÉ

Hypothèses et analyse :

Le présent rapport vise à fournir des renseignements généraux sur le projet lié au Règlement de zonage général préliminaire et à soumettre à l'approbation du Conseil la stratégie et le calendrier de consultation publique sur ledit projet.

Un nouveau Règlement de zonage général permettra à la Ville de réaliser des économies grâce à l'harmonisation des 36 règlements de zonage en vigueur, de mettre en œuvre bon nombre des politiques énoncées dans le Plan officiel qu'elle a adopté en 2003 et d'accroître grandement, pour le personnel et les résidents, la fonctionnalité relative aux règlements de zonage grâce à Internet.

Il est recommandé qu'une série de consultations publiques (sept dans les quartiers urbains et cinq dans les quartiers ruraux) soient tenus en juin et qu'un avis à cet effet paraisse dans les quotidiens et les journaux communautaires. En outre, des séances d'information seront présentées à l'intention de groupes d'intervenants clés et d'autres réunions publiques seront organisées conjointement avec les conseillers municipaux.

Il est par ailleurs proposé que des séances de consultation publique aient lieu en juin et en septembre et qu'un rapport sur les commentaires formulés par la population sur le sujet soit présenté au Comité en octobre. Les audiences publiques sur le Règlement de zonage général préliminaire devraient se dérouler au début de 2007, après l'adoption du budget.

Répercussions financières :

Des fonds sont prévus au budget des immobilisations pour couvrir les dépenses associées aux séances de consultation publique liées au projet

Consultation publique / commentaires :

Les consultations publiques tenues jusqu'à présent consistent en 34 réunions qui ont eu lieu de mai 2005 à janvier 2006 avec les trois groupes consultatifs formés pour le projet. À l'heure actuelle, des séances d'information sont données à l'intention des comités consultatifs concernés.

BACKGROUND

On March 26, 2003, Council approved report AC2003-DEV-POL-0003, a New Comprehensive Zoning By-law - Implementing the Ottawa 20/20 Vision: Work Program, and committed to developing a by-law that would be as complementary to Ottawa's distinctive rural, urban, and suburban communities, as it was innovative, accessible, and user-friendly. Through the process of harmonizing the 36 existing by-laws, Council directed staff to create a by-law that channelled growth to within the Urban Boundary; achieved compact, mixed-use communities; increased transit ridership; emphasized good urban design; preserved environmental integrity; conserved resource areas; and focussed rural growth in our villages.

On January 12, 2005, Council approved report AC2004-DEV-POL-0062 which directed staff to undertake an extensive public consultation strategy. Two Public Advisory Groups were struck, one urban and one rural, comprised of community, business and federal government representatives; as well as a Technical Advisory Group comprised of members representing the planning and architectural professions and the development industry. The members of the two public advisory groups were selected from a list of suggestions made by Members of Council. In total, 34 meetings of the advisory groups were held, directly involving 28 representatives.

During the Spring of 2005 staff circulated zoning strategies pertaining to land use, design standards, and best practices to the three advisory groups. These documents were also made available to the general public on the City's web site. From September 2005 to January 2006, the actual draft zoning by-law provisions were brought forward to the advisory groups for review and input, and modifications were made in response to the comments and suggestions received. Presentations were also made to several City Advisory Committees, the three panels of the Committee of Adjustment, and the Conservation Authorities. Staff from across the Corporation who have an operational interest in the Zoning By-law, including Planning and Infrastructure Approvals, Building Services, By-law Services, Traffic and Parking Operations, Surface Operations, Legal Services and the Housing Branch were also consulted.

During late April to early May 2006, staff met with Members of Council to discuss the tabling of the Zoning by-law and the next phase of public consultation. These meetings were very productive and provided staff with an opportunity to identify unique ward-based concerns. Further research will be undertaken and the appropriate communication materials will be prepared in anticipation of the next phase of public consultation. Where possible, tentative dates for public open houses have been arranged with each Councillor. The purpose of this report is to confirm the public consultation and project timetables, including the tabling of the Draft new Comprehensive Zoning By-law for public review, discussion, and input.

DISCUSSION

Draft Zoning By-law Background

The new Zoning By-law process is more than a straightforward consolidation due to the significant differences in provisions between existing by-laws. Some changes are inevitable simply through the harmonization of provisions. More importantly, there will be some changes in zoning provisions and permitted uses where required by policy direction in the Official Plan and from the Provincial Policy Statement on land use planning and development. Throughout the creation of the draft document, staff followed the ten Council-approved principles in report AC2003-DEV-POL-0003, a New Comprehensive Zoning By-law - Implementing the Ottawa 20/20 Vision:

1. Consolidate the provisions of the City’s existing zoning by-laws utilizing a consistent, City-wide strategy;

2. Implement the land use-related policies of the draft Official Plan;

3. Respect the unique characteristics of established neighbourhoods, whether urban, suburban, rural or agricultural, while acknowledging City-wide policy objectives;

4. Create non-conformity principally when required to implement the policies of the Official Plan;

5. Develop a user-friendly format that combines the best attributes of the existing zoning by-laws;

6. Use plain language, wherever possible, while meeting the legal requirement for clear and precise legislation;

7. Develop a selection of modern zoning tools to implement new policy directions;

8. Ensure that the zoning by-law uses only those mechanisms that are enabled by the Planning Act, R.S.O.,1990;

9. Develop a computerized zoning by-law text and mapping system to provide for greater accessibility, ease of use and efficient administration; and

10. Provide opportunities for public review of and input into the new comprehensive zoning by-law.

The new Zoning By-law will serve as a key tool in the implementation of the Official Plan (2003); as required under the Planning Act. Harmonization of the 36 existing zoning by-laws will provide administrative efficiencies allowing for better provision of zoning information; consistency of interpretation; processing of variances, zoning amendments and building permits; and compatibility with other municipal regulations (e.g. licensing, signs, private approach by‑laws, etc.).

The new Zoning By-law will be made available using a computerized text and mapping system that allows for easy internet accessibility, making Ottawa the first of the major Canadian cities (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton or Hamilton) to provide the public with this level of internet functionality for a zoning by-law.

As well, the By-law will be available in both English and French. Again, when compared to a number of other large and mid-sized municipalities which have bilingual web sites, only the City of Ottawa will have its Zoning By-law text and maps available in both official languages (Moncton, New Brunswick has only the text of its Zoning By-law available on its web site in both English and French). The costs of translation of the By-law were covered by a grant provided by the federal government to the City at the time of amalgamation. The By-law also distinguishes between urban and rural zones within one by-law, however, a rural extract (a separate stand-alone consolidation of the rural provisions) will also be available to provide easier access to zoning information for the rural public.

Councillor Consultations

Between April 18th and May 3rd, staff from the Planning and Growth Management Department

met with Members of Council and provided a briefing on the draft Comprehensive Zoning By‑law.

Staff are committed to an extensive and detailed discussion and will be available to attend additional Councillor-initiated community association, Ward Council, or community group meetings. A number of communication materials have been prepared to encourage the active participation of the public, including a significant web-based component on Ottawa.ca which will allow residents and businesses to determine the proposed zoning for their property. The proposed project timetable will provide a significant amount of time for the public to review the by-law, attend public consultation events, and provide comments to staff. Staff are confident that the timetable provides adequate time to review comments from the public and prepare a response for inclusion in an early 2007 final report.

Document 1 provides a revised project timetable. Document 2 lists the staff-initiated open houses

and additional meetings organized in conjunction with each Councillor. Additional meetings will be scheduled.

CONSULTATION

As noted in the Background section, in 2005 and 2006, significant consultation was undertaken on the Zoning Strategies and the draft Zoning By-law text with the three advisory groups established for this purpose as well as with many other internal stakeholder groups. Staff propose a series of consultation activities that will take place in June and September 2006 to bring the draft Comprehensive Zoning By-law to the general public for information, discussion and input as detailed in Documents 1 and 2.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Costs associated with the consultation activities are available under the capital budget for this project. Funds are available in internal order 900852, Comprehensive Zoning By-law.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 Timelines for Comprehensive Zoning By-law (Revised)

Document 2 Scheduled Public Open Houses (Revised)

DISPOSITION

(Revised Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Policy Branch to initiate public consultation activities for the draft Comprehensive Zoning By-law pending the tabling of the draft Comprehensive Zoning By-law.

Revised Document 1

TIMELINES FOR COMPREHENSIVE ZONING BY-LAW

Activity	Planned Dates
Staff report to Planning and Environment Committee providing background information, Councillor consultation and proposed timelines	May 9, 2006
30 minute demonstration for all Councillors and Councillors assistants of Web application	May 18, 2006
Delivery of hard and CD copies of draft Zoning By-law to all Councillors and Mayor	May 24, 2006
Launch of Web site to allow for internet access to draft Zoning By-law and information on project and start of notification to public.	May 26, 2006
Hard Copies of draft made available for viewing at all Client Services Centres and libraries, CD’s available for free at Client Services Centres	May 26, 2006
Briefing to Agriculture and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee	June 2006
Briefings with key stakeholders (including; Federation of Community Associations, BOMA, Chamber of Commerce, NCC, Public Works and Government Services Canada and Ottawa-Carleton Home Builders Association)	Month of June 2006
Open Houses for the General Public and other meetings with community associations and interest groups as required	June and September 2006
Tabling of interim report on findings of public consultations	October 24, 2006 (PEC) October 26, 2006 (ARAC)
Public hearings and final report to ARAC/PEC/Council	February or March 2007

Revised Document 2

SCHEDULED PUBLIC OPEN HOUSES

Purpose

To inform Ottawa residents about how the Comprehensive Zoning By-law applies to individuals and communities and improve their understanding of how the policies of the Official Plan are implemented in the Zoning By-law.

Objectives

· To inform the general public to ensure clear understanding of the new zoning designations and provisions.

· To establish www.ottawa.ca as a primary source of information for zoning.

· To continue to foster a sense of shared responsibility for the future of our City.

Target Audience

General public in urban and rural areas.

Key Messages

· The By-law is necessary to harmonize the existing Zoning By-laws for reasons of administrative efficiencies for all by-law users.

· The By-law will be one of the most important tools to implement the City’s new Official Plan.

· A new web-based user-friendly computerized text and mapping system is available to help the public access zoning-related information. A further element of the web site is the ability to access a rural-friendly version of the Zoning By-law (urban only zones, maps and schedules are left out).

Approach

1. Consultation locations:

Date	Location


June 5	Nepean Sportsplex
June 5	Navan Memorial Centre
June 6	Ron Kolbus-Lakeside Center – Britannia
June 6	Alfred Taylor Recreation Center – North Gower
June 7	City Hall Greely Community Centre

June 12	Jim Durrell Community Centre
June 13	St. Laurent Complex
June (specific date to be determined)	Kinburn Community Centre
June 15	Orléans Recreational Centre
June 22	John G. Mlacak Centre – Kanata
September (specific date to be determined)	Goulbourn Municipal Centre
September 28	Walter Baker Sports Complex

Additional public consultations will be arranged in individual Wards at the request of Councillors.

2. Consultation Format:

· Open house format from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in North Gower

· Staff presentation at 7:00 p.m. (Presentation in English and French in Navan, City Hall, Orléans and St. Laurent); copies of the presentation available in French in all locations.)

§ 15 to 20 min. PowerPoint presentation explaining the project background, progress to date and next steps.

§ 30 mins (or as needed) open Q&A period.

· Open period before and after the presentation with staff available to answer individual questions from the public on the impact of the Zoning By-law (in French and English).

Consultation tools

· Display boards around perimeter with zone maps of subject area and illustrations.

· Summaries of zoning changes.

· PowerPoint presentation and copies for distribution if required.

· Tables with the draft paper version of the by-law for viewing in both French and English.

· If high-speed Internet connection is available at the open house location, there will be a computer/laptop with access to computerized text and mapping system.

· Flipcharts for recording Q&A and “parking lot” issues.

· Staff resources – two or more zoning staff members as needed; one additional staff member from policy if necessary. At least one staff to be bilingual at all meetings. Staff will be able to assist members of the public in determining the new zoning of their particular lot.

· Consultation/issues feedback forms to capture written concerns and issues.

Consultation Promotion/Advertising

· One-day (Saturday) joint Federation of Citizens Association/City information meeting

· Public notification in daily newspapers,

· City website

· Community newspapers (advertisements and articles)

· Client Service Centers – distribution point for information and promotional materials. CDs will be available

· Libraries – hard copy of draft By-law available for viewing

· Public Service Announcements, media releases, interviews and articles in local media

· City Councillor offices – notification to ward residents by email lists

Consultation Target Dates

· June and September 2006

CONSULTATION

Delivery of hard and CD copies of draft Zoning By-law to all Councillors and Mayor

Briefings with key stakeholders (including; Federation of Community Associations, BOMA, Chamber of Commerce, NCC, Public Works and Government Services Canada and Ottawa-Carleton Home Builders Association)