Current by-law reviews | City of Ottawa

ATV, ORV and Snowmobile By-law

Description

The review will include clarifying various provisions, addressing gaps in regulations and enforcement recommendations by the Ottawa Police Service. The review will also consider options for conflict resolution between various stakeholders. For example, balancing the increasing number of complaints from residents regarding ATV and snowmobile activities versus the increasing demand from the riding community to increase the number of routes and trails on municipally owned lands.

Get involved

No current public engagement events. Please check back later.

Reports

Spring 2025 – Transportation Committee

Note: All dates are subject to change.

Contact

Planning, Development and Building Services
PDBSLegdgspab@ottawa.ca

Building Performance Standard By-law

Description

This by-law is being developed as part of the Better Buildings Strategy to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. It would apply to all eligible existing buildings and is based on annual greenhouse gas emissions performance metrics; other metrics of health and safety may be included in the Building Performance Standard.

Get involved

No current public engagement events. Please check back later.

Reports

Spring 2024 – Environment and Climate Change Committee

Note: All dates are subject to change.

Contact

Janice Ashworth, Section Manager Climate Change and Resiliency
Janice.Ashworth@ottawa.ca

Development Charges By-law and Community Benefits Charge By-law

For more information about this review, click on the link below:

2024 Development Charges and 2024 Community Benefits Charge By-law Updates | Engage Ottawa

E-Scooters By-law

For more information about this review, click on the link below:

E-scooters | City of Ottawa

Contact

E-scooter pilot project team
escooter@ottawa.ca

Encroachments on City Highways By-law

Description

The Encroachments on City Highways By-law (No. 2003-446, as amended) outlines the requirements and fees associated with permanent and temporary encroachments on City highways, outdoor patios, café seating and customer service boxes.

This review of the Encroachments on City Highways By-law will evaluate the By-Law Fees.

Get involved

No current public engagement events. Please check back later.

Reports

2025 – Transportation Committee

Note: All dates are subject to change.

Contact

Planning Real Estate and Economic Development

PDBSLegdgspab@ottawa.ca

Licensing By-law

Description

The City’s Licensing By-law (No. 2002-189) regulates businesses such as restaurants, pet shops, and driving schools, among others and requires that they have a licence in order to operate within the City. City staff have determined that a comprehensive review of the by-law is needed to ensure that regulations and requirements for licensed businesses as well as administrative processes for business licensing remain effective.

This review will focus on:

Modernizing existing licensing regulations and requirements
Eliminating duplication and inconsistencies within the by-law
Exploring opportunities to reduce red-tape and administrative burdens

The review will also consider non-regulatory issues, such as incorporating technology into the business licensing process, and how to better support and inform businesses through both the initial application and license renewal processes.

Get involved

No current public engagement events. Please check back later.

Reports

Spring 2026 - Emergency Preparedness and Protective Service Committee

Note: All dates are subject to change.

Contact

Public Policy Development Branch
613-580-2400 ext. 29529
BylawReviews@ottawa.ca

Over-dimensional Vehicles on Highways By-law

Description

The Over-dimensional Vehicles on City Highways By-law (No. 2003-497) regulates the movement of over-dimensional vehicles on City highways. Over Dimensional Vehicle Permits are issued under the authority of this by-law.

The Over-dimensional Vehicles on City Highways By-law has not been comprehensively reviewed since it was enacted in 2003. The review will include consultation with industry stakeholders to assess if any updates are required.

Get involved

No current public engagement events. Please check back later.

Reports

2025 - Transportation Committee

Note: All dates are subject to change.

Contact

Planning, Development and Building Services Department

PDBSLegdgspab@ottawa.ca

Parks and Facilities By-law

Description

The Parks and Facilities By-law (No. 2004-276) underwent an administrative review in 2021. During this review, issues that required public consultation were identified, including:

Encroachments into parks from abutting properties
Permitted and restricted uses in parks such as sledding and fishing
Permitted and restricted activities within recreation facilities

This review will look to modernize the by-law to reflect current community needs..

Get involved

Public consultations have now closed. Thank you for providing your feedback. For updates on the progress of this review, please visit the Parks and Facilities By-law Review Engage Ottawa page.

Reports

Fall 2024 - Community Services Committee

Note: All dates are subject to change.

Contact

Parks and Facilities By-law

parksfacilitiesbylaw@ottawa.ca

Private Approach By-law

Description

The Private Approach By-law (No. 2003-447) regulates the construction and use of private approaches. Private Approach Permits are issued under the authority of this by-law.

A comprehensive review of the Private Approach By-law has not been conducted since it was enacted in 2003 and is necessary to ensure that emerging issues and gaps in the regulations, requirements and fees are identified and addressed. The timing of the Private Approach By-law review aligns with the re-enactment of the new Zoning By-law, expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Get involved

No current public engagement events. Please check back later.

Reports

2025 - Transportation Committee

Note: All dates are subject to change

Contact

Planning, Development and Building Services
PDBSLegdgspab@ottawa.ca

Residential Protective Plumbing By-law

Description

Excess rain or snowmelt or a blockage in the sewer system can cause an increase in water level or surcharge. A backup occurs when the increased water level (surcharge) pushes water backwards through the service lateral into the home through floor drains, sinks and toilets.

The Residential Protective Plumbing Program provides financial assistance to qualified City of Ottawa property owners for the installation of protective plumbing devices, such as sump pumps and storm and sanitary backwater valves to prevent water and sewage from flooding homes as a result of increased water level (surcharging) in the City’s sewer system.

This by-law review will:

Revise and update the existing by-law based on a municipal comparison and general feedback
Adopt the previous Secondary Sump Pump with Back-up Power Pilot

The Residential Protective Plumbing By-law (No. 2016-316) was most recently updated in 2016. To further update the Program, a municipal comparison, along with a survey of City staff and previous participants will be undertaken to better understand and develop Program updates.

Get involved

Residential Protective Plumbing Program (RPPP) and By-law Review | Engage Ottawa

Reports

Q1 2025 – Environment and Climate Change Committee

Note: All dates are subject to change.

Contact

Project Management Office, Business and Technical Support Services
Infrastructure and Water Services
iws-btss-pmo@ottawa.ca

Sewer Connection By-law

Description

Prior to 2003, sewer connections were addressed by the former municipalities and the Region of Ottawa-Carleton. In October 2003, Council enacted the existing By-law, harmonizing and repealing the various former municipal by-laws.

The Sewer Connection By-law (No. 2003-513) regulates sewer connections and sewage works in Ottawa, including permits, design and construction guidelines and standards. While the By-law addresses guidelines and standards, to date, an application form and permit have not been finalized.

This by-law review will clarify and update language in the by-law related to the construction, alteration, blanking, temporary or permanent connection or reuse of all building sewers and public sewage works as well as the installation of a maintenance hole.

Get involved

No current public engagement events. Please check back later.

Reports

Spring 2025 - Environment and Climate Change Committee

Note: All dates are subject to change.

Contact

Project Management Office, Business and Technical Support Services
Infrastructure and Water Services
iws-btss-pmo@ottawa.ca

Sewer Use By-law

Description

The Sewer Use By-Law (No.2003-514) regulates the control of discharges to sewers and sewage works.

The by-law review review will consider:

Updates to align to Provincial regulatory changes to O. Reg 267/03 for Biosolids, Guidelines for the Management of Biomedical Waste 1992 and new references to the Ontario Building Code Act Reg 129-04 and the Ontario Water Resources Act
Changes in industry trends
Permitting limited garburator usage
Enhanced language to educate industries on the compliance expectations

Enhanced language to educate industries on interceptor maintenance requirements
Additional and more transparent compliance tools

Get involved

Sewer Use By-law review | Engage Ottawa

Reports

Q1 2025 - Environment and Climate Change Committee

Note: All dates are subject to change.

Contact

Project Management Office, Business and Technical Support Services
Infrastructure and Water Services
iws-btss-pmo@ottawa.ca

Site Plan Control By-law

Project

Owing to recent legislative changes to the Planning Act by the More Homes Built Faster Act and the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, the Site Plan Control By-law 2014-256 needs to be amended to comply with those Acts.

This Act made the following changes to the scope of site plan control:

A new subsection to Section 41 was added to qualify the definition of ‘development’ to exclude “the construction, erection or placing of a building or structure for residential purposes on a parcel of land if that parcel of land will contain no more than 10 residential units.”
Section 41 was further amended to allow for site plan control for any number of residential units in “prescribed areas”, which include, generally, areas within 300m of certain rail lines or within 120 metres of various watercourses as specified in O. Reg 254/23.
Amended Section 41 of the Planning Act to narrow the scope of plans and studies a municipality can require for site plan control applications.

This report proposes to amend the Site Plan Control By-law to comply with the changes to the Planning Act affecting Site Plan Control, as well as a number of other minor changes to streamline approvals.

What is Site Plan Control?

Under the Planning Act, the City is authorized to establish a Site Plan Control Area and undertake a comprehensive review of all issues related to a site plan including but not limited to: building location, exterior design, parking, access, landscaping, traffic, grading, drainage, and servicing. The review enables the City to influence land development to ensure it is functional, safe and compatible, and to address city building goals contained within City policies and guidelines. The City can approve the site plan application with a set of conditions and may require an agreement to be registered on title and take securities to ensure requirements and conditions will be fulfilled by the owner. The Site Plan Control process does not deal with the issues pertaining to what uses are permitted on a property, as such matters are typically addressed through the zoning process.

The report will recommend two broad categories of changes to Site Plan Control By-law No. 2014-256); numerous changes to comply with the amended Planning Act and changes to simplify and make minor updates to the by-law.

The changes to comply with the Planning Act include:

Deleting Section 3.1 Sandy Hill Special Site Plan Control Area
Amending Section 4 to exempt up to 10 residential units in a residential building throughout the Site Plan Control area
Amending Section 4 to add a new mixed use exemption for mixed use buildings of a similar size to 10 unit residential buildings

The proposed new exemption for residential buildings as required by the Planning Act is as follows:

(vi) when on a lot located within the Site Plan Control Area:

is serviced by municipal drinking water and sanitary sewer systems;
the lot contains a maximum of 10 residential units or oversize dwelling units; (By-law 2022-225)
the buildings on the lot have a combined gross floor area of no more than 800 square metres; and
the lot has no more than 10 outdoor parking spaces; or

(vii) when on a lot serviced by private individual services:

the lot contains a maximum of 10 dwelling units or oversize dwelling units, or, in the case of a rooming house a maximum of 10 dwelling units and no oversize dwelling units; and
has no more than ten outdoor parking spaces. (By-law 2019-39)

The proposed new exemption for a mixed-use building of a similar size to the exemption for residential buildings of up to 10 units is as follows:

A building containing both residential and non-residential uses that:

is four storeys or less
is serviced by municipal drinking water and sanitary services
is on a lot zoned AM, GM, LC, MC, MD, TD, TM, -c suffix or VM;
Is not on a lot located within the Development Zone of Influence, unless written permission is obtained from the General Manager
the lot has up to 10 dwelling units or a rooming house with up to 10 rooming units;
the buildings on the lot have a combined total gross floor area of no more than 1000 metres square;
no more than 10 outdoor parking spaces.

The proposed new exemption for adding units to an existing buildings is as follows:

(1) The General Manager may waive the requirement for site plan control under Section 4 of this by-law for an existing residential building for the addition of up to 20% of the existing number of units in the building or 5 additional units, whichever is the lesser, if:

a) no changes to the building footprint are proposed;
b) no reductions to the bedroom counts of the existing dwelling units are proposed;
c) no reduction to the soft landscaping on the lot is proposed;
d) no additional parking spaces are created;
e) no changes to grading are required to accommodate additional units;
f) no additional servicing capacity, or other City design guidelines requirements for municipal water, sewer, and/or drainage systems is required to accommodate the additional units;
g) The building code permit for the original construction of the associated structure was not issued within the last three years

2. When the General Manager waives the requirement for site plan control under 7(4)(1), it must be waived by written permission confirming that the additional units comply with the requirements in 7(4)(1)(a), 7(4)(1)(b), 7(4)(1)(c), 7(4)(1)(d), 7(4)(1)(e), 7(4)(1)(f), and 7(4)(1)(g).

3. Engagement with the City through the pre-consultation process is required to determine if the conditions for the exemption are met.

Additional proposed amendments include the following:

Revising and cleaning up sections of the by-law rendered obsolete by changes to the Planning Act
Adding sections required as part of the implementation of a future High Performance Development Standards project
Require site plan control for Renewable Energy Generation Facilities, Transmission Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems, and Natural Gas Generation Facilities
Clarify application of site plan control for uses that can be established without creating a building or structure (such as storage yards, golf courses).

Get involved

Please submit questions and comments to the e-mail below by October 6, 2024

Timeline

Planning and Housing Committee: November 6, 2024

Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee: November 7, 2024

Note: All dates are subject to change.

Contact

Jacob Saltiel, Zoning By-law Writer and Interpretations Officer II
Jacob.Saltiel@ottawa.ca

Special Events By-laws

Description

This review will consider:

The impacts of the pandemic on Ottawa’s festival and event sector
Requirements for smaller community-based events
Ways to facilitate street events and food trucks
Strategies to maintain public health and safety
The prevention of harassment and nuisance behaviours
Developing sustainable practices

A comprehensive review of both the Special Events on Public and Private Property By-law, administered by Emergency and Protective Services department, and Special Events on City Streets By-law, administered by Public Works, will enable staff from both departments to coordinate stakeholder and public engagement, research and other activities more efficiently.