Section 3.6 contains policies for the urban designations shown on Schedule B.
3.6.1 – General Urban Area
[Modification #28, 13 juillet 2005]
The General Urban Area designation permits the development of a full range and choice of housing types to meet the needs of all ages, incomes and life circumstances, in combination with conveniently located employment, retail, service, cultural, leisure, entertainment and institutional uses. This will facilitate the development of complete and sustainable communities. A broad scale of uses is found within this designation, from ground-oriented single-purpose buildings to mid-rise buildings with a mix of uses along Mainstreets or Transit Priority Corridors; from a dwelling or corner store to a shopping centre or office. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
While the City is supportive of the establishment of a broad mix of uses in Ottawa's neighbourhoods, this is not meant to imply that all uses will be permitted everywhere within areas that are designated General Urban Area. The zoning by-law will continue to regulate the location, scale and type of land use in accordance with the provisions of this Plan. Within neighbourhoods, the zoning by-law will allow those uses that provide for the local, everyday needs of the residents, including shopping, schools, recreation and services. Uses that also serve wider parts of the city will be located at the edges of neighbourhoods on roads where the needs of these land uses (such as transit, car and truck access, and parking) can be more easily met and impacts controlled. Subject to the policies below, the City supports infill development and other intensification within the General Urban Area in a manner that enhances and complements the desirable characteristics and ensures the long-term vitality of the many existing communities that make up the city.
Policies
- General Urban Area areas are designated on Schedule B. The General Urban Area designation permits many types and densities of housing, as well as employment, retail uses, service, industrial, cultural, leisure, greenspace, entertainment and institutional uses. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- The evaluation of development applications, studies, other plans and public works undertaken by the City in the General Urban Area will be in accordance with Section 2.5.1 and Section 4.11.
- Building height in the General Urban Area will continue to be predominantly Low-Rise. Within this range, changes in building form, height and density will be evaluated based upon compatibility with the existing context and the planned function of the area. Secondary plans or zoning that currently permit building heights greater than four Storeys will remain in effect.
- Notwithstanding Policy 3, new taller buildings may be considered for sites that:
- front an Arterial Road on Schedules E or F of this Plan and which are:
- within 800 metres walking distance of a Rapid Transit Station on Schedule D of this Plan, or
- on a Transit Priority Corridor on Schedule D of this Plan. For the purposes of this policy only, the “Transit Street” defined in the Riverside South Community Design Plan is considered an Arterial Road;
- are in an area already characterised by taller buildings or sites zoned to permit taller buildings. [Amendment #150, LPAT October 22, 2018]
- The City supports intensification in the General Urban Area where it will complement the existing pattern and scale of development and planned function of the area. The predominant form of development and intensification will be semi-detached and other ground-oriented multiple unit housing. When considering a proposal for residential intensification through infill or redevelopment in the General Urban Area, the City will:
- Assess the compatibility of new development as it relates to existing community character so that it enhances and builds upon desirable established patterns of built form and open spaces;
- Consider its contribution to the maintenance and achievement of a balance of housing types and tenures to provide a full range of housing for a variety of demographic profiles throughout the General Urban Area; [Amendment #150, LPAT July 18, 2019]
- Major Urban Facilities are permitted in the General Urban Area in accordance with Section 3.6.7.
- The General Urban Area permits uses that may generate traffic, noise or other impacts that have the potential to create conflicts with the surrounding residential community. These types of uses are often large and serve or draw from broader areas. The City will ensure that anticipated impacts can be adequately mitigated or otherwise addressed. Such uses will be directed to:
- Locations on the Rapid Transit and Transit Priority network, or an arterial or major collector road with sufficient capacity to accommodate the anticipated traffic generated and where frequent, all-day transit service can be provided;
- Suitable locations on the perimeter of, or isolated from, established residential development or other sensitive uses. In this regard, existing or proposed building orientation, massing and design, and the presence of mitigating circumstances such as distance, changes in topography, natural and constructed buffering, or the presence of features such as significant depths of mature forest may be taken into account. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- Throughout the General Urban Area, the City will encourage the provision of a variety of small, locally-oriented convenience and service uses that complement adjacent residential land uses, and are of a size and scale consistent with the needs of nearby residential areas. The City will ensure that these uses:
- Are compatible and complement surrounding land uses; [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- Are conveniently located with respect to concentrations of residential development and provide direct access for pedestrians and cyclists from adjacent residential areas;
- Are permitted to cluster with other community-oriented uses, such as parks, pedestrian linkages, community centres or leisure facilities, in order to facilitate interaction among residents and contribute to a sense of community;
- Are situated to take advantage of pedestrian and cycling patterns;
- Are of a size and scale that will not result in the attraction of large volumes of vehicular traffic from outside the immediate area.
- Uses requiring large land areas for outdoor storage, sale or service of goods (other than uses that do not operate year-round and can be considered a common component of a permitted use, such as a garden centre in association with a retail use) are generally discouraged in General Urban Areas. Development applications to permit such uses will be considered where the proposal meets the following criteria:
- The proposed use is compatible with and complements surrounding land uses, and will be in accordance with Section 2.5.1 and Section 4.11;
- Direct access is provided to an arterial road with sufficient capacity to accommodate the proposed use which can provide a safe and efficient circulation;
- Main buildings are situated so as to occupy the site’s street frontage;
- The visual impact of outdoor storage or parking on adjacent uses and from the street will be minimized through appropriate means;
- Motor vehicle sales or leasing establishments will not place their goods for sale or display in the municipal right-of-way.
- Industrial uses that exhibit characteristics that are likely to impact negatively on adjacent residential uses by virtue of matters such as noise, fumes, heavy equipment movement or external storage of large amounts of materials will not be permitted in areas designated General Urban Area, but will be directed to an appropriately zoned area within an Employment Area. [Amendment #28, July 13, 2005]
Site-Specific Exceptions
- Notwithstanding policy 1 above, a retail/commercial centre with a full range of retail uses will be considered with a maximum of 11,000 m2 of gross floor area on the lands legally described as Blocks 86, 95 and 101 on Plan 4M-1089 and known municipally as 6303 Hazeldean Road. [Amendment #33, August 24, 2005]
- The stand-alone retail store permitted on the lands known municipally as 1890, 1900, 1920 Walkley Road, 2980, 3000 Conroy Road, 2500, 2502, 2510 St. Laurent Blvd. and 2425 Don Reid Drive, will be limited to a maximum of 17,500 square metres. [OMB decision #2649, September 21, 2006]
- City Council has approved a community design plan for the Barrhaven South Community to guide future development. Development may proceed in keeping with the community design plan and policies elsewhere in this Plan: [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- In order to achieve the intent of the objectives of Section 3.7.4 Mineral Resources, the City will not approve any subdivision, zoning (potential exception could be a holding zone) or site plan control application for lands within the Barrhaven South Community Design Plan study area that are located within 300 metres of the Sand and Gravel Resource Area to the west of the community in the rural area, until the conditions set for these lands in the community design plan have been satisfied. The community design plan presumes that the existing pit will have exhausted its aggregate resources prior the development of the adjacent lands. The Community Design Plan indicates that these lands may be developed once the extraction of the mineral aggregate ceases, or a study is completed to the satisfaction of the City, which demonstrates that proposed development is compatible with the aggregate operations. To demonstrate that the mineral aggregate resource is depleted, an Official Plan Amendment shall be required for an alternate land use on the Sand and Gravel Resource Area.
- City Council has approved a community design plan for the Kanata North community (shown on Annex 5-Urban Areas Subject to a Community Design Plan or Policy Plan) to guide future development. Development is therefore to occur in keeping with the community design plan and policies within this Plan, subject to the following:
- Residential development is to be at least 30 per cent single detached but not more than 55 per cent single detached dwellings, at least 10 per cent apartment dwellings and the remainder multiple dwellings, other than apartments.
- The overall residential development will meet the minimum average density target of 36 units per net hectare. Net residential density is based on the area of land exclusively for residential use, including lanes and parking areas internal to developments but excluding public streets, right-of-way and all non-residential uses. [Amendment #173, OMB Order File #PL160875, January 11, 2017]
- Notwithstanding the policies in Section 2 and 3 of this Plan to the contrary, for the properties known municipally as 4747, 4755, 4789, 4791 and 4840 Bank Street, the following policies shall apply:
- The properties will be considered as one for the purpose of achieving the required mix of residential units which will be comprised of at least 30 per cent but not more than 55 per cent single detached dwellings, at least 10 per cent apartment dwellings and the remainder multiple dwellings, other than apartments.
- The shared responsibility to meet this housing mix is to be co-ordinated by a ‘Landowner’s Agreement”. If such agreement is not implemented, the City will require the minimum housing mix to be achieved on each property individually. [Amendment #221, October 4, 2018]
- City Council has approved the Kanata Highlands Comprehensive Study Report and supporting studies to guide future development for the property located at 820 Huntmar Drive. Development is therefore to occur in keeping with the Comprehensive Study Report and its supporting studies subject to the following:
- The City will not approve any subdivision, zoning or site plan control application for the lands at 820 Huntmar Drive until: the conditions for further study outlined in the Comprehensive Study Report, supporting studies and this Plan have been satisfied; and the City is satisfied that a viable permit application has been made to the Province under the Endangered Species Act (2007) and its regulations.
- Residential development is to be at least 30 per cent single detached but not more than 55 per cent single detached dwellings, at least 10 per cent apartment dwellings and the remainder multiple dwellings, other than apartments. [Amendment #236, December 31, 2019]
- The overall residential development will meet the minimum average density target of 34 units per net hectare. Net residential density is based on the area of land exclusively for residential use, including lanes and parking areas internal to developments but excluding public streets, right-of-way and all non-residential uses. [Amendment #222, October 23, 2018]
- The existing rapid transit station and proposed extension of Light Rail to the Bayshore Shopping Centre and the Accora Village Community create a unique opportunity to encourage infill, redevelopment, and high-rise built form surrounding this station to support the TOD objectives of this plan. The area located generally within 800 metres walking distance of this station is identified as a special study area where a secondary planning process will be undertaken, by either the landowner or the City to determine the future land use, height, density, connectivity, and the overall character of the community and which may be implemented through a secondary plan and amendments to the applicable Zoning By-law. In the interim and notwithstanding the above policies to the contrary, High-rise buildings up to 12 storeys in height will continue to be permitted in those areas where zoning currently permits high-rise buildings. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- Policy 17 does not apply in the case of the properties identified as PIN 04701-0101and PIN 04701-103, located on the south side of Woodridge Crescent and adjacent to the Bayshore Rapid Transit Station, and the following policies shall apply:
- Despite Policy 3.6.1.4, Subsection 1, new taller buildings on the lands identified above need not have frontage on an Arterial Road as identified on Schedules E or F of this Plan;
- Taller buildings of up to a maximum 30 storeys in height are permitted; and
- New development shall provide convenient and safe connections to the Rapid Transit Station and a future Multi-Use Pathway. [Amendment #250, December 30, 2020]
- A district park with a minimum size of 11.1 gross hectares, shall be located within the lands known as 195 Huntmar Drive. Where the district park is co-located with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board Secondary School Site the minimum park Size may be reduced to 5.9 gross hectares. [Amendment #180 LPAT May 8, 2019]
- Notwithstanding policy 1 above, residential uses shall be on a district energy system for lands having an area of approximately 19.4 hectares and located west of Conroy Road, north of Johnston Road, east of the Greensboro Turtlehead Natural Area, and south of the CN Rail corridor as shown in Schedule E14 to Official Plan Amendment No.180. [Amendment #180 LPAT May 8, 2019]
3.6.2 – Mixed-Use Centres and Town Centres
Town Centres and Mixed Use Centres occupy strategic locations on the Rapid-Transit network and act as central nodes of activity within their surrounding communities and the city as a whole. These centres are a critical element in the City's growth management strategy, being areas with potential to achieve high densities and compact and mixed-use development oriented to rapid transit. More jobs and housing at these locations will increase transit ridership and draw more commuter travel to these locations. In the long term the centres will become complete, liveable communities that attract people for the jobs, leisure, lifestyle, and business opportunities they provide. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
The Town Centres are the long-standing cores of the suburban areas outside the Greenbelt. Since the 1970s, centres for employment, shopping, and other activities have been envisioned in Orleans, Kanata and later, Barrhaven. The Town Centres will continue to grow along with the suburbs to ultimately contain the most diverse mix of housing, entertainment, employment and community services to be found in Ottawa outside the Greenbelt. They stand out physically from the surrounding suburbs and connect them by rapid transit to the rest of the city. Compared with the Mixed Use Centres, the Town Centres are more diverse and have a larger role as centres for the communities around them, offering close-to-home opportunities for shopping, leisure and other activities. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
The Town Centres and Mixed Use Centres will become more transit-supportive destinations through intensification and development of vacant land. The challenge is to preserve this potential as the centres develop to meet today’s markets. The retail success of some centres and large office developments in others have required large parking areas to serve surrounding communities where an automobile is needed for many types of trips. In many centres, the mix of uses is incomplete and there is a need for housing or jobs or other uses to achieve the area’s potential to become a complete, liveable community. The key to preserving this potential is to maintain a grid pattern of roads and rights-of-way that define walkable blocks and sites for future intensification. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
Transit-oriented development in the centres is more than density and transit. It entails a designed environment where walking and cycling are attractive options within the centre and transit can be accessed easily. Transit-oriented development means:
- Creating public areas that are visually interesting, well-designed and edged by buildings with doors and windows opening onto pedestrian areas and greenspace that make these attractive places to live;
- Connecting transit to all locations within the centre along safe, direct and easy-to-follow routes for pedestrians and cyclists;
- Directing the highest density close to the station so that transit is the most accessible to the greatest number of people;
- Encouraging a mix of transit-supportive uses such as offices, shops and services that provide for the needs of residents and workers and reduce the need to travel outside the area for everyday needs;
- Supporting a mix of multi-unit housing, including affordable housing and housing for those who rely on public transit;
- Carefully managing traffic and the supply of parking.
The City has adopted Transit-Oriented Development Guidelines for use in the Town Centres, Mixed Use Centres and other transit-oriented areas, to assist applicants in submitting well-designed, context-sensitive development applications. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
Policies
- Town Centres and Mixed Use Centres are designated on Schedule B, with Town Centres shown by the symbol “TC”. They all meet the following criteria:
- Most of the centre is within an 800m walking distance of one or more rapid transit stations, and contains one or more arterial roads with all day, frequent transit service;
- There is opportunity to achieve high densities of jobs and housing through intensification and redevelopment of older sites and development of vacant land;
- High-Rise Buildings of 10 storeys and more can be accommodated in a manner that provides appropriate transition to the surrounding area;
- Employment targets of at least 5,000 jobs can be achieved in Mixed Use Centres and at least 10,000 jobs can be achieved in Town Centres;
- The area is or can become transit-oriented, as described in this section;
- The area is suitable for a mix of uses and could be linked within the area’s greenspace network. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- The City is committed to maintaining the Town Centres in Kanata, Barrhaven and Orleans as the vital, mixed-use cores of the suburban areas outside the Greenbelt. Plans in some areas are dated and a new vision for each is needed to make sure the centres maintain their central role as they and the communities around them continue to grow. The vision will be prepared in consultation with community groups, property owners, and other parties and may lead to amendments to the secondary plans for the centres as needed to achieve the vision. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- Mixed Use Centres are priority areas for undertaking more detailed Secondary Plans. These plans may:
- Provide for minimum and maximum building heights;
- Apply the target density for the area identified in Figure 2.3, or require different densities to be achieved on a site-specific basis such that, over time, the overall target density is achieved for the area;
- Develop area-specific design considerations. [Amendment #150, LPAT October 22, 2018]
- In order to achieve the employment targets for Mixed Use Centres and the target density within walking distance of existing and proposed stations on the City’s Rapid Transit System, a range of building heights including High-Rise may be considered. Appropriate transition, in building height, is to be provided at the periphery where the Mixed Use Centre abuts established Low-Rise or Mid-rise areas. [Amendment #150, LPAT October 22, 2018]
- Mixed Use Centres will permit a broad variety of land uses at transit-supportive densities, such as offices, secondary and post-secondary schools, hotels, hospitals, large institutional buildings, community recreation and leisure centres, daycare centres, retail uses, entertainment uses, services (such as restaurants), high- and medium-density residential uses and mixed-use development containing combinations of the foregoing. Major Urban Facilities are permitted as set out in Section 3.6.7. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- Development is generally permitted prior to the approval of a community design plan. However, in the case of the Mixed Use Centre south of Innes Road and west of Mer Bleue Road:
- The City will only permit development after the completion of a community design plan and its adoption as a secondary plan by amendment to this Plan.
- Development of the Innes Snow Disposal Facility, in compliance with the policies under Section 3.9 shall be permitted in advance of the Community Design Plan for this Mixed Use Centre.
- Notwithstanding the designation of the Mixed use Centre on Schedule B, the boundary of the Mixed Use Centre may be expanded at the next Employment Land Review to encompass part of the surrounding Employment Area. This expansion must be supported by the findings of the proposed Employment Lands Study and the secondary planning exercise for the community design plan (CDP) and where it can be demonstrated that the employment targets for the existing employment area and the Mixed Use Centre, respectively will be achieved. [Amendment #140 December 29, 2017] [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- New Mixed Use Centres or expansions of existing centres may only be identified through a community design plan process and where the following criteria are met:
- The new or expanded centre has achieved or can achieve the criteria in policy 1 above. The community design plan allocates and preserves lands, or includes mechanisms, to achieve the minimum employment requirement within the community design plan area.
- Community Design Plans will require that residential uses be a component in all Mixed-Use Centres.
- All development applications and Community Design Plans for Mixed-Use Centres will be reviewed in the context of this Plan and in particular:
- Will be evaluated in the context of the Design Objectives and Principles in Section 2.5.1 and the criteria set out in Section 4.11, particularly with regard to achieving a compact, mixed-use, transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly environment and creating a place with visual interest;
- Will, where possible, contribute to a range of housing options in the area.
- Mixed-Use Centres will optimize the use of land through provisions for compact mixed-use development. The Zoning By-law and community design plans will:
- Require employment and housing as part of a larger mix of uses and permit a mix of uses within a building or in adjacent buildings;
- Require residential uses in the form of apartments and other multiples at a medium or high density;
- Provide for the potential for shared parking arrangements among uses that peak at different time periods;
- Allow for the potential redevelopment of surface parking areas;
- Not permit uses that require large areas of their site to be devoted to the outdoor storage, sale or service of goods to be located within 800 metres walking distance of a rapid transit station;
- Ensure that an appropriate transition in built form between the Mixed-Use Centre and any surrounding General Urban Area occurs within the Mixed-Use Centre site. [Amendment #150, LPAT July 18,2019]
- Plans, public works and development proposals for Mixed-Use Centres will enhance opportunities for walking, cycling and transit and in particular will:
- Give priority to walking and cycling in public rights-of-way;
- Provide direct, barrier-free connections for pedestrians and cyclists linking transit and other developments in the Mixed Use Centre along public rights-of-way, off-road pathways and open space connections;
- Use public art and the design of public streets and spaces to create attractive public areas;
- Provide adequate, secure, and highly visible bicycle parking at rapid transit stations and throughout the Centre;
- Design transit shelters, seating and other facilities that contribute to attractive public areas and that enhance personal security through such measures as described in Section 4.8. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- The City will work, and where appropriate partner, with the private sector to integrate rapid transit stations with building and site development through such means as:
- incorporating the station within the building;
- coordinating the design of the station with the architecture of nearby buildings;
- accommodating pedestrian movement through the building and site, including provision of weather protection for pedestrians between the station and main building entrances;
- integrating waiting areas, directional signage, maps, and transit schedules as part of the building or site;
- incorporating direct access from building interiors to above-grade or below-grade transit platforms; and
- considering integrated site development including air-rights development over Park and Ride facilities. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- In order to demonstrate its commitment to development within Mixed-Use Centres, the City will consider them to be priority locations for:
- New or relocated municipal buildings and facilities which serve the public, or for leasing space for functions;
- The assembly of land to ensure an adequate supply that is strategically located for redevelopment or community improvement purposes;
- Increasing the capacity of transit service and water, stormwater and wastewater services to support new development;
- Investing in new facilities for pedestrians and cyclists;
- Comprehensive traffic management plans and strategies to reduce the need for parking;
- Municipal incentives provided through community improvement plans, incentives for brownfield redevelopment and other programs;
- Partnering to develop air rights over rapid-transit stations and other public infrastructure;
- Partnerships between the public and private sectors. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- Preserving a grid pattern of roads and rights-of-way is key to preserving the potential of the centres to intensify and become more transit and pedestrian-friendly over time. Through its planning and development review processes, the City will establish a grid pattern of rights-of-way for public roads within the centres that defines blocks for current and future development. The City will pursue the following policies to achieve this objective:
- The grid pattern will define walkable blocks to support walking, cycling and transit use;
- Rights-of-way that have been secured to date in secondary plans and subdivisions will be retained and opportunities will be sought to extend or intensify the network;
- A secondary network of vehicular and pedestrian routes on a grid pattern will be required within development parcels to increase safety, improve connectivity within and between sites, and define development parcels for future infill or redevelopment;
- Buildings will be located within the grid pattern of public rights-of-way and the secondary network in such a way that they do not preclude future development opportunities;
- A plan will be required as part of a complete application to demonstrate how the site can be developed within the public and secondary networks over time to achieve a more dense and transit-supportive form. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
Site-Specific Exceptions
- The Mixed Use Centre at the southwest corner of Tremblay Road and St. Laurent Boulevard (municipally known as 530 Tremblay Road) shall provide for a minimum floor area of 40,000 m2 for employment uses, which will be implemented through the Zoning By-law. [Amendment #113, July 30, 2013]
3.6.3 – Mainstreets
[Amendment #28, July 13, 2005]
The Mainstreet designations identify streets that offer significant opportunities for intensification through medium-density and mixed-use development, along streets that are Transit Priority Corridors or are well-served by transit. Mainstreets are the corridors that traverse long areas of the city, connecting different communities and changing in character along their length. They include nodes of activity at various scales, from high schools and small offices to hospitals and shopping centres. Some segments mark the boundaries of established residential areas, while other segments serve as shopping streets for adjacent communities or larger areas.
Focusing intensification on Mainstreets allows for less disruption and more convenient services for adjacent communities and more efficient use of transit. The objective of the Mainstreet designation is to encourage more dense and mixed-use development that supports, and is supported by, increased walking, cycling and transit use. Intensification is most likely to occur over time through the redevelopment of sites such as vacant lots, aging strip malls, and former automobile sales lots, parking lots and gas stations, as well as through additions to existing buildings. Mainstreets are diverse in character and change and renewal will take into account the character of the street and adjacent areas.
Two general types of Mainstreets are designated in this Plan:
- Mainstreets having pre-1945 characteristics are designated as Traditional Mainstreets. Typically, they are set within a tightly-knit urban fabric, with buildings that are small-scale, with narrow frontages and set close to the street. The development pattern, mix of uses, contiguous storefronts and density create an interesting pedestrian environment and support the use of transit. Residential uses are often located on the upper floors. Traditional Mainstreets generally have on-street parking or the potential to provide it, and limited on-site parking.
- Mainstreets having post-1945, characteristics are designated as Arterial Mainstreets. Typically, they are lined by larger lots and buildings, varied setbacks, and lower street-level densities than Traditional Mainstreets. Arterial Mainstreets are more automobile-oriented, built with four or more lanes. They generally do not provide on-street parking. Parking lots are typically located between the buildings and the street, and the predominant land use is single-purpose commercial. Over time, it is anticipated that these streets will evolve into more transit-supportive, pedestrian-friendly Mainstreets that support the neighbouring community.
Not all Mainstreets or segments of Mainstreets match these conditions. Some Traditional Mainstreets were built between 1945 and the present, and display a blend of Traditional and Arterial Mainstreet characteristics. For these areas, this Plan promotes redevelopment in a fashion that locates buildings close to the street and is more supportive of walking, cycling and transit.
Within newly developing ‘greenfields’ areas or within Town Centres, new models of Traditional or Arterial Mainstreets may evolve that are mixed-use and support walking, cycling and transit.
Arterial Mainstreets are expected to change gradually through redevelopment. This means that, over time, residential and employment uses will be introduced at higher densities, potentially through redevelopment of large parking areas. New development and public infrastructure will be designed to improve walking and cycling as well as access to transit. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
Policies
- Traditional Mainstreets and Arterial Mainstreets are designated on Schedule B. The former are planned as compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented streets that provide for access by foot, cycle, transit and automobile. The latter also are planned to provide a mix of uses and have the potential to evolve, over time, into more compact, pedestrian-oriented and transit friendly places. To facilitate this evolution, the zoning by-law may define the portion of the street frontage of an Arterial Mainstreet to be occupied by buildings located at or set back minimally from the sidewalk. Both Traditional and Arterial Mainstreets will fulfill and take advantage of their multi-modal transportation corridor function. Additional Mainstreets may be identified in Developing Communities, the policies and designations for which will be found in the appropriate Community Design Plan.
- New Mainstreets will only be considered during a review of this Plan or through a secondary planning process that recommends an amendment to this Plan. The City will evaluate the appropriateness of a new Mainstreet against all of the following requirements:
- It is on a Transit Priority Corridor or within 800 metres walking distance of a Rapid Transit Station on Schedule D (for Arterial Mainstreets only);
- There are substantial opportunities for new development or redevelopment fronting the roadway segment proposed for designation;
- The potential for increased building heights are compatible with adjacent development that is not within the Mainstreet designation;
- The street already contains a mix of uses or can introduce a mix of uses in a way that is compatible with adjacent planned development in the case of greenfield areas; and
- It has potential to be converted to a pedestrian and cycling friendly environment. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- The symbol delineating Traditional and Arterial Mainstreet designations on Schedule B of this Plan is a stand-alone land use designation and not an overlay. The Traditional and Arterial Mainstreet designations generally apply to the whole of those properties fronting on the road, however, for very deep lots, the designations will generally be limited to a depth of 200 metres from a Traditional Mainstreet and to a depth of 400 metres from and Arterial Mainstreet. The boundary may also be varied, depending on site circumstance and lot configuration. For instance, it may also include properties on abutting side streets that exist within the same corridor. A secondary plan may specify a greater or lesser depth. [Amendment #150, LPAT October 22, 2018]
- On lots where development has the potential to develop both adjacent to the street and to the rear of the property, the Mainstreet designation will apply to the entire lot and development situated on the rear portions will not be considered to be non-conforming by virtue of not being located adjacent to the street. Where the depth of lots fronting the road is sufficient to enable development to occur both adjacent to the street and to the rear of the property, and where development is initially unlikely to occupy the entire frontage immediately adjacent to the street, the site should be planned in a coordinated fashion that will facilitate:
- multi-modal (pedestrian, cycling, transit and vehicular) access between the site and the public street(s),
- multi-modal (pedestrian, cycling, transit and vehicular) access between the site and the public street(s),
- attractive, safe and usable pedestrian and cycle connections between the site and adjacent communities,
- an enhanced interconnected pedestrian environment that links individual uses on the site, transit stops and continuous public sidewalks on the adjoining streets, and which is generally distinct from internal vehicle routes,
- measures of sufficient size and quality to relieve the visual impact of surface parking areas,
- the provision of adequate landscaped areas, particularly trees, along the perimeter of the site and street frontages,
- the provision of coordinated signage, and
- over time, a development that is oriented to the Mainstreet.
- A broad range of uses is permitted on Traditional and Arterial Mainstreets, including retail and service commercial uses, offices, residential and institutional uses. Uses may be mixed in individual buildings or occur side by side in separate buildings. Where a Mainstreet abuts an Employment Area, the zoning by-law may prohibit noise-sensitive uses on the Mainstreet where appropriate.
- Major Urban Facilities are permitted on Arterial Mainstreets as set out in Section 3.6.7.
- Traditional and Arterial Mainstreets, or portions thereof, represent important areas for the preparation of Community Design Plans in accordance with the policies of Section 2.5.6. Community Design Plans and development proposals on Mainstreets will be evaluated in the context of the policies in this section and the Design Objectives and Principles in Section 2.5.1, and the Compatibility policies set out in Section 4.11.
- New gas bars, service stations, automobile sales and drive-through facilities will not be permitted on Traditional Mainstreets in order to protect and enhance the pedestrian environment. However, there may be exceptional circumstances where a drive-through facility may be located on a Traditional Mainstreet where the intent of this Official Plan regarding Traditional Mainstreets can otherwise be preserved. In these cases, appropriate means such as coordinated tree planting and landscaping, pedestrian amenities and the dimension, location and number of vehicular accesses will be used to minimize the interruption of the Traditional Mainstreet street frontage and ameliorate the impact on the pedestrian environment. Existing gas bars, service stations, automobile sales and drive-through facilities located on Traditional Mainstreets that are permitted under the zoning existing on the date of adoption of this Plan, will continue to be permitted in the zoning by-law as permitted uses and encouraged to redevelop over time in a manner that achieves the street’s planned function and character. New gas bars, service stations, automobile sales, and drive-through facilities are permitted on Arterial Mainstreets and will be evaluated on the basis of the Design Objectives and Principles in Section 2.5.1, any applicable Council-approved design guidelines, and the Compatibility policies set out in Section 4.11. [OMB decision #2649, September 21, 2006]
- On Traditional Mainstreets surface parking will not be permitted between the building and the street. The location of surface parking will avoid interruption of building continuity along the Traditional Mainstreet street frontage and will minimize impacts on pedestrians. However, there may be exceptional circumstances, where locating parking adjacent to the street frontage is unavoidable. In these cases, appropriate means such as coordinated tree planting and landscaping, pedestrian amenities and the dimension, location and number of vehicular access will be used to minimize the interruption of the Traditional Mainstreet street frontage and to ameliorate the impact on the pedestrian environment. On Arterial Mainstreets, the location of surface parking will be evaluated in the context of Section 2.5.1 and Section 4.11.
- Redevelopment and infill are encouraged on Traditional and Arterial Mainstreets in order to optimize the use of land through intensification, in a building format that encloses and defines the street edge with active frontages that provide direct pedestrian access to the sidewalk. [Amendment #150, October 19, 2018]
- This Plan supports mid-rise building heights on Traditional Mainstreets, but secondary plans may identify circumstances where different building heights may be permitted. In the absence of a secondary plan, the Zoning By-law may establish as-of-right building heights, lower than those permitted above, based upon site conditions, existing character and compatibility. Building heights greater than those specified in this Section will only be permitted through a Secondary Plan. The Zoning By-law will establish a minimum building height equivalent to a two-storey building, except for those existing gas bars, service stations, automobile sales and drive-through facilities identified in policy 8 above. [Amendment #150, LPAT October 22, 2018]
- On Arterial Mainstreets, unless a secondary plan states otherwise, building heights up to 9 storeys may be permitted as of right but High-rise buildings may only be permitted subject to a zoning amendment and where the building will be located at one or more of the following nodes:
- within 400 metres walking distance of a Rapid Transit Station on Schedule D of this Plan; or
- directly abutting an intersection of the Mainstreet with another Mainstreet or a Transit Priority Corridor on Schedule D of this Plan; or
- directly abutting a Major Urban Facility:
and where the development provides a community amenity and adequate transition is provided to adjacent low-rise.
The Zoning By-law may establish as-of-right building heights lower than nine storeys where site conditions, existing character and compatibility with adjacent development dictate that a lower building form is appropriate. [Amendment #150 LPAT July 18, 2019]
- Where a building is being demolished on a Mainstreet, and no immediate replacement use is proposed, approval of the demolition will be subject to the approval of a Site Plan Application that addresses landscaping and associated site improvements that will contribute to the attractiveness of the Mainstreet environment on an interim basis.
- To achieve the vision for Mainstreets, changes within the public environment as well as within the abutting private property environment may be necessary. The function and design of a road may influence the nature of land use along it and changes to the street may be necessary in order to facilitate a more intense, pedestrian-oriented form of development adjacent to it. Where the City is proposing public works within a Mainstreet’s right-of-way, it will consider changes such as the institution of on-street parking, improvements to the pedestrian and cycling environment, streetscape enhancements, lane reductions and measures to enhance transit ridership in the area.
- In order to demonstrate its commitment to development on Mainstreets, the City will consider them to be priority locations for considering:
- New or relocated municipal buildings and facilities or for leasing space for municipal functions;
- The assembly of land to ensure an adequate supply that is strategically located for redevelopment or community improvement purposes;
- Infrastructure and public facilities improvement strategies, including measures such as those contained in policy 12 of Section 2.5.5;
- The creation of comprehensive traffic and parking strategies;
- The creation of brownfield redevelopment strategies;
- The use of techniques such as increased height and density provisions;
- The application of financial and regulatory incentives;
- Exploring partnerships between the public and private sectors.
- Any new construction of buildings, structures or modifications, alterations and additions to existing buildings or structures, which have the effect of altering exterior character along a Stittsville Main Street frontage shall be evaluated in the context of the existing Stittsville Main Street Master Plans and Urban Design Guidelines.
Site-Specific Exceptions
- For the lands known municipally as 3730 Innes Road, the Arterial Mainstreet designation shall extend no greater than 475 metres from Innes Road.
- The Arterial Mainstreet designation on Hazeldean Road, between Iber Road and the Carp Road intersection shall extend no more than 150 metres from Hazeldean Road. Minor variation of this distance may be considered where a clearly recognized physical feature, such as a creek bed or a built boundary, such as an existing residential subdivision provide for a reasonable and small scale adjustment beyond 150 metres. In addition to the foregoing and notwithstanding the provisions of policy 3 of Section 3.6.3, in the case of lots that extend between Hazeldean Road and the projection of Maple Grove and Rothbourne Road, consideration may be given to extending the Arterial Mainstreet designation more than 150 metres from Hazeldean Road, provided that:
- a detailed concept plan is prepared that illustrates how the entire lot will be developed;
- the concept plan ensures that the intent of the Mainstreet policies is maintained, particularly with respect to the creation of an urban development pattern along the street; and
- any retail uses are located and oriented to directly address Hazeldean Road.
- Despite the provisions of Section 3.6.3, Policy 6, on lands described as 443, 445, and 447 McArthur Avenue, a limited automobile service station is permitted.
3.6.4 – Developing Community
The Developing Community designation in this Plan identifies parts of the city that are undeveloped or substantially underdeveloped. Developing Communities will offer a full range of choice in housing, commercial, institutional and leisure activities within a development pattern that prioritizes walking, cycling and transit over the automobile. The completion of a community design plan will be required prior to any development being approved in a Developing Community.
Policies
- Developing Communities are identified on Schedule B as areas that are vacant, or substantially vacant, that offer substantial opportunity for new residential development at increased intensities and opportunities to create complete, sustainable communities, within a development pattern that prioritizes walking, cycling and transit over the automobile.
- All development occurring within land designated as a Developing Community will be on the basis of a community design plan for the entire area. Where previously-approved concept plans and/or technical studies exist within an area designated Developing Community, they may be utilized where appropriate to enhance the creation of a community design plan to the extent that they comply with the provisions of this Plan and represent a comprehensive strategy for all the lands within the Developing Community designation.
- The area under review for the purpose of creating a community design plan, in a Developing Community, may include adjacent lands not under this designation where this will facilitate achieving the policies of this Plan with respect to compact and mixed-use development.
- In its decision to approve a community design plan, City Council may determine that an amendment to this Plan is required in order to implement the community design plan (for example to add a new land-use designation), but such an amendment will not be required in order for development to proceed following the approval of a community design plan. In addition to the provisions of Section 2.5.6, the community design plan will: [Amendment #76, Ministerial Modification #34,OMB File # PL100206, September 07, 2011]
- Establish the mix and location of residential dwelling types which, as a minimum, will constitute the following:
- No more than 55% single detached, at least 10 per cent apartments dwellings and the remainder multiple attached dwellings other than apartments,
- In Developing Communities outside the Greenbelt, overall residential development will meet a minimum density target of 34 units per net hectare. Net residential density is based on the area of land in exclusively residential use, including lanes and parking area internal to developments but excluding public streets, right-of-way and all non-residential uses.
[Amendment #76, OMB File # PL100206, September 07, 2011]
- Residential densities for Developing Communities inside the Greenbelt will be similar to those found in residential areas adjacent to the Central Area, commensurate with the greater proportion of multiple dwellings to be located in these areas;
- Identify how the land use mix contributes to achieving the balance of jobs and households for the larger area, as identified in Figure 2.2;
- Complete a subwatershed plan or environmental management plan in accordance with Section 2.4.3 should no plan exist for the area. These plans will identify a natural heritage system within the Developing Community and measures to protect this system through public ownership or other means will be included in the community design plan; [Amendment #76, OMB File # PL100206, September 07, 2011]
- Establish a modified grid system as the preferred alignment of roads serving the area, in order to maximize the number of access and egress points, the permeability of the network, pedestrian and transit accessibility to all areas, and to enhance way-finding and personal navigation within it. Inherent in the modified grid pattern is flexibility to address such matters as preserving existing desirable landform or landscape features or achieving a mix of housing form and density;
- Identify and illustrate how the development pattern will achieve a distinctive identity and a variety of building form and façade treatments through means such as:
- Making each unit in ground-oriented development distinct from its adjacent neighbour through the multiple use of elements such as colour, different cladding materials, etc.,
- Creating a strong street edge through the use of a uniform building setback,
- Dispersing different types of housing throughout a development, rather than concentrating enclaves of the same type of housing in one area, including variations in unit type along the same street (e.g., a single-detached unit next to a row house or ground-oriented apartment),
- Considering variations in lotting arrangements such as orienting units around central courtyards,
- Determine the appropriate amendments to this Plan to facilitate the implementation of the community design plan wherever necessary to accommodate such matters as recognizing environmental features, establishing Major Open Spaces or identifying new Mainstreets.
3.6.5 – Urban Employment Area
[Amendment #180, November 8, 2017]
Employment-related land uses are permitted in almost every urban designation in the Official Plan. The Central Area is the foremost employment concentration and will continue that role. Most business activities can integrate well with other land uses and it is the intent that these be focused on nodes and corridors (Mixed Use Centres and Mainstreets). All three of these designations anticipate a healthy mix of business, retail, housing, institutional and cultural uses.
However, one of the key objectives of this Official Plan is to ensure that, over the long term, sufficient areas of land are reserved primarily for places of business and economic activity. Uses that support this function consist predominantly of offices, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, research and development facilities and utilities. Maintaining a sufficient supply of land for this range of activities is key to the long-term economic health of the community and its ability to attract and retain new investment. Typically, Urban Employment Areas provide large parcel sizes, reflective of user needs for storage, parking and building floor plate, and they are usually well situated with respect to major roads.
To help provide access to these jobs Urban Employment Areas should be centrally located or close to highways and/or transit depending on the focus of the business park. Urban Employment Areas outside of the Greenbelt at highway interchanges are strategically located for a range of Urban Employment uses, particularly those that have a regional draw and rely on major goods movement corridors for their function. Urban Employment Areas should be developed so that the main gateway connecting to a nearby highway interchange is unencumbered by driveways or multiple, interconnected roadways to reduce conflicts between transit, cycling, walking facilities and to maximize goods movement efficiency.
Driveway entrances to large traffic generators within nodes should be from roads that are not directly connected to interchanges, leaving the main development frontages directly connected to transit, walking, and cycling facilities. Urban Employment Areas not located in proximity to highway interchanges are expected to provide Employment uses that serve the local population or create synergies with local institutions such as the Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, RCMP headquarters, or high-tech clusters.
Urban Employment Areas are designated to enable a variety of functions:
- Noxious industrial uses that impose constraints on other uses locating nearby and require a buffer between these and other uses;
- Uses that, while not noxious, are incompatible with other uses because of noise, lights and around the clock operation, etc.;
- Prestigious uses (usually office or combinations of office/clean industrial) with a signature address and a desire to locate among other similar uses.
The decision to designate land as an Urban Employment Area on Schedule B of this Plan will be determined, in part, by its ability to accommodate at least 2,000 jobs. The attractiveness for uses in Employment Areas will vary based upon location attributes such as key locations on 400 series highways and multi-lane arterials, and locations that have good truck, rail or air access. These are also areas that can provide large parcels of land at affordable prices. Lands designated as Urban Employment Areas on Schedule B of this Plan are distributed throughout the urban fabric, with at least one in each urban community outside the Greenbelt boundary. Policies addressing the creation and conversion of employment land and the creation of major office developments are contained in Section 2.2.3 of this Plan. [Amendment #180, November 8, 2017]
Uses that require large land areas for the external storage of goods or for vehicle sales and service may be carried out in Urban Employment Areas. Incidental activity carried out in combination with a main use, such as showroom space associated with warehousing and storage, is also anticipated in Urban Employment Areas. Complementary uses, such as service commercial, are appropriate in Urban Employment Area designations to meet the day-to-day needs of employees and reduce their need to travel outside the area. [Amendment #180, November 8, 2017]
Policies
- Urban Employment Areas are designated on Schedule B and are intended to be established clusters of business and economic activity capable of accommodating more than 2,000 jobs and with a board spectrum of job densities. Urban Employment Areas shall be distributed throughout the urban area to help provide access to jobs throughout the city. Established Urban Employment Areas have capacities ranging from 2,000 to 20,000+ jobs. The City shall maintain sufficient land in these Employment Areas to maintain the Employment objectives established in the City Employment Survey. New Urban Employment Areas shall have sufficient land to accommodate a minimum of 2,000 jobs based upon a diversified cluster of business types and economic activity and employment densities. These New Employment areas must also be located so that they have designated truck route access. Some Urban Employment Areas may not be contiguous as a result of natural or human-made barriers, or existing land uses.
- In Urban Employment Areas, the Zoning By-law will:
- Permit traditional industrial uses such as manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, storage, communications, construction;
- Permit uses that store most products outdoors and require large land areas devoted to external storage, sale or service of goods or for vehicle sales and service;
- Permit office uses and similar uses at similar densities, including, research & development and emergency services. Universities, community colleges and private career colleges will be established by an amendment to the Zoning By-law and are subject to Major Urban Facilities Policies 5 to 10 in Section 3.6.7.
- Permit sample and showroom uses, meaning that portion of a building operating only in association with a warehouse or other permitted use in the same building, primarily used for the display of samples, patterns or other goods and wherein orders are taken for merchandise which is stored in bulk in a warehouse in part of the same building for future delivery to its customers, and where the proportion of the gross leasable area of a building devoted to sample and showroom use is limited in the Zoning By-law so that sample and showroom space is secondary and subordinate to the primary use of the building for warehouse storage;
- Permit a variety of ancillary uses, such as recreational, health and fitness uses, child care, and service commercial uses (e.g. convenience store, doctor and dentist office, shoe repair shop, coffee shop, restaurant, bank, dry-cleaning outlet, service station or gas bar) consisting of small occupancies on individual pads, within a building containing a permitted use, in groups as part of a small plaza, or on small lots. The purpose of these complementary-type uses is to serve the employees of Urban Employment Areas. Ancillary uses are to be clearly incidental to the primary employment-generating uses listed in subsections a, b and c above, and will not be of a size or nature that draw clientele from a beyond the local area. Ancillary uses consisting of a single occupancy on an individual pad shall be limited to 750 m2 of gross floor area. Alternative and area specific limitations may be determined through a municipally-initiated Zoning By-law Amendment that analyses the appropriate size and application of ancillary uses relative to the circumstances and attributes of the different Urban Employment Areas to their surrounding community. The Zoning By-law shall establish an individual occupancy and a cumulative total gross floor area limit for ancillary uses. Amendments to either the individual or cumulative limits above shall assess whether the use with the proposed floor space is ancillary to the subject Urban Employment Area;
- Consider through a site specific amendment to the Zoning By-law permitting low density institutional uses such as community centres, daycares, places of worship only if the proposed use is compatible with existing and potential permitted uses as specified in the Zoning By-law; and, the ability for the remainder of the Urban Employment Area to achieve the requirements of Policy 1 above or as otherwise provided for in a Secondary Plan. The compatibility assessment will be guided by the Ministry of the Environment D Series Guidelines, as amended. The identification of potential permitted uses may consider the impact that existing uses adjacent to and within the Urban Employment Area may already have on a non-existing use that is permitted in the Zoning By-law.
- Distinguish uses with characteristics that are likely to impact negatively on surrounding areas (e.g., industrial uses that produce odours, dust, smoke, heavy equipment movement, large areas of outdoor storage, or noise) from those uses that are likely to have negligible such impacts (e.g., offices or research and development facilities);
- Not permit industrial uses or development with the potential of restricting visibility at the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, the Rockcliffe Airport or the Carp Airport by virtue of industrial/manufacturing processes generating smoke, dust, or steam as described in Transport Canada's "Land Use in the Vicinity of Airports" document TP1247E;
- The City will discourage the removal of employment lands for other uses as set out in Section 2.2.3 of this Plan. [Amendment #180, November 8, 2017]
Site Specific Exceptions
- Notwithstanding any provisions of this Plan that establish minimum land requirements for an Urban Employment Area, the Iber Road Urban Employment Area shall have sufficient land to establish a cluster of business and economic activity consisting of at least 1,000 jobs at a range of densities.
- Notwithstanding any provisions of this Plan that prohibit retail uses on lands designated Urban Employment Area, permit retail uses on lands located south of Highway 417, west of Terry Fox Drive, east of the Carp River and north of Palladium Drive, save and except for property with any frontage on Palladium Drive, and provided that adequate road capacity is available;
- Notwithstanding any provisions of this Plan that prohibit institutional uses on lands designated Urban Employment Area, an institutional use will be permitted on the south half of Lot 26, Concession A, in the former City of Nepean, shown as Part 5 on Plan 5R-8254;
- In addition to the provisions of the policies set out in this section, Section .2.1.1 of the Secondary Plan for Area 1, 2, and 3 in the former City of Nepean set out in Volume 2A of this Plan will apply to the lands described as Parts Lot 19, Concession A, R.F., Nepean: PIN 04733-0055 and 04733-0056 located east of Merivale Road and west of Prince of Wales Drive in the South Merivale Business Park.
- Notwithstanding any provisions of this Plan that prohibit retail uses on lands designated Urban Employment Area, the lands identified as Commercial on Schedule A in the Secondary Plan for South Nepean Urban Areas 9 and 10 in the Former City of Nepean as set out in Volume 2A in this Plan may be developed with retail uses, which may also include commercial office use and commercial uses that support the employment use, with a maximum lot area of 12 hectares (30 acres).
- Notwithstanding any provisions of this Plan that prohibit residential uses on lands designated Urban Employment Area, the lands bounded by Legget Drive on the west and south, Herzberg Road and the rail line on the east, and the properties fronting onto the north side of Terry Fox Drive on the north, in addition to the permitted uses in Policy 2 above, residential uses may be permitted by an amendment to the Zoning By-law, provided the following criteria are met:
- At least 50 per cent of the lands identified above will be devoted to employment uses;
- A Secondary planning process has been prepared to the City's satisfaction and includes the items identified in Policy 5 of Section 2.5.6 of the Official Plan
- The proposed housing is in the form of townhouses, stacked townhouses or apartments.
- Residential uses are linked to adjacent areas by roads and pathways;
- Any demand that residential uses will create for additional amenities and services has been assessed and the means of addressing such demands has been identified;
- The applicable policies in Section 4 have been satisfied;
- The amelioration of potential adverse impacts from adjacent non-residential lighting, noise, odour, dust or traffic can be achieved on-site as part of the development.
- Notwithstanding any provisions of this Plan that prohibit residential uses on lands designated Urban Employment Area, the lands identified by Parcel identification Number 04699-0100; and, the community commonly known as “Bellwood Estates” identified by Parcel Identification Numbers 04699-0023 and 04699-0025, in addition to the permitted uses in Policy 2 above, residential uses may be permitted by an amendment to the Zoning By-law, provided the following criteria are met:
- A Secondary planning process has been prepared to the City's satisfaction and includes the items identified in Policy 5 of Section 2.5.6 of the Official Plan
- The proposed housing is in the form of townhouses, stacked townhouses or apartments.
- Residential uses are linked to adjacent areas by roads and pathways;
- Any demand that residential uses will create for additional amenities and services has been assessed and the means of addressing such demands has been identified;
- The applicable policies in Section 4 have been satisfied;
- The amelioration of potential adverse impacts from adjacent non-residential lighting, noise, odour, dust or traffic can be achieved on-site as part of the development.
- The eastern boundary of the Urban Employment Area at Leitrim Road and Albion Road will be defined by the realignment of Leitrim Road as identified by an approved Environmental Assessment. Notwithstanding Policy 8 in Section 2.2.3 of this Plan lands east of the Leitrim Road realignment have been assessed through a comprehensive review and will not require a further conversion analysis. Applications for the development of the land east of the Leitrim Road realignment will not be considered until an Environmental Assessment has determined the final location of the realigned road. The Environmental Assessment shall consider an alignment that is viable for Employment uses on vacant lands immediately west of the proposed alignment.
- Employment uses within 400 metres of the planned rapid transit station at Mer Bleue Road in the South Orléans Urban Employment Area shall have a minimum density of 200 jobs per hectare. The minimum density may be reviewed and if necessary amended by a secondary planning process.
- Notwithstanding any provisions of this Plan that prohibit residential uses on lands designated Urban Employment Area, for the lands known as 8600 Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard North, residential development in the form of townhouses, stacked townhouses or apartments will only be permitted after 10,000 square metres of office floor space has been constructed. Residential uses may occupy greater than 50 per cent of the total site where the additional units are included in one or more mixed-used buildings. Any building containing residential uses shall be limited in height to a maximum of 10 storeys. [Amendment #180, November 8, 2017]
- Notwithstanding anything in this Plan that restricts the size of Recreational and Athletic Facilities on lands designated Urban Employment Area, up to four separate enclosed Recreational and Athletic Facilities, totalling 45,000 square metres of combined gross floor area, may be permitted on the lands identified by Parcel Identification Numbers (PIN) 145631528 and 145630011, in the South Orléans Business Park, northeast of Mer Bleue Road and the Hydro corridor. [Amendment #180, LPAT October 22, 2018]
- A minimum of 21.9 gross hectares of developable Urban Employment Area land is to be provided southwest of the Highway 417 and Palladium Drive interchange. For the purposes of this policy lands containing a park or stormwater management ponds shall not be considered as developable lands for employment uses. [Amendment #180, LPAT May 8, 2019]
3.6.6 – Central Area
The Central Area is the economic and cultural heart of the city and the symbolic heart of the nation, based on its unique combination of employment, government, retail, housing, entertainment and cultural activities. It is also the main tourist destination in the National Capital Region, with 5.5 million visitors yearly. These policies promote the Central Area’s vital role in the city, its distinct identity and heritage character, as well as the primacy of the Parliament Buildings and other national symbols. The Plan also aims to enhance the diversity and attractiveness of the Central Area by encouraging a broad range of land uses and day/night, year-round activities. This aim will be supported by the protection of residential neighbourhoods in and near the Central Area and an increasing number of downtown area dwelling units, including a vibrant urban community on LeBreton Flats.
In order to realize the vision, walking, cycling and transit to and in the Central Area will need to have priority, particularly during peak traffic periods. This will require a safe and comfortable pedestrian/cycling environment on all downtown streets. Central Area policies must consider the needs of all users of usable open spaces, pocket parks, sunlit pedestrian amenity areas and other culture and leisure resources, including an increased urban forest cover, that enhance the downtown experience. Improved access to water-oriented facilities on the Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal will also be important while protecting the waterways’ unique environmental qualities. To minimize car traffic through the downtown and to make transit the preferred choice for residents travelling to the downtown, the City will convert to LRT most of the east-west Transitway inside the Greenbelt, through a downtown tunnel, and upgrade and extend the existing north-south O-Train, to LRT. [OMB decision #1582, June 17, 2005]
New buildings and spaces will reflect a human scale of development, and will be guided by design criteria, which will result in a significantly enhanced pedestrian environment. The Central Area’s unique heritage resources will be protected through heritage conservation, and enhanced through new development which respects and complements nearby heritage buildings. This urban design renaissance will ensure development which is worthy of a nation’s capital and which is conducive to the attraction of people and businesses.
The Central Area is made up of a number of distinct sub-areas, each with its own identity and character. As an example, the By Ward Market’s exceptional heritage character will be protected through its designation as a heritage conservation district and through guidelines that ensure sensitive infill and alterations.
The Core’s employment image and identity will be enhanced through new mixed-use development and refurbishment, which creates a sense of human scale, and contributes to the area’s vitality by providing retail uses at grade and additional hotel and residential uses.
Rideau Street, Bank Street, and Sparks Street will flourish as vibrant shopping streets with enhanced pedestrian environments and office, residential and other uses above the street, which serve as important components of the Central Business District.
The liveability of the residential areas within the Central Area (Upper Town, Lowertown and Sandy Hill West) will be significantly improved, and their heritage resources will be protected and enhanced. They will continue to contribute significantly to the City’s supply of inner-city housing and will support 24-hour activity in the Central Area.
The references to the downtown in this section include the Central Area and the residential neighbourhoods surrounding it. These neighbourhoods give vitality to the Central Area and provide a convenient market for its services. This Plan recognizes the need to ensure that residential intensification and infill development, as it occurs over time, respects and maintains existing neighbourhood character and identity. In addition, the implementation of the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy 20/20 will help address the challenge of creating well-designed buildings and spaces in both the Central Area and parts of the adjacent neighbourhoods of Centretown and Sandy Hill. These areas are experiencing development activity and design vision and guidance are needed. Finally, the secondary plans for Centretown and Sandy Hill, which provide more detailed policy direction, have been included in Volume 2A. [Amendment #24, May 25, 2005]
[Amendment #76, August 04, 2010]
Policies
- The boundaries of the Central Area are shown on Schedule B and will not be subject to variation without a comprehensive review and an amendment to this Plan.
- The City will support the Central Area’s role as the economic and cultural heart of the city and the symbolic heart of the nation by:
- Implementing the Central Area Secondary Plan, which establishes a vision and detailed policies for the desired future of the Central Area as the focus of government, tourism, business, retail, housing, major community facilities, entertainment and cultural activities;
- Working with the Business Improvement Areas, Building Owners and Managers Association and other stakeholders to attract commercial development, including unique, specialty, and international-scale retailers, and to seek design opportunities that can accommodate large format retail;
- Implementing the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy to promote the liveability of the downtown, as described in policy 5 below; [Amendment 24, May 25, 2005]
- Ensuring development applications and public works have regard for the Central Area Secondary Plan policies to enhance the physical character, identity and unique heritage resources of the Central Area’s distinctive streets (including the symbolic Confederation Boulevard), theme streets, character areas, and heritage conservation districts;
- Protecting the visual integrity and symbolic primacy of the Parliament Buildings and other national symbols as seen from Confederation Boulevard and the main approach routes to the Central Area, depicted as key viewpoints and view sequences on Annex 8A – Central Area Key Views and View Sequences of the Parliament Buildings and Other National Symbols. In realizing this aim, the City will ensure that:
- Buildings constructed in the areas of height control as set out on Annex 8A do not rise above the ridgeline of the roof of the Centre Block, and thus do not visually mar the silhouette of the Parliament Buildings (Figure 3.1), and do not visually dominate the Parliament Buildings and other national symbols (Figure 3.2),
- Buildings constructed in those areas designated on Annex 8A as areas of foreground height control, do not visually obstruct the foreground of views of the Parliament Buildings and other national symbols, as seen from the key viewpoints and view sequences indicated on Annex 8A,
- No building, part of a building, or building roof structure exceeds the angular building height limits that are defined by the perimeter above sea-level heights for each block on Annex 8B – Central Area Maximum Building Heights/Angular Planes, without a thorough analysis of the impact of any projection or protrusion, and without an official plan amendment to Annex 8B,
- For blocks that do not have angular height planes established on Annex 8B, maximum permitted building heights do not violate the intent and aim of this policy, permitted heights are consistent and compatible with building heights generally in the area where no height planes apply, and permitted heights are in keeping with the intent and aim for those areas that are set out by the Central Area Secondary Policy Plan contained in Volume 2, Annex 8C – LeBreton Flats Foreground View Control Planes and as indicated on Annex 8B – Central Area Maximum Building Heights;
f. Limiting the support of the City to minor variance applications for an increase in building heights provided that:
- The property is located within a block where an angular height plane, as indicated on Annex 8D – Central Area Maximum Building Heights and Annex 8B – Central Area Maximum Building Heights/Angular Planes does not apply, and
- The increased height will not visually mar the silhouette of the Parliament Buildings or dominate the Parliament Buildings and other national symbols, and
- The site has not been the recipient of a transfer of floor space index;
g. Working with federal agencies to encourage the federal government to maintain its concentration of administrative functions in the Central Area;
h. Working with the public and private sectors to encourage the location in the Central Area of major facilities to enhance existing retail areas, tourist and convention facilities and amenities, and pedestrian and transit travel;
i. Identifying water and wastewater capacity upgrades to support development in the Central Area as a priority in infrastructure systems rehabilitation.
- The City will promote the Central Area as a vital and active place by:
- Encouraging a range of day/night and year-round activities through such means as extended transit service, and supporting the staging and creation of cultural facilities, festivals, theatre, music, public art, commemorations and other activities and special events;
- In keeping with the Central Area’s role as a main tourist destination, supporting the Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority, National Capital Commission, Parks Canada and other stakeholder initiatives that maintain and develop tourism and convention attractions, facilities, activities and programming; [Amendment #76, August 04, 2010]
- Working with the National Capital Commission, Parks Canada and other stakeholders to:
- Provide streets, public open space and amenity areas, including improved access to the Rideau River and Canal, which address the needs of Central Area employees, residents, shoppers and visitors, [Amendment #76, August 04, 2010]
- Explore the feasibility of preparing an illumination plan;
- Adopting the principles of multi-use, multiple-time/season and multiple-function for leisure resources in the Central Area, particularly those located within and adjacent to schools, churches and offices, by entering into joint-use agreements where appropriate;
- Undertaking and implementing a study of leisure resource needs and opportunities, including a strategy that will result in an enhanced distribution and variety of leisure resources in the Central Area;
- Supplementing and enhancing the urban forest in the Central Area, by providing vegetation and tree planting in open spaces and amenity areas.
- Residents living downtown serve an essential role in creating a more complete community by supporting its facilities and services. In keeping with the strategic directions set out in Section 2, the City will encourage new infill dwellings in the Central Area and surrounding residential neighbourhoods by: [Amendment #24, May 25, 2005]
- Providing financial incentives, such as exemptions from development charges, building permit fees or other development fees and levies;
- Entering into innovative partnerships arrangements for retention of schools, community centres and day-care facilities.
- The City will enhance the appearance and liveability of the Central Area and the surrounding residential neighbourhoods by:
- Undertaking the following Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy implementation measures, prioritized on an annual basis:
- The 41 targeted strategies shown on Annex 9 (with the exception of targeted strategies 1-6, which are part of the National Capital Commission’s core area vision and thus within their jurisdiction to implement) as described in the Central Area Secondary Plan, Centretown Secondary Plan and Sandy Hill Secondary Plan contained in Volume 2A,
- Public and/or private partnerships to help realize the Strategy’s objectives,
- Streetscape improvements, tree planting, public open space and public art as part of the capital budget for all road and infrastructure renewal and transit improvement programs,
- Design and/or public realm performance standards as part of the criteria for the sale of City lands, and
- A public open space acquisition program (including privately-owned but publicly-accessible open spaces); [Amendment #24, May 25, 2005]
- Ensuring that all public and private development has regard for the compatibility criteria in Section 2.5.1, the design criteria in policy 6 below and that residential development:
- Contributes to a sense of a human scale,
- Where appropriate, results in a transition from lower-profile to higher-profile buildings, and vice versa,
- Minimizes sun shadowing and undesirable wind conditions,
- Provides adequate visual privacy for proposed residential units, while respecting that of existing nearby units, through such measures as unit siting or orientation, the use of setbacks, landscaping and/or screening,
- Maximizes the exposure of residential units to direct sunlight,
- Provides usable private outdoor space, such as balconies, as well as usable semi-private outdoor and/or indoor amenity areas, such as meeting and/or exercise rooms, small outdoor landscaped areas, and/or the use of green roof areas for passive outdoor activity,
- Creates an identifiable entrance, and a strong transition from the public right-of-way through the use of landscape elements, changes in direction, or lighting, and
- Provides appropriate landscape elements;
- Improving the image of the Central Area and assisting in visitor orientation by enhancing major gateways into the Central Area and Nodes within it. Nodes are points of intensive activity, which provide a focus to public life, such as a marketplace or a significant commemoration landmark. The location of these features are identified on Annex 9 – Central Area Gateways, Nodes and Distinctive Streets; [Amendment #76, August 04, 2010]
- Locating all utilities underground in new developments and in areas or streets of historic merit as identified in the Central Area Secondary Plan;
- Designating heritage buildings and streetscapes and working with owners to restore and maintain heritage buildings.
- The City shall improve and enhance the pedestrian environment in the Central Area by:
- Providing outdoor/indoor green open space and pedestrian amenity areas (including interim green spaces on vacant lands) such as pocket parks, plazas, green rooftops and/or indoor winter gardens;
- Providing soft and hard landscaping elements, including tree plantings, which contribute and are sensitive to the character of the area;
- Providing sheltered and sunlit seating areas and comfort stations where appropriate
- Protecting and enhancing established public courtyards, pedestrian malls and circulation systems in the Central Area;
- Preserving the established architectural integrity of existing buildings, streets and areas;
- Ensuring buildings are designed and sited to minimize sun shadowing and provide appropriate wind attenuation, where required, on public open spaces and pedestrian corridors;
- Ensuring the provision of at-grade street-oriented uses with their principal entrances fronting on the sidewalk and providing a continuity of weather protection;
- Considering appropriate safety and public security measures, including, design for safety, lighting and site visibility for all development proposals and public improvements.
- The following streets are recognized as distinctive streets in the Central Area for their unique pedestrian characteristics:
- Confederation Boulevard which extends through the Central Area and links points of political, historical, cultural, and architectural importance within the National Capital Region, serves as a pedestrian and vehicular promenade connecting the national institutions on the banks of the Ottawa River, and provides an important sequence of views of the Parliament Building;
- Sussex Drive as the Mile of History and as a part of Confederation Boulevard, with significant heritage buildings;
- York Street as an entrance to, and promenade through the By Ward Market, with a significant heritage character;
- Metcalfe Street as a pedestrian promenade linking Centretown with the Core, the World Exchange Plaza open space, Sparks Street and Parliament Hill;
- Elgin Street as a significant pedestrian promenade and streetscape linking Centretown to the Core, the Canal, and Parliament Hill;
- Kent Street as an important pedestrian promenade linking Centretown to the Core, Sparks Street and Parliament Hill; and
- Booth Street, north of Scott/Wellington/Albert Street, as a significant pedestrian promenade and vehicular route, which provides commuter access to and from the Central Area, a link with the existing community, access to the rapid-transit station, and which will serve as the mainstreet focus of LeBreton Flats.
- King Edward Avenue, also designated a Traditional Mainstreet in its extent beyond the Central Area, as a major entrance gateway into Ottawa from Quebec, with significant potential for residential and other types of intensification and a new role as a unifying element between East and West Lowertown once the truck route is relocated to a new inter-provincial bridge. [Amendment #76, August 04, 2010]
- To give walking, cycling and public transit priority in the Central Area:
- Before the five-year review of this Plan, the City will undertake and implement a multi-jurisdictional transportation strategy for the Central Area, including traffic measures in residential areas and a pedestrian circulation plan to designate pedestrian corridors and create predominately at-grade pedestrian links between different parts of the Central Area and leisure, shopping, employment and transit facilities;
- The Transportation Master Plan will include provisions for a transportation system that reduces the use of automobiles and encourages the use of walking, cycling and public transit as the principal means of access to and mobility within the Central Area, particularly between east and west of the Canal;
- The City will, working with other levels of government, remove Rideau Street and King Edward Avenue from the City’s identified truck route system upon the completion of a new inter provincial corridor to accommodate trucks; [Amendment #76, August 04, 2010]
- Pedestrian movements will occur primarily at grade along public streets. Above- and below-grade pedestrian connections will be limited to strategic locations that ensure the prominence of at-grade movement and that:
- Link changes in grade due to topographical features or physical barriers,
- Provide direct and identifiable access to rapid-transit stations and major public short-term parking facilities,
- Provide mid-block connections to pedestrian corridors, where practical.
- The City will ensure that parking and loading facilities address the unique role of the Central Area and contribute to an enjoyable, safe and secure pedestrian environment by:
- Facilitating, possibly with partners, the provision of moderately-priced, short-term parking and loading facilities to serve the retail and commercial sectors and the tourism industry and limiting the provision of long-term parking that would be attractive to commuters;
- Discouraging the provision of temporary surface parking lots on vacant sites, and requiring new temporary surface parking lots within the Central Area to obtain a rezoning to assess their impact on the pedestrian environment, particularly abutting pedestrian corridors or theme streets. Theme streets are predominantly linear shopping streets with associated additional land uses, a unique physical character and a unifying theme. Where temporary surface parking is permitted by a rezoning, the City will require that the visual appearance of such parking areas is enhanced and screened through the use of substantial vegetation, while ensuring adequate public safety;
- Requiring all permanent parking required by or associated with new development to be located within a parking structure above or below grade;
- Reclaiming the public right-of-way, where it is encroached upon by existing surface parking lots, for tree planting and landscaping; [Amendment #24, May 25, 2005]
- Implementing this parking policy, subject to the following design criteria, when reviewing development proposals:
- Where such parking is provided above-grade within a structure, the exterior design of the development, particularly the lower levels, shall contribute to an enjoyable street environment by creating visual interest through the use of architectural detail, materials, and/or texture, and by respecting the character of nearby buildings,
- The interior design of parking areas shall maximize safety and minimize potential crime or vandalism through such measures as the provision of appropriate lighting, visibility, and security features,
- For mixed-use developments containing residential units, parking areas should be dedicated for the exclusive use of residents and separated by design or distance from other parking areas or other uses except where parking facilities can be shared with these other uses so as to provide adequate, safe, secure and convenient parking for residential use.
- Within the Central Area, Zoning By-law amendments for new drive-through facilities will not be permitted in the Official Plan at locations where they would interfere with the intended function and form of the Central Area designation. Proposals for new drive-through facilities within the Central Area designation will be subject to concurrent applications for a Zoning By-law amendment and site plan approval. Such applications will only be considered for approval in circumstances where: the location, design, and function of the drive-through facility, including the associated queues, maintains the intent of the Official Plan and any applicable Secondary Plan; does not change the continuity and character of the existing streetscape; considers the impact on the pedestrian and/or cycling orientation of the land use designation; and, where pedestrian movement into and through the site can be maintained. Additional matters to be addressed may include: the nature of surrounding uses; the character of the area and theme of the street as set out in any applicable Secondary Plan; proximity to heritage resources; and opportunities for the integration of the drive-through facility with other uses within the area. [Amendment #84, April 16, 2010]
Exceptions:
- Despite the provisions of Section 3.6.6 Policy 2(e) ii relating to the angular building height limits as shown on Annex 8B, within an area measuring 378 square metres at the north west portion of the block on Annex 8B which covers the lands known municipally as 11 Colonel By, may be up to 134.1 metres above sea level in height. [Amendment #157, October 14, 2015]
3.6.7 – Major Urban Facilities
[Amendment #28, July 13, 2005]
Certain types of uses, while constituting a legitimate and essential component of the community, share characteristics that require special land-use considerations. These uses are considered appropriate in only a limited number of urban designations. The types of uses that fall within this category include:
- Hospitals;
- Universities and community colleges;
- Major sports, recreational and cultural facilities of a scale similar to Lansdowne Park, Lynx Stadium, The Canadian Tire Centre, the Canada Science and Technology Museum and Ben Franklin Place; [OMB decision #2649, September 21, 2006]
- Major shopping centres (over 50,000 square metres gross leasable area). [Amendment #150, December 21, 2017]
These Major Urban Facilities are typically distinguished by a number of unique characteristics. They usually service the entire city or large parts of it, and may even draw from beyond the boundaries of Ottawa. Large numbers of people require convenient access to these facilities. Some exert a concentrated demand on the transportation, water and wastewater systems that may peak at particular "event" times, while others operate more or less continuously over a 24-hour period. They typically require and occupy large sites that may represent a significant source and supply of open space in the city. All have the potential to exert varying degrees of impact upon neighbouring residential areas. Occasionally, there may be merit in combining these uses with other complementary ancillary uses on the same site in recognition of the potential for achieving mutually supportive relationships with other parts of the community.
Due to the scale of Major Urban Facilities and the potential impact that they may have on adjoining areas, the City will ensure that they develop in a form that is compatible with and in a manner that respects their neighbours. Further, there may be benefits to the community as a whole through the provision of a wider range of complementary or ancillary uses on sites of some Major Urban Facilities. Examples of some relationships that could prove to be mutually supportive include such things as an independent research laboratory on a university campus or the addition of residential uses to a major shopping centre. The City will consider supporting such requests on an individual basis.
Policies
- Major Urban Facilities are not shown on the schedules of this Plan, but will be permitted by amendment to the zoning by-law within the following designations:
- General Urban Area;
- Central Area;
- Mixed Use Centre;
- Arterial Mainstreet.
- This Plan does not support the location of Major Urban Facilities in a rural designation. Any application to amend this section of the Plan to permit such a use in the rural area will be evaluated on the basis of:
- Evidence that a suitable site for the proposed use is not available within the urban area;
- A transportation impact study;
- A study to indicate how water and wastewater services will be provided and to address:
- The definition of the Public Service Area boundary and the terms of provision of service,
- The mechanisms for financing capital costs, operating costs and infrastructure replacement reserve costs;
- An identification and assessment of the potential impacts of the Major Urban Facility upon adjacent land uses and how these impacts will be addressed;
- Where the proposed Major Urban Facility is proposed to be located within the Agricultural Resource Area, evidence:
- That there are no reasonable alternative locations available in the rural area, and
- That there are no reasonable alternative locations in the Agricultural Resource Area with lower priority agricultural lands;
- Notwithstanding the above policies requiring that Major Urban Facilities locate in the urban area, in order to facilitate the development of the Central Canada Exhibition on the property known municipally as 4980 Albion Road (being part of Lot 25, Concession 3, Rideau Front), "exhibition" and "fairgrounds" are also permitted in addition to those uses permitted in the General Rural Area designation, at this location.
- Notwithstanding the above policies requiring Major Urban Facilities to locate in the urban area, in order to recognize the Rideau Carleton Raceway and Slots facility, located on lands legally described as part of the South Half of Lot 24, Concession 4, Rideau Front, Gloucester, being Parts 5 and 11 on Plan 4R-15731; Parts of lots 23 and 24, Concession 4, Rideau Front, Gloucester, being Part 2 on Plan 4R-15731; and consolidation of various properties: Part of lot 24, Concession 4, Rideau Front, Gloucester, Being parts 3, 4, 6, and 7 on Plan 4R-15731, an exhibition grounds for the viewing of horse racing, gaming premises as defined in the Gaming Control Act and related uses are also permitted in addition to those uses permitted in the General Rural Area designation, in this location; [Amendment #12, September 8, 2004].
- New Major Urban Facilities will:
- Be located at a rapid-transit station or on a Transit Priority Corridor; and; [Amendment #76, August 04, 2010] [Amendment #150, December 21, 2017]
- Have direct access to an arterial road.
- Major Urban Facilities will be established by an amendment to the zoning by-law. In considering such an amendment, or when considering an application to expand an existing facility, the City:
- Will require the completion of a transportation impact study;
- Will assess the proposal in light of Section 2.5.1 and Section 4.11;
- May require the completion of an image analysis of the site, particularly where the proposal is located within the Central Area or in situations where the proposal is to be of medium or high profile. The image analysis will:
- Establish the contextual relationship of the proposed development in relation to adjacent buildings, streets and natural or built areas in both a written and 3-dimensional visual format by showing how the proposed development will fit into the existing context,
- Document the perceptions of the existing physical environment as held by interested stakeholders, including the community,
- Demonstrate that new development will not jeopardize the integrity of features such as heritage buildings or environmental resources,
- Recommend appropriate built form solutions that will enhance the context in which the proposal will be built.
- The City recognizes the importance of the services provided by universities and colleges, their need for continued growth, and their contribution to the city's economy. The City will work with these institutions to find creative solutions that will provide the flexibility to respond to their changing program, service, research, ownership, partnership, funding and market opportunities.
- In considering an amendment to the zoning by-law or other planning applications to establish a new or expand an existing Major Urban Facility, the City will determine:
- Minimum/maximum site area requirements;
- Maximum density, building height and setback requirements;
- The provision of adequate on-site parking;
- Traffic circulation patterns, including pedestrian, cyclist, transit and vehicles;
- The adequacy of existing water, waste water and stormwater services;
- The provision of landscaping and buffering;
- How the provisions of Section 4.3 regarding development at transit stations have been met.
- The City will identify the implications of the long-term expansion needs of a Major Urban Facility with respect to the matters in policy 8 above and will ensure that the means to address and mitigate the impacts of the Major Urban Facility on the surrounding community and natural features are taken into account.
- In considering an amendment to the zoning by-law to permit ancillary uses to be established on the same site as Major Urban Facilities, the City will require that:
- The ancillary uses are secondary to and supportive of the primary use;
- The addition of ancillary uses does not result in a scale or character of development that is incompatible with adjacent residential uses.
- A major shopping centre is defined as a shopping and commercial service facility having more than 50,000 square metres of gross leasable area and that includes:
- A group of retail and commercial service establishments that is planned and managed as an operating unit;
- Retail concentrations in multiple ownership planned as a unit and which may include free-standing buildings and other forms of development. Approval of a master site plan that addresses matters in common such as orientation to the street, circulation, access and egress and parking will be required.
- Consistent with Section 2.5.1 and Section 4.11, where major shopping centres are created through redevelopment of existing retail sites, the new development will be encouraged to locate close to the street, provide multiple and direct retail frontages onto sidewalks, and reconfigure parking to occupy the interior of the property. [Amendment #28, July 13, 2005]
