Delegated authority for minor re-zoning

This report proposes to delegate minor re-zoning by-law applications to staff for decision to reduce timelines and streamline the application process for re-zonings that meet the criteria to be considered minor.

This will affect applications of a technical nature, or those which propose only to amend the performance regulations of the applicable zoning (e.g., minimum yard setbacks, projections, etc.). See the applications currently considered to be minor re-zonings.

To limit the amount of height that can be request, a new threshold to minor re-zoning criteria is proposed. The proposed new height threshold would limit the maximum available requested height to for a minor re-zoning to the lesser of five storeys, or 25 per cent of the zone’s permitted building height, rounded to the nearest half-metre.

Table 1 - Sample height thresholds for minor re-zoning applications

Further to the height threshold, this project proposes to have surplus farm severance applications delegated to staff for approval. 

Applications delegated to staff are proposed to have lower requirements for public notification and remove the requirement for deliberation at Planning and Housing Committee or Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee, unless requested by the Ward Councillor.

Applications will follow a similar process to the current minor re-zoning application process with the following proposed changes:

• The comment period for such applications will be aligned with the comment period for site plan control by-laws at 14 days, down from 28 days.
• The Ward Councillor will be notified of staff decision and given seven days to review and provide a response to planning staff about the proposed minor re-zoning. If there are issues to resolve, planning staff will meet with the Councillor to resolve those issues. If those issues cannot be resolved, the Ward Councillor may raise the file to the next committee for deliberation.
• Similar to the delegated authority process for part lot control applications, when no Council meetings are scheduled for 22 days, staff will be delegated the authority to enact the by-law and report the enactment to the relevant committee at its next scheduled sitting.
• Other minor changes as necessary.

By-laws and policies affected:

• Official Plan
• Delegated Authority By-law
• Planning Fees By-law
• Public Notification and Consultation Policy

Deadlines for submitting comments:

October 8, 2024

Planning and Housing Committee:

November 6, 2024

Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee:

November 7, 2024

Please submit your comments to:

Jacob Saltiel
Zoning by-law writer and interpretations officer 
jacob.saltiel@ottawa.ca