Occasionally, the City receives a request to close a public lane or street, and to deed the land to abutting property owners. While these lanes or streets are shown on a registered Plan of Subdivision, they often have not been maintained by the City. Although still legally open, they may be overgrown with trees and encroached upon by gardens, fences and garages. In other cases, the lane or street is open and closing it would deny access to some properties. An application can also be made to open a public street or lane.
Council has adopted an Urban Lanes Management Policy that contains the criteria that guide staff in responding to lane closing applications. This policy is available at ottawa.ca/lanes. Prior to applying for a lane closing, this policy should be reviewed, and any questions with respect to the interpretation of the policy can be addressed to lanes@ottawa.ca.
Before you begin
Before you begin
Before making an application, you should discuss your proposal with staff through a pre-consultation. The pre-consultation process is designed to help promote the exchange of information and development considerations early in the planning process and a customized list of the studies and plans required in support of a development application is provided. If you fail to consult with staff, the City cannot guarantee the completeness or accuracy of your application submission which may result in processing delays.
Process
Process
Once an application is received it is evaluated based on the Retention or Divestment criteria contained in the Urban Lanes Management Policy. If the decision is to approve the closure, City Council will pass a by-law.
In the event that a lane or street is closed, the land will remain under the ownership of the City. Once the closing application is approved, the City may decide to sell the lands at a price to be determined by City Council (usually market value).
If the City refuses an application to close or open a lane or street, there is usually no right to appeal, since the City has jurisdiction over its own lands.
For additional details on the steps associated with the processing and review of development applications, please refer to the City’s development application process information.
Fees
Fees
The following fees (effective January 1, 2024) apply to an application for Street or Lane Closing.
Category A - arterial, major collector, collector
Travelled $18,055.75 (Includes $669.00 Legal Fee + HST)
Untravelled $17,031.97 (Includes $669.00 Legal Fee + HST)
Category B - local street, lane
Travelled $9,224.75 (Includes $669.00 Legal Fee + HST)
Untravelled $8,200.97 (Includes $669.00 Legal Fee + HST)
The Conservation Authority will invoice separately as required.
The fee for an application for Street or Lane Opening (effective January 1, 2024) is $26,653.90 (includes $4,030.00 Legal Fee + HST).
If the closing affects any neighbours, you may want to approach them in order to submit a joint application to minimize objections and reduce costs for surveys and legal services.
Please see additional information related to the City’s Development Application Fees including information related to on-site signs, engineering design review and inspections, fourth and subsequent engineering reviews as well as refunds.
Apply
Apply
Applications can be submitted to planningcirculations@ottawa.ca accompanied by required plans, studies and any other information that may be needed to assess your application.
- Note: If using a file sharing / transfer site to submit supporting documents, please select one that does not restrict access to a single planning staff member or email address.
Street/Lane Closing or Opening Application Form
Upon application submission, staff will provide confirmation of the amount due, the specific payment methods available for the application type, and the necessary details for the different payment methods.
Application commissioning, fees and payments
Client Service Centres will continue to offer commissioning services for applications and handle payments for new applications. Please ensure the payer’s name and address are indicated on the cheque.
Contact
Contact
If you require assistance using an electronic application form please contact a Development Information Officer, located at any of the Client Service Centres. You can make an appointment by calling 3-1-1 and asking to speak with a Development Information Officer.
If you would like to speak with planning staff please contact the appropriate development review Planner III by calling 3-1-1 and providing the address of the property you wish to discuss.