City of Ottawa releases draft 1 of new zoning bylaw

City of Ottawa building is seen in this undated photo. (Jim O'Grady/CTV News Ottawa)

The City of Ottawa says the release of the first draft provisions for Ottawa’s new zoning bylaw marks the start of the next step towards the city's growth and addressing housing affordability.

The new zoning bylaw is looking to allow fourplexes on all residential lots across the city, eliminating minimum parking rules, ban new surface parking lots in the downtown core and making room for more trees in its new zoning rules. This comes after the city committed to building more units in February under the federal Housing Accelerator Fund amounting to $176 million in new federal funding to help build much-needed housing in the capital. 

While three drafts will be released over the next one and a half years, the first draft provisions and maps will be released on May 31, the city said on Saturday in a news release.

“However, a staff report will come first at a joint meeting of the Planning and Housing Committee being held on April 29, 2024. The report will go into deep detail on the proposed zoning rules with analysis and rationale for every section of the draft zoning bylaw,” reads the release.

Public consultations on the first draft will start on May 31 and will continue until October. Following the first round, staff will release the second draft in October this year. Council will approve the new bylaw by the end of 2025.

The Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association is applauding the proposed changes.

"Upon initial review, the City of Ottawa is taking a proactive approach with these zoning proposals to address our crucial housing needs," Jason Burggraaf, executive director at GOHBA, said in a statement. "It is clear that the city recognizes the need to overhaul our zoning to match its housing goals laid out in our official plan."

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle