New Zoning Will Increase Density in Carlingwood

by Stephen Sandiford

A new zoning bylaw, unanimously passed by city council in March, will promote greater density in Carlingwood, and throughout the city. Under the new bylaw, expected to take full effect in September this year, at least four dwelling units will be allowed on every serviced lot city wide, three-storey heights will be permitted, and minimum parking requirements will be eliminated.

In Carlingwood, zoning of single-family homes currently dominates. The new bylaw re-designates those properties in one of two ways:

• N3B, covers the area closer to Carlingwood Shopping Mall and Carling Avenue, permitting moderately higher density development of up to 10 units per lot and 11 metres high (three stories). Structures could include town houses, small multiplexes, and single detached homes

• N2C, is less dense, permitting up to six units per lot with a maximum height of 8.5 metres

Areas on arterial roads such as Woodroffe Avenue will have a zoning designation that allows higher density of up to five-storey buildings. 

The section of Carling Avenue that falls within the Carlingwood neighbourhood boundary (north side) will be zoned to permit high density, mixed use, and pedestrian friendly development.  And the new bylaw, zones Carlingwood Shopping Mall for high-density mixed used, and commercial use. The new designation permits the potential future development of the kind of tower buildings now seen at the former Westgate Shopping Mall.

You can compare old and new zoning for addresses at the City of Ottawa interactive map

The new zoning doesn’t preclude single detached housing, but the city goal is to allow denser neighbourhoods.  As to how fast the changes will appear in neighbourhoods, the city’s planning staff estimate an average citywide redevelopment rate of about one home out of 100 each year.

A second headline-grabbing change in the new zoning bylaw is the removal of minimum parking requirements.  Under the old zoning bylaw, developers and homeowners were typically required to provide one parking space per dwelling unit. The new bylaw removes that.  Only visitor parking in large developments and parking in rural/village zones still carry mandatory rates. The new bylaw says developers and homeowners can choose to include parking or not.