Although pre-consultation is not mandatory for all applications, the City strongly encourages applicants to contact staff to discuss their proposal prior to submitting a formal application. 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.
The pre-consultation process is designed to help promote the exchange of information and development considerations early in the planning process. A key outcome of this process is a customized list of the studies and plans required in support of a development application. Topics for discussion may include land use policies and guidelines, zoning information, public consultation, transportation and engineering requirements, development review, application fees, and other issues.
When a property owner wishes to demolish all or part of a building, a Demolition Permit is normally issued by Building Code Services along with the building permit for the replacement structure.
However, if no building permit for a replacement building has been issued, Demolition Control approval from the Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development Department may be necessary. Demolition Control approval is required in cases where all of the following are true:
Demolition Control approval is required in cases where all of the following are true:
Even in cases where all of the above conditions are true, the proposed demolition may still be exempt from Demolition Control approval if:
In certain circumstances you may be able to develop your property by establishing non-conforming rights to a land use or other zoning standard. This means that you are able to demonstrate a right that existed before the Zoning By-law regulations existed or were changed. You may submit an affidavit at any Client Services Centre attesting to such a non-conforming right. The applications or processes where an affidavit could be submitted are:
Front Ending Agreements are requested by developers when they wish to advance the building of specific growth-related capital works. The specific works can vary, from intersection controls through to arterial roads and critical sub-surface infrastructure. Works must be included in the City’s Development Charge Background Study and are subject to review for eligibility. Through the agreement, developers agree to finance the design and delivery of the capital works and recover their costs from the City at a later date according to the Council approved budget spending forecast.
A Heritage Status Letter is formal correspondence from the City confirming whether the property in question is subject to Part IV, Part V or Section 27 of the Ontario Heritage Act.
Under the Ontario Heritage Act, changes to designated heritage properties require the approval of the City of Ottawa. An application for permit under the Ontario Heritage Act is required when the scope of work includes demolition, new construction in a heritage conservation district or alterations that are required to go to the Built Heritage Committee and Council for approval. City approval is required before any work on a heritage property, that will affect its heritage attributes, can be undertaken.
This is an informal process through which a party can request information on existing or former uses of a site. This offers an alternative to the legislated process under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). The search process is triggered upon receipt of a request for information application along with the appropriate consent and signed disclaimer.
The nature of the information that the Departments may have on a particular property will vary, depending on their scope of activities and mandate. As a result, the amount of information available on a property will vary on a case-by-case basis.
A 30 cm reserve is a strip of land 30 cm wide, running along the street frontage or perimeter of a property or perpendicularly across a road right-of-way, that is deeded temporarily to the City as a condition of an approval or agreement. This reserve has the effect of technically denying access to a property, or adjacent lands because the law requires that all land must have frontage on a public street to qualify for a building permit. The reserve is used as a means to control development until such time as various conditions are met or to prohibit development on lands that are not yet scheduled for development.
A Holding Zone is used in conjunction with a zoning designation when the proposed uses for those lands are considered premature or inappropriate for development at a certain time or until the applicant has met certain conditions or requirements.
When City Council wishes to undertake a review or study of its land use policies related to a specific area, or areas, of the city, Council may pass an Interim Control By-law. Passage of this sort of By-law effectively prohibits the continued use of the land, buildings or structures within the specified area(s), except for those uses set out in the By-law.
An Interim Control By-law may be in effect for up to one year, to allow sufficient time to complete the desired review or study. However, Council may amend the By-law to extend the period of time during which it will be in effect for one more year, provided the total period of time does not exceed two years from the date that the initial Interim Control By-law was passed.
Part lot control is a provision of the Planning Act that, as the term implies, regulates the transfer or sale of part of a lot within a registered plan of subdivision. The municipality uses this provision as a means of preventing the possible uncontrolled division of lots within a plan of subdivision after the plan has been registered.
The Official Plan is a comprehensive document designed to guide and direct future growth of the city in a logical and orderly manner to ensure healthy growth, which will benefit all residents. Since the Official Plan sets the tone and direction for the entire city, it must be detailed enough to guide day-to-day decision making on land use, transportation and development matters yet general enough to allow for some flexibility. The Official Plan is, in effect, a blueprint of how a city wants to guide and direct future land use development.
The Official Plan is intended to be of assistance to both community interests and public administrators. Through the Official Plan, private interests are informed of future development policies and as a result are encouraged to plan accordingly. Public administrators benefit by an enhanced ability to program future services that result in the most cost-effective delivery of those services.
If a proponent wishes to develop land differently than the Official Plan prescribes, they may make an application for an Official Plan Amendment. Official Plan Amendments can be citywide, area-wide or site-specific.