Corner store zoning aims to ‘stop the hemorrhage’
By Emma Jackson
Ottawa South News, Jun 01, 2015
Just as the city is trying to create walkable, complete neighbourhoods, the very stores that make them so are disappearing.
A zoning amendment initiated by the city aims to buck that trend while also adding new opportunities for micro-retail to pop up in urban residential neighbourhoods.
Right now, 70 small businesses across the urban core are considered ‘legal non-conforming’ – so if the store owner ever closes up shop, a new business is not allowed to open up in the same spot.
But a zoning amendment passed at planning committee on May 26 will permanently allow those commercial uses to stay by creating a new ‘residential neighbourhood commercial’ subzone in parts of College, Rideau-Vanier, Rideau-Rockcliffe, Somerset, Kitchissippi, River, Capital and Alta Vista wards.
It will allow businesses like convenience stores, artist studios, medical offices and grocery stores to set up inside residential neighbourhoods, which in turn will create healthier, more complete communities, staff said.
The businesses would have to include at least one residential unit and would be restricted to 100 square metres on the ground floor or basement of the building. They also wouldn’t be allowed to offer parking.
Staff have also proposed a second subzone called Neighbourhood Commercial, found inside local commercial areas to allow neighbourhood services like animal hospitals, banks, day cares or a private school.
Overall, a total of 510 properties, some with commercial uses already and others not, would be rezoned in one of the two new subzones.
While councillors were generally supportive of the plan, Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury and Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper each passed motions to remove parts of their wards from the changes.
In Fleury’s case, he asked to remove Osgoode Street in Sunday Hill because the neighbourhood is already well served by commercial areas on King Edward and Laurier avenues.
“We don’t want to dilute those main streets,” he said.
Leiper’s motion put a hold on rezoning the handful of properties along Armstrong Street in Hintonburg until it can be better studied.
The Hintonburg back road has a number of vacant parcels, he said, and is slated for an in-depth planning study through the Hintonburg Community Association and Wellington West BIA.
He said community groups want to expand the opportunities for micro-retail beyond what the city’s bylaw suggests, so it makes sense to wait.
“It is a significant opportunity in our community to create potentially some incubation space for funky new businesses,” he said.
http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/n...e-hemorrhage-/