Urban Intensification and Neighborhood Concerns

Updated Thursday, February 14, 2013 :: Views (781)

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Urban Intensification and Neighborhood Concerns

Previous commentaries in the series on Real Estate Pricing

· Historical Average Size of Homes – 9 September 2011

· Technological Intensity of Homes – 12 September 2011

· Property Sizes in the Urban Setting –26 September 2011

· Transportation Infrastructure and Property Values –3 October 2011

· Light Rail Transit and Property Values – 16 October 2011

· Urban Zoning, Politics and Property Values – 14 November 2011

· Zoning Variances, the Committee of Adjustment and Neighborhood Participation – 16 March 2012

In the last commentary in this series, Conway Fung Homes discussed the process issues regarding applications for zoning variances, the Committee of Adjustment process and neighborhood participation. In this commentary we respond to key concerns that clients, friends and neighbors have expressed since the last commentary, namely the:

· Overriding emphasis placed on urban intensification by the Committee of Adjustment; and

· Bias that this emphasis appears to present in favor of zoning variance requests.

The Issue

In the commentary on Urban Zoning, Politics and Property Values (14 November 2011), Conway Fung Homes noted that property developers are increasingly seeking more ambitious variances to zoning requirements to allow for maximum intensification of developments. They argue that these requests are entirely consistent with the urban core intensification thrust of the Provincial Planning Statement 2005 and Ottawa’s Official Plan, but that the zoning by-laws are not keeping pace and are often an unnecessary barrier.....READ MORE

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