Infill Update: (June 2025) adjusting the Zoning Bylaw

At the June 3, 2025 Urban Planning Committee Administration was provided direction to advance amendments to the Small Scale Residential Zone (RS) Zone which will introduce additional design regulations for mid-block row housing. A summary of the proposed changes is attached. Please circulate it to any interested parties.

As I stated to the media, I moved a motion to ensure the new rules to come into effect immediately, especially with regard to architectural controls. Next step? The amendments will be brought to the June 30, 2025 City Council Public Hearing meeting and, if approved, will come into effect immediately.

Please circulate these changes to any interested parties. As a reminder I'm populating michaeljanz.ca/infill with more information about infill, so look there for the most recent updates in future. These are only some of the pieces being improved related to infill. Other reviews to waste bins, landscaping, parking, bike parking, construction practices and other challenges are coming forward to city council over the next few months.

This means that the new rules will apply to applications still under review as of June 30th, and all new applications submitted after the Bylaw is approved. Administration is working with applicants to notify them of the proposed amendments and the proposed effective date. Applications that are currently under review are not being expedited.

If the proposed amendments are not passed by City Council on June 30, 2025, the current regulations will remain in effect.

Proposed Amendments to the Small Scale Residential (RS) Zone

Building Length

To address concerns about the size and scale of mid-block row housing, Administration proposes to reduce the maximum building length along an interior side lot line from 30.0 m to 50% of site depth or 25.0 m, whichever is less. The maximum length along the front and rear lot lines remains unchanged.

Intended outcomes:

Reduce building mass and shadow impacts for neighbouring properties
In combination with proposed changes to interior side setbacks, decrease principal building site coverage by approximately 8% on typical lots (15 m x 45 m).
This change could also potentially allow for more parking, amenity areas, or landscaping.

Entrances

Under the current regulations, there is no limit on the number of entrances that can be located on the side yard. To address this and concerns about overlook and increased activity in side yards next to neighbours, Administration was directed to limit the total number of entrances permitted on the side of a building to two, whether it is a main entrance, suite entrance or a back door.

Intended outcomes:

Encourage more entrances on the front and rear of the building
Reduce the concentration of side entrances facing the neighbours lot line
Reduce perception of side yard activity

Interior Side Setbacks

Administration proposes to increase the minimum interior side setback from 1.5 m to 1.9 m for row housing and multi-unit housing where an entrance is located on the side of a building.

Intended outcome:

Improve functionality of side yards by allowing for a 0.15 m drainage swale, 0.9 m pathway and 0.76 m egress window well or portion of a stairway.

Stairs in Side Yards

Administration is proposing to require a minimum 1.1m distance between steps and the interior side lot line when steps face the side lot line. However, this change will not apply to steps facing the front or rear lot lines.

Intended Outcome:

Improve accessibility along pathways where steps project into side setbacks by allowing for a 0.9 m pathway and 0.15 m drainage swale.

Front and Side Facades for Mid-block Row Housing & Multi-unit Housing

Administration is proposing changes to require principal row house dwellings adjacent to the street to include a covered main entrance door that faces the street and have windows covering a minimum of 15% of the street-facing facade area.

Administration is also proposing to require row housing and multi-unit housing facades facing a street or the side lot line of a site in a residential zone, regardless of building length, to be articulated using two or more design techniques (e.g., variations in rooflines, vertical or horizontal building wall projections or recessions, visual breaks of building facades into smaller sections or a combination of finishing materials). Windows and porches would not count towards the minimum articulation requirements.

Intended outcomes:

Make street-facing facades appear more like the front of a building, rather than the side
Further reduce the perceived mass of row house building walls
Improve the design of midblock row housing by establishing minimum design expectations for street facing facade

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