As city officials look to speed up infill development projects in areas of the city, public notice can’t be overlooked or eliminated, even if there’s no opportunity to object to development plans.
That’s the key advice that flowed from city council during a public meeting on Tuesday regarding the city’s pilot planning project meant to speed up the approval process and reduce developer costs.
The idea is to streamline three approvals processes into one, combining zoning bylaw amendments, minor variances requests and site plan. This, explained staff, is meant to reduce the approval time to 45 days from about 180.
The city is working on its first community planning permit system (CCPS) which, if ultimately approved, covers the area generally bordered by College Avenue to the north, Stone Road to the south, the Hanlon Expressway to the west and Edinburgh Road to the east, though adjacent lands are included.
Similar efforts regarding the downtown area will follow a building height study currently underway, council heard.
In most cases, the plan pulls from existing zoning regulations but allows for project flexibility such as taller buildings in exchange for the inclusion of affordable units.
The plan presented to council includes three development classifications:
- Class one: projects that fully conform with zoning requirements (no public consultation required, approved by city staff)
- Class two: projects that largely comply with zoning requirements but some minor variations are needed (no public consultation required, though notice provided on city’s website, approved by city staff)
- Class three: projects that call for significant bylaw amendments (council approval and public consultation needed).
“This is a unique planning tool for the city,” commented Mayor Cam Guthrie, who said he’s largely supportive of the initiative if it helps get housing built in the city.
Public notice, or lack thereof, was the biggest concern raised by council.
Coun. Linda Busuttil called for project properties to be signed so people know what’s planned.
“It’s not something people who live in the area would be looking for,” she said of notices posted on the city’s website – a concern echoed by several others, including letter-writers.
“I have zero problems with information people … but it shouldn’t trigger delays,” Guthrie said. “Anything at all that hinders or adds new regulations is a non-starter for me.”
Council is expected to consider a final plan proposal in April, with the deadline for public feedback set for Feb. 28.
No members of the public turned out for Tuesday’s public meeting, though some concerns were raised via written submissions, including a joint letter from a lawyer representing the Guelph & District Home Builders’ Association and Guelph-Wellington Development Association.
“Our clients wish to make it clear that the local development community is not supportive of the proposed Community Planning Permit System (“CPPS”) Pilot Project,” the letter reads. “The proposed CPPS will add a further unnecessary level of complexity, administrative costs, and red tape to an already cumbersome and unwieldy local development process.
“This creates a cumbersome patchwork whereby different areas of the city are governed by different substantive and procedural rules.”
Written submissions included a few recommendations for change, including that temporary and recurring healthy food outlets be specifically permitted in key locations such as schools (Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health) and that parking be required for larger, non-traditional bicycles like those that carry cargo (Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation).
