HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLN 03-22 Report to
Planning & Development Committee
Report Number: PLN 03-22
Date: January 10, 2022
From: Kyle Bentley
Director, City Development & CBO
Subject: Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review
Phase 2, Status Update and First Draft of the Zoning By-law
- File: D-1100-101
Recommendation:
1. That Report PLN 03-22 of the Director, City Development & CBO, providing an update on
the status of the City of Pickering Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review, be received for
information.
Executive Summary: The first draft of the new City wide Zoning By-law, along with a
sample interactive zoning map, will be available in the first quarter of 2022 for review and
comment on the City’s Let’s Talk digital platform. This first draft will be the parent part of the
By-law containing definitions, general regulations, establishment of zoning categories and their
regulations, and parking regulations. Site specific exceptions and a full interactive map will be
available through later drafts of the By-law.
To assist in reviewing and commenting on the first draft Zoning By-law, there will be brief
explanations of how certain matters are addressed by the By-law and how to determine the
zoning of properties. Also through Let’s Talk, staff will provide answers to submitted questions,
continue targeted community engagement and consultation, and provide updates on the
Zoning Review. The draft Zoning By-law text and zoning schedules will be compliant with the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
Staff is recommending that Council receive for information Report PLN 03-22 providing an
update on the status of the City of Pickering Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review.
Financial Implications: There are no financial implications applicable to this report.
1. Discussion:
1.1 Guiding principles developed in Phase 1 of the Zoning Review were used to
prepare the first draft of the City wide Zoning By-law
In early 2021, staff reported to Council on comments received from the public and
stakeholders, and on the details of the findings of the discussion papers prepared as
part of Phase 1 of the Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review (the Zoning Review). The
purpose of the Zoning Review is to consolidate and update Pickering’s existing 6 parent
Report PLN 03-22 January 10, 2022
Subject: Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review Page 2
Zoning By-laws 2511, 2520, 3036, 3037, 7364/14 and 7553/17. The discussion papers
provided an overview of the following: the relevant provisions in each of the existing
parent Zoning By-laws; an analysis of how the existing zoning relates to planning
policies and legislation at the local, regional, and provincial levels; and a discussion of
recent best practices in other Ontario municipalities. Each paper concludes with the
identification and assessment of key policy gaps and issues, and proposes a general
structure of zoning categories and provisions.
1.2 A draft Zoning By-law for the City is available for review and comment
Through the Let’s Talk Pickering platform, the community will be able to view the first
draft of the Zoning By-law text and the sample interactive mapping tool, and submit
comments. To assist, there will be brief explanations of how certain matters are
addressed by the By-law and how to determine the zoning of properties. Also through
Let’s Talk, staff will provide answers to submitted questions, continue targeted
community engagement and consultation, and provide updates on the Zoning Review.
The draft Zoning By-law text and zoning schedules will meet the accessibility
requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
When completed, the new City wide draft By-law will implement Official Plan policy,
replace and update definitions and provisions, amalgamate site specific provisions,
contain explanatory illustrations and notations, and allow more consistent interpretations
of zoning provisions. The new City wide Zoning By-law and interactive mapping will be
available on the City’s website and will be updated as new by-law amendments are
adopted by City Council.
1.3 The formats of the more recently written Seaton and City Centre Zoning By-laws
were used for the preparation of the first draft of the City wide Zoning By-law
Zoning by-laws typically contain a number of main sections that apply to all zone
categories, including administration, general regulation, definitions, and parking
regulation. By-laws also include sections for specific zone categories, including
residential, mixed use, employment, community use, utility, and natural heritage. Also
included in zoning by-laws is a visual representation of the various zoning categories
and how they apply to properties within the municipality. These maps are referred to as
zoning schedules. The format of the new consolidated Zoning By-law will contain similar
sections and mapping.
Currently, there are 6 parent Zoning By-laws that govern the zoning of specific areas of
the City. The existing Zoning By-laws include:
• Zoning By-law 2511 – Frenchman’s Bay Area;
• Zoning By-law 2520 – Bay Ridges Area;
• Zoning By-law 3037 – Rural Area;
• Zoning By-law 7364/14 – Seaton Urban Area;
• Zoning By-law 7553/17 – City Centre; and
• Zoning By-law 3036 – covers the remaining urban area.
Report PLN 03-22 January 10, 2022
Subject: Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review Page 3
The purpose of the Zoning Review is to consolidate, harmonize, and update the
administration, general regulations, definitions, parking regulations and zoning
categories and their regulations sections from the six parent By-laws and create one
zoning document that covers the entire City.
The residential, commercial, mixed-use, employment, environmental, open space, rural,
and institutional zoning categories and regulations from the existing parent By-laws
have been consolidated, renamed, and updated in the draft By-law. The City Centre
zoning categories have been carried forward into the draft By-law and appear in a
separate section. The Seaton Zoning By-law, along with recent Council adopted
amendments, has also been carried forward into the draft By-law in its entirety.
The sections of the first draft Zoning By-law are as follows:
• Administration;
• Establishment of Zones and Schedules;
• Definitions;
• General Regulations;
• Parking, Stacking, and Loading Regulations;
• Residential Zone Regulations;
• Commercial and Mixed-Use Zone Regulations;
• Employment Zone Regulations;
• City Centre Zone Regulations;
• Environmental Protection and Open Space Zone Regulations;
• Rural and Oak Ridges Moraine Zone Regulations;
• Institutional and Other (Urban Reserve and Utility Zones) Zone Regulations;
• Seaton Urban Area;
• Exceptions Zone; and
• Zoning Schedules.
1.4 Existing conditions and transition provisions are addressed in the Administration
section
New structures and uses will be required to conform to the new City wide Zoning By-law
once it is adopted by City Council, subject to the resolution of any appeals of the new
By-law. However, as the intent of the new Zoning By-law is to consolidate existing
zoning categories and provisions, the Administration section contains provisions
allowing any existing use or structure, that is in conformity with the previous in-force
parent Zoning By-laws, to continue.
The Administration section also contains transition provisions that allow minor variance,
site plan, and building permit applications that were submitted prior to the passing of the
new City wide Zoning By-law (and that comply with all zoning by-laws in force at the
time of application submission), to continue to be processed. The intent is to recognize
previous planning approvals obtained in accordance with the existing Zoning By-laws,
and to allow for the issuance of a building permit without further amendment to the new
City wide Zoning By-law.
Report PLN 03-22 January 10, 2022
Subject: Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review Page 4
1.5 Definitions and general provisions are harmonized across the City
Definitions, definition names, and zoning provisions have been consolidated and
updated to reflect contemporary planning practice, and market and development trends.
A few of the updated and new definitions included in the new draft Zoning By-law
include active recreational use, agri-tourism, cannabis cultivation, grade or average
grade, group home, and seasonal farm help dwelling.
1.6 The first draft of the new draft Zoning By-law includes updated definitions and
provisions addressing matters such as secondary suites, and agricultural related
uses
Bill 108, the More Homes, More Choices Act, allows secondary suites in detached,
semi-detached, and row houses, within primary dwellings and ancillary buildings, or
structures such as coach houses and laneway houses. The different names and
definitions used in the existing parent By-laws have been harmonized in the draft
Zoning By-law to ensure conformity with the Planning Act, consistency throughout the
draft By-law, and to encourage a greater range of housing options within the City.
Provincial policies and guidelines encouraging expansion to the range of uses permitted
in the agricultural areas are reflected in the draft By-law through new and updated
definitions and regulations for agricultural uses.
1.7 While existing zoning categories were collapsed into new zoning categories, the
intent is to maintain existing zoning permissions
A review of each of the existing parent By-laws found that the By-laws did not use the
same zones to categorize uses and development standards, presenting a challenge in
consolidating the parent By-laws. A detailed analysis was undertaken of the existing
zoning categories for each type of use, the minor variances approved, and the
numerous site specific by-law amendments adopted over the years, to identify the
similarities and differences between zones within the various land uses. The discussion
papers discussed how the zones could be collapsed or eliminated, while maintaining the
existing zoning permissions.
The draft By-law contains streamlined zoning categories that conform with the Official
Plan, while providing consistency across the City and continuity for residents and the
development proponents. An objective of the Zoning Review was to retain the general
intent of the existing parent By-laws, while ensuring that current zoning permissions
were maintained. In many zone categories, the zoning permissions were expanded. A
concordance table identifying how the existing zone categories are collapsed into new
zone categories will be available on the Let’s Talk Pickering project site.
Report PLN 03-22 January 10, 2022
Subject: Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review Page 5
1.8 Parking provisions have been updated using a consolidation of Seaton and City
Centre provisions and best practices
The parking and loading provisions of the draft By-law have been updated to incorporate
the modern aspects of the City Centre and Seaton By-laws, and best practices. This
effectively introduces a zoning approach that better aligns with City, Regional, and
Provincial policy for reducing automobile dependence, and increasing transit use. This
approach includes aligning parking requirements across land uses, providing parking
requirements where missing, applying consistent visitor parking requirements,
expanding minimum dimensions for interior garage space, and implementing shared
parking City wide.
1.9 The existing Seaton Zoning By-law 7364/14 is consolidated in the draft By-law as
its own chapter
The Seaton Zoning By-law is its own chapter, with its own definitions and general
provisions. It remains mostly unchanged, with the exception of reflecting recent
amendments adopted by City Council, and the removal of the administration section,
which has been harmonized with the administration section for the overall draft By-law.
1.10 The by-law implementing the Kingston Road Corridor and Specialty Retailing
Node and Intensification Study will be reflected in a future draft of the By-law
The first draft of the draft By-law does not reflect the Kingston Road Corridor and
Specialty Retailing Node and Intensification Study. However, the Council adopted
implementing by-law will be reflected in a future draft of the By-law.
1.11 The second draft of the draft By-law will incorporate a review of all existing
site-specific zoning by-law amendments
A detailed review of the numerous site specific amendments is ongoing. Any existing
site specific amendments, which will be permitted as of right (as a result of the new
provisions and zoning categories of the draft By-law), will be deleted. For those site
specific amendments that will not be permitted as of right, the site specific provisions
will be carried forward into the new By-law.
1.12 Mapping is designed to be interactive, user friendly, and accessible
An important outcome of the Zoning Review will be that both the new By-law text and
mapping will be available through the City’s website for staff and the public to access.
Paper copies of the By-law will also be available. The sample mapping that will be
available on the Let’s Talk site, along with the first draft of the By-law, will allow the
public and stakeholders to try out and comment on interactive mapping. The final
By-law will contain mapping that includes an overall index map and coloured zone
maps. Overlays will be used to identify other information that may affect what can
happen on a property such as Oak Ridges Moraine, Minister’s Zoning Orders, and
conservation authority regulated areas.
Report PLN 03-22 January 10, 2022
Subject: Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review Page 6
The intention is also to make the new Zoning By-law more visually appealing with the
addition of graphics and illustrations, which will be included in the second draft of the
draft By-law.
2. Next steps
The first draft of the By-law will be available through Let’s Talk Pickering on the City’s
website for the first quarter of 2022. During this time, staff will engage with the public
and other stakeholders through open houses and meetings with specific stakeholders.
Comments received during this time will inform the preparation of a second draft By-law.
The second draft By-law will also be made available on the Let’s Talk Pickering site for
further comment and will contain site specific exceptions and full interactive mapping.
Prepared By:
Original Signed By
Deborah Wylie, MCIP, RPP
Manager, Zoning & Administration
Approved/Endorsed By:
Original Signed By
Catherine Rose, MCIP, RPP
Chief Planner
Original Signed By
Kyle Bentley, P. Eng.
Director, City Development & CBO
DW :ld
Recommended for the consideration
of Pickering City Council
Original Signed By
Marisa Carpino, M.A.
Chief Administrative Officer