Hamilton residential zoning review pilot - setting limits

NRU
March 21, 2018
By Ana Bassios

The City of Hamilton would restrict the size of new infill residential homes in existing residential areas in the Ancaster, under a planning review pilot project announced this week. If approved, the proposed height restrictions could shape future redevelopment of other neighbourhoods in the city.

A report to the public hearing portion of the March 20 planning committee recommended revised regulations to the existing residential zone that applies to about 2,500 generally older, larger single-family properties in several neighbourhoods in Ancaster with an average lot size of 1.138 square metres.

"The city's official plan recognizes the importance of neighbourhood and community character, Hamilton chief planner Steve Robichaud wrote in an email to NRU. "To address infill redevelopment and community concerns about neighbourhood change, staff reviewed the zoning by-law regulations to create a better built-form relationship between smaller and larger homes.

"The benefit of undertaking this project now, in advance of the city-wide residential zoning, is [that] staff can test these regulations to determine if they are appropriate to address community concerns and allow for more sensitive redevelopment."

At this week's meeting, the public was asked to offer input and feedback, with staff scheduled to report on what they heard to planning committee next month.

In 2014, Robichaud noted, Ancaster residents appeared before the planning committee to express concerns about approval of residential redevelopments, granted either as-of-right or through minor variance approvals that affected height, lot coverage and setbacks. Of particular concern was the redevelopment of bungalow-style homes into larger homes.

In response, council directed staff to review the zoning regulations and report back on possible changes to the by-law.

Ward 12 Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson told NRU that he supports the proposed restrictions, which he said would make the construction of new homes more "respectful" of existing neighbourhoods.

Ferguson said that Ancaster has larger lots compared to many other locations in Hamilton. Since Ancaster was built on septic systems and did not get sanitary sewers until later in its municipal development, "it has become tempting for people to replace the older homes with bigger dream homes, which is fine, but they get way out of character with what is already there."

Last fall, at two city-facilitated public information sessions prompted by concerns and complaints, local residents and Ferguson raised concerns about "new builds" and residential additions in Ancaster that they viewed as out of character and inconsistent with the existing built form of bungalows, predominantly, as well as some split-level homes.

Survey responses from residents at the public information session noted that currently permitted maximum lot coverage and building height regulations encouraged larger-than-average new homes.

The permitted 35 per cent maximum lot coverage now in place allows new homes to be constructed as-of-right at a scale markedly larger than the surrounding homes, with no requirement for variances. As well, city staff report seven committee of adjustment applications were made between 2012 and 2017 for variances beyond the current lot coverage maximum of 35 per cent.

The report proposes new or revised regulations for maximum height of principal dwellings, lot coverage, front-yard setbacks; and how far garages and second storeys can project out from the front of a house.

If adopted, the draft by-law would limit new infill residential homes to two storeys. As well, it would reduce the maximum building height from 10.5 to 9.5 metres for a two-storey dwelling, and set a maximum height of 7.5 metres for a single-storey dwelling. It also proposes a differentiated approach for lot coverage maximums: lots less than 1,650 square metres would be permitted up to 35 per cent lot coverage for a one-storey structure compared to 25 per cent for a two-storey home. Lots greater than 1,650 square metres would be limited to 30 per cent lot coverage for a one-storey structure and 20 per cent for a two-storey home.

In the report, city planners state that the "effect of the new and revised regulations is to establish an as-of-right building envelope that is more sympathetic to existing built form, and to promote redevelopment that is more sensitive to the neighbourhood character of mature neighbourhoods in Ancaster."

A follow-up report and amending by-law is scheduled to be discussed April 17 by the planning committee. If approved, the new zoning regulations will be monitored for effectiveness and impact on the built form.

As well, officials say that information gathered from the Ancaster pilot will be used to evaluate proposed residential infill in mature neighbourhoods in other areas of Hamilton, as well as for use in a city-wide project to harmonize, update and modernize pre-amalgamation zoning by-laws into one city-wide by-law.