Ontario Construction News staff writer
Kingston city council has approved significant amendments to the official plan and zoning bylaws to speed up housing construction across the city. Changes aim to provide more opportunities for building various types of housing in different locations.
Key changes include:
- New permissions allowing four units per lot in low-rise residential areas.
- Upzoning a section of the campus expansion area to permit six-storey multi-unit residential buildings.
- Allowing affordable housing developments in most areas of the city.
- Supporting housing innovation initiatives.
- Delegating more applications as minor zoning bylaw amendments and reducing certain planning application fees.
- Streamlining the approval process for multi-unit residential buildings along specific express transit routes.
- Permitting the conversion of some existing non-residential buildings into residential units.
- Allowing employers and institutions to build workforce and institutional housing.
- Implementing administrative amendments to correct, refine and simplify zoning regulations.
Amendments reflect a commitment to addressing housing needs and supporting diverse housing development throughout the community.
The planning committee was set to review a recommendation report on Thursday for a zoning bylaw amendment concerning properties at 64 Barrack St. and 235-237 Wellington St, a proposal that includes construction of a 25-storey building with 344 residential units, featuring 98 studio units, 200 one-bedroom units, 46 two-bedroom units, and 250 square metres of commercial space at ground level. The full report is available on the planning committee website.