One-year moratorium reins in spread of low-rent ‘bunkhouses’

Special bylaw slaps four-bedroom limit on new buildings in six neighbourhoods

Ottawa city council took the rare step Wednesday of passing a special bylaw to stop the proliferation of so-called “bunkhouses,” which the mayor says diminish the quality of life in a neighbourhood.

The interim control bylaw will apply for one year to Sandy Hill, Heron Park and parts of Old Ottawa East, Old Ottawa South, Centretown and Overbrook.

It will prevent new construction of any buildings containing more than four bedrooms in a single unit (with the exception of a single detached home) and put a cap on the total floor area of multi-unit buildings with up to six apartments.

The move comes as council and city officials struggle to effectively deal with the excessive garbage, noise and other irritations often associated with bunkhouses, which Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury has equated to unlicensed rooming houses.

While the bylaw is in place, the planning department will complete its study of the current zoning for inner urban residential communities to ensure it allows for infill development within established neighbourhoods that maintains and contributes to the fabric and character of these neighbourhoods.

Replacing a single-family home with a multi-unit building that has 20 bedrooms is not reasonable, the mayor said.

Squeezing as many students as possible into these buildings may be appealing to developers, but, Jim Watson said, “it diminishes the quality of life in a neighbourhood and, quite frankly, it’s not a very pleasant environment for students.

“It may be cheap housing, but it’s not good housing,” Watson said.

The bylaw will not apply to a proposed development at 70 Russell Ave., which the planning committee discussed on Tuesday.

The applicant wants to remove an existing red-brick building and replace it with a new low-rise apartment building, consisting of four units and a total of 21 bedrooms — a plan the current zoning allows for.

Council is also taking aim at short-term housing rentals facilitated by online platforms, such as Airbnb.

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans asked the planning department to look at what regulatory tools the city has under its current zoning bylaw to address complaints about noise, parking, garbage and other disruptions in residential areas.

If there aren’t sufficient powers at the city’s fingertips, Deans said council may want to consider regulation, as it did last year when it approved a vehicle-for-hire bylaw that allowed ride-hailing companies, such as Uber, to acquire private transportation licences.

The report is due by the end of the year.

COUNCIL BRIEFS

Staff will spend the summer reviewing the areas affected by spring flooding and will develop a simpler process for granting permits for the reconstruction of existing buildings and structures without the need for minor variances. More than 275 properties along the Ottawa River were affected by flooding in May.

OC Transpo’s new low-income EquiPass won’t be ready to go for Jan. 1. Adding the new fare category involves a series of “backend changes” OC Transpo staff say can’t be completed before the start of 2018.

Council wants the EquiPass ready as soon as possible and gave OC Transpo a deadline of Canada Day 2018.

The Wellington Diner at 1385 Wellington St. W. has been granted permission to build a patio outside the restaurant, along the corner of Western Avenue.

The diner needed council to sign off because the zoning bylaw doesn’t allow a commercial patio within 30 metres of a residential area and the proposed patio would be about 19 metres from homes.

The owner of Kristy’s Restaurant at 809 Richmond Rd. got the green light to build a 24-storey mixeduse complex. The site is about 200 metres west of the future Cleary light-rail station. The current Kristy’s building would be demolished, but the owner plans to reopen the restaurant in the new development.

Somerset Street West between Bronson Avenue and Arthur Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from 8 a.m. July 28 to 8 a.m. July 30 for Ottawa Asian Fest’s Chinatown Night Market. The outdoor festival promotes Asian culture and heritage in the heart of Ottawa’s Chinatown.

… It diminishes the quality of life in a neighbourhood and, quite frankly, it’s not a very pleasant environment for students.