City of Ottawa Zoning By-law 2008-250: Alternative Yard Setbacks affecting Low-rise Residential Development in the R1 to R4 Zones within the Greenbelt (Section 144)
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Alternative Yard Setbacks affecting Low-rise Residential Development in the R1 to R4 Zones within the
Greenbelt (Section 144)
(By-law 2020-289)
The following yard setbacks apply to any lot zoned R1, R2, R3 and R4 Zone located within Area A of Schedule 342.
Front Yards and Corner Side Yard Setbacks
144.
(1)
The minimum front yard setbacks and minimum corner side yard setbacks are as follows:
(a)
in the case of an interior lot or through lot, the yard setback must align with the average of
the abutting lots' corresponding yard setback abutting the street(s),
(b)
in the case of a corner lot and corner through lot, the yard setbacks must align with the
abutting lots' actual yard setbacks abutting each street, and Section 135 applies;
(c)
Where an abutting lot is vacant, the provisions of (1) (a) or (b) apply based on the actual
yard setbacks of the closest residential building on the next adjacent lot, which must be no
more than 30 m from the subject lot's closest side lot line.
(d)
Despite the foregoing, the minimum front and/or corner side yard setback need not exceed
the minimum required in the Residential subzone in which the lot is located, and in no case
may be less than 1.5 m.
Illustration of Front and Corner Side Yard Setback Requirements affecting R1-R4 Zones within the Greenbelt
Interior Side Yards on Interior, Through and Corner Lots
(2)
The minimum interior side yard:
(a)
On an interior lot or through lot, the minimum interior side yard setbacks are as prescribed
in each subzone noted in the Part VI, Residential Subzone Tables.
(b)
On a corner lot where there is only one interior side yard required, the minimum setback for
that yard must be:
(i)
the minimum interior side yard setback prescribed in the Residential subzone, or
(ii)
the larger of the two subzone-specific minimum interior side yard requirements
prescribed in the Residential subzone, or
(iii)
where only a required minimum total interior side yard is prescribed, the minimum
interior side yard setback must equal at least 50% of the required minimum total
interior side yard setback.
Rear Yards on Interior or through lots
(3)
Where a lot's rear lot line abuts either an R1, R2, R3 or R4 zone, or abuts a lane that abuts an R1,
R2, R3, or R4 zone on either side, except in the case of a Planned Unit Development:
(a)
the rear yard must comprise at least 25 percent of the lot area; and the minimum rear yard
setback is pursuant to Table 144A or 144B below.
(i)
where the minimum front yard is 4.5 m or less, the minimum rear yard depth is
determined by Table 144A:
Table 144A - Rear Yard Requirements For Lots with a Minimum Front
Yard Setback of 4.5 m or Less
I
Lot Depth
II
Minimum Rear Yard
(i)
23.5 metres or less
25 per cent of the lot depth
(ii)
Greater than 23.5 but not more
than 25 metres
the lot depth minus 17.5metres
(iii)
greater than 25 metres
30 per cent of the lot depth
(ii)
where the minimum front yard is more than 4.5m, the minimum rear yard depth is
determined by Table 144B:
Table 144B - Rear Yard Requirements For Lots with a Minimum Front Yard
Setback Greater than 4.5 m
I
Lot Depth
II
Minimum Rear Yard
(i)
24 metres or less
25 per cent of the lot depth
(ii)
greater than 24 but not more than 25
metres
the lot depth minus 18 metres
(iii)
greater than 25 metres but not more
than 32 metres
28 per cent of the lot depth
(iv)
greater than 32 but not more than 33
metres
the lot depth minus 23 metres
(v)
Greater than 33 metres
30 per cent of the lot depth
(b)
Where a lot's rear lot line abuts any zone other than an R1, R2, R3, or R4 zone, the
minimum yard setback is as prescribed in each subzone noted in he Part VI, Residential
Subzone tables. (By-law 2021-111)
Rear Yards on Corner Lots
(4)
Detached Dwellings
(a)
In the case of a corner lot in the R1 Zone within Schedule 342 that is not severed, the
minimum rear yard setback is that which is required in the Residential Subzone applicable
to the lot,
(b)
in the case of a corner lot in the R1 Zone within Schedule 342 but excluding Area A of
Schedule 344, despite the minimum required lot area in the R1A, AA, B, BB, C, CC, E, G,
GG zones in Table 156A, where both water and wastewater municipal services are
present, a minimum lot area of no less than 49 per cent of the required minimum lot area of
the subzone may be applied if:
(i)
permission to sever the lot into two lots is granted by the Committee of Adjustment;
(ii)
only one detached dwelling is built on each of the two severed lots; and
(iii)
each of the detached dwellings have their front wall and driveway facing frontage on
different streets whether or not that frontage is the front lot line, and
(c)
where a corner lot is severed into two lots in accordance with (b), the following provisions
also apply:
(i)
where the side lot line abutting a street becomes the front lot line,
(ii)
the minimum front yard setback is the same as the corner side yard setback of the
subzone,
(iii)
the minimum front yard setback for the interior lot is the same as the corner side
yard setback of the subzone,
(iv)
the minimum rear yard setback for the corner lot is the same as the required interior
side yard setback of the subzone,
(v)
the corner lot must provide an at-grade amenity area equivalent to at least 5% of
the minimum lot area required in the subzone, in addition to all required setbacks,
that must be abutting the minimum required rear yard required under (iii).
(d)
In the R2, R3 and R4 Zones, in the case of a corner lot where:
(i)
a detached dwelling, on a severed remnant corner lot or unsevered corner lot, must
provide a minimum rear yard of 1.2 m and an Interior Yard area is also required,
pursuant to (6) below, with all necessary modifications.
(ii)
a detached dwelling on the severed lot becomes an interior lot and is subject to the
minimum rear yard setback required for an Interior or Through Lot under Subsection
139 (3).
5.
Dwellings Other than Detached Dwellings
In the R2, R3 and R4 Zones, on a corner lot in the case of a dwelling other than a detached
dwelling, where
(a)
all principal dwelling units front on and face the longer street lot line, the longer street lot
line is deemed to be the front lot line, and minimum required rear yard is 4 m, and
(b)
the principal dwelling units have principal entranceways fronting on and facing different
streets, the minimum required rear yard is: 1.2 m, and an Interior Yard area is also
required, pursuant to (6) below.
Interior Yard Area
6.
Where dwellings containing multiple principal dwelling units are developed on a corner lot with the
dwelling units fronting on and facing different streets, a minimum interior yard area is required,
whether the lot is to be severed or not, that abuts the rear yard and interior side yard, by extending
a parallel line from the minimum required rear yard setback affecting the abutting lot, across the
longest shared common lot line into the affected site for a distance equal to 30% of the affected
lot's actual width, as noted in the Illustration below.
7.
Despite the requirements for minimum interior side yards and rear yards on a corner lot where
dwelling units face different streets, only one interior yard is required.
Illustration of the Minimum Interior Yard Required on Corner Lots for Dwellings containing Multiple
Principal Dwelling Units that Face Different Streets
Through Lots on Large Sites
8.
In the case of a through lot with a depth of 60 metres or greater:
(a)
Subsection 135 applies with respect to the actual rear lot line; and
(b)
the provisions of (3) (a) (i) and (ii) above apply to each half of the lot with respect to a
hypothetical lot line bisecting the through lot at 50 %of the lot depth.
9.
Despite the minimum interior side yard setback provision in column VIII of Table 156A, the
combined minimum required interior side yard setback for interior or through lots in Area A on
Schedule 342 where the lot width is:
(a)
36 metres or greater: must increase by 1 metre for each additional 1 metre of lot width, to a
maximum of 40% of the lot width, and
(b)
With one yard no less than the minimum interior side yard setback of the applicable zone or
subzone. (By-law 2022-103)
10.
Despite the minimum front yard setback provision in Column V of
Table 156A, on an interior lot with a lot width greater than 36 metres
in Area A on Schedule 343: any part of a detached dwelling that is
wider than 60 per cent of the permitted width of the building envelope
must be setback a further 2 metres from the front lot line than the
rest of the front building façade; and,
(a)
no part of an attached or detached garage or carport may be
located closer to the front lot line than the front wall of the
principal building.
(b)
The provisions of section 139 and section 140 with respect to
attached garages, where applicable, continue to apply. (By-law 2022-103)