Zoning Regulations for Infill Dwellings A Made in Saskatoon Solution

Saskatchewan Professional Planners Institute

September 20, 2016

Planning and Development

Presentation Outline

• Reasons for looking at infill development

• Neighbourhood Level Infill Development Strategy

• Saskatoon’s Established Neighbourhoods

• Height Depth and Massing

• Implementation of Regulations

Reasons Why• Incompatible development was

occurring

• Strategic direction of City Council to promote infill

The Team • Brook McIlroy and Jim Seimens

• Community Advisory Committee

• City Staff

Four Key Recommendations

• Garden & Garage Suites

• Development Standards for Primary Dwellings

• Four-units on Corner Sites

• Drainage Requirements for Infill Dwellings

Public Consultation and Community Advisory Committee

Public Consultation • Project Website and Social Media • Two Public Workshops • Online Survey

Community Advisory Committee • Established at Study Onset• Committee Members included: Municipal Staff, Developers,

Home Builders, Architects and Community Representatives• Meetings Held at Key Project Milestones• Input Provided in Advance of:

o Public Meetingso Deliverable Submissionso City Council Presentations

Four Key Recommendations

• Garden & Garage Suites

• Development Standards for Primary

Dwellings

• Four-units on Corner Sites

• Drainage Requirements for Infill

Dwellings

Primary Dwellings

Development Standards for Primary Dwellings

• Front yard setback• Side yard setback• Rear yard setback• Site width • Site coverage• Parking • Height, Depth and Massing• Front Entrances• Front Porches

Saskatoon’s Established Neighbourhoods

Category 1

Category 2

Height, Depth & Massing

Four Potential Solutions

1. Angular Plane and maximum building length

2. Maximum building length as a function of site depth

3. 40 / 15 proposal

4. Allowable side wall area

The Angular Plane

Building Length Limited to 14 metres

• On a lot with 7.5 metre(25 feet) width the building footprint is limited to 84 m2 or 904 square feet regardless of how deep the lot is.

• Average lot depth in Category 1 area is is 38 metres.

Building Length as a function of Site Depth

• Height – Angular Plan

• Building Length as a function of site depth

Site Depth Maximum Wall Length

Up to 35 metres 14

35.1 to 45 metres 16

Greater than 45 metres 20

Allow for 40 % Site Coverage at Grade Level

Limit the first floor to 40% site coverage and then limit the length of the 2nd floor to 15 metres

Allowable Sidewall Area

Zoning Bylaw Amendments

• All Established Neighbourhoods

o Allowable Side Wall Area

o Site Width

• Category 1 Only

o Height of Front Door

o Front Porch Encroachment

o Sidewalk Crossing Bylaw

Allowable Side Wall Area Allowable side wall area is calculated using building height

and wall length. 1. Determine the building height (using the angular plane)

2. Determine the maximum building length o For sites 40 metres or less in wall length is 14 metreso For sites greater than 40 metres in depth the wall length is

determined by: Site depth x 50% - Front yard setback

• The side wall of the building shall not exceed this area. Sidewall area is all areas, located under eaves and facing the same direction.

• The maximum height of the building would continue to be 8.5 metres to the midpoint for peaked roofs.

Building Wall Height Calculation for Allowable Side Wall Area

For a side yard of 0.75 metres the wall height calculation would be 6.75 metres

For a side yard of 1.2 metres the wall height calculation would be 7.2 metres

Side Wall Area Measurement Modified Two StoreyAllowable Sidewall Area: 94.5 m²Actual Sidewall Area: 79.78 m²This example complies with the allowable sidewall area

Wall Height Diagram – Flat Roof

Site Width – Category 1 Neighbourhoods

• Minimum site width to remain unchanged. o R1 – 15 metreso R1A – 12 metreso R2 – 7.5 metres

• The provision, which requires that the site will be 70% of the average, will be removed.

• 100 - 300 blocks of Saskatchewan Crescent West and Poplar Crescent will be treated as Category 2.

Site Width – Category 2 Neighbourhoods

The site width for the construction of new one-unit dwellings in Category 2 neighbourhoods shall be at least 60% of the average site width for one-unit dwelling sites fronting on the subject block face and the opposite block face, but in no case shall the site width be less than minimum standard metres.

In this example:

• No lots could be subdivided using the 70 % provision

• 2 lots could be subdivided using the 60 % provision

Front Porch Encroachment

• A portion of the front facade of the dwelling may encroach up to 3 metres into the required front yard

• The width does not exceed 50% of the width of the facade.

• The front porch must contain a front door.

Front Door Height

The bottom of the front door shall not be located more than 1.0 metres above the finished grade.

Sidewalk Crossings Bylaw

• Proposed to amend the bylaw to prohibit driveway crossings into front yards on sites where a rear lane exists

• Defeated by City Council

Public ConsultationDevelopment of Infill Development Strategy (Brook McIlroy and skarc)• December 4, 2012 – Public Workshop #1• December 13, 2012 – Online Survey was launched• March 14, 2013 – Public Workshop #2

Implementation of Infill Development Strategy – City of Saskatoon• March 4, 2014 – Public Open House - Proposed Regulations for

Garden and Garage Suites • May 7, 2014 – Public Open House – Proposed Regulations for

Primary Dwellings and Small Multiple Unit Dwellings on Corner Sites.

• October 30, 2014 - Public Open House – Proposed Regulations for Primary Dwellings

Lessons Learned

• Get local experts involved.

• Visuals and diagrams are very important.

• One solution will not fill all circumstances.

• Issues outside zoning will be brought up by residents.

• Recognize current residential trends.