About the Project

The planning division is working on the Central Kingston Growth Strategy – a policy and regulatory framework to guide infill and intensification in the central area of the city.

The study area for the strategy includes the lands within central Kingston designated residential in the Official Plan, except for those located within the North King's Town Secondary Plan and the Kingston Provincial Campus Secondary Plan:

The regulatory framework recommended by the Central Kingston Growth Strategy will be incorporated into the second draft of the new City-wide Zoning Bylaw, expected to be released in late 2019.

Background

Some residential areas of central Kingston have experienced a significant amount of pressure for infill development over the years that has resulted in the construction of additions and the demolition of existing buildings for the construction of larger scale residential rebuilds and intensification through the conversion of a single-unit dwelling into a dwelling having two or more units. Such developments have raised public concern regarding their impact on the built form and character of the affected neighbourhoods.

Project phases

The project consists of three phases which will result in a set of final recommendations:

• Discovery: This includes an existing conditions analysis and developing an understanding of community preferences within the study area.
• Vision (options and recommendations): The second phase includes the preparation of draft urban design guidelines and 3D visualizations, an identification of potential intensification areas and the preparation of a draft servicing and infrastructure plan.
• Policy directions: This phase includes the preparation of draft Official Plan policy recommendations, draft zoning recommendations, and finalization of the urban design guidelines and the servicing and infrastructure plan.

Decision-making timeline

At the Jan.10, 2017 meeting, council directed staff to report back on Jan. 24 on how best to word an Interim Control Bylaw prohibiting any new development of, or alterations to, one-family dwellings, two-family dwellings, row dwellings, group dwellings, semi-detached dwellings and multiple family dwellings within the Sydenham, Portsmouth and Williamsville electoral districts.

The Information Report prepared by staff for the Jan. 24, 2017 council meeting detailed:

• the purpose of an interim control bylaw
• the land-use planning concerns and other issues identified by council and residents, a summary of previous studies conducted in relation to similar issues
• the existing Official Plan policies and proposed revisions in response to concerns heard through the 5-year Official Plan Update
• the existing zoning bylaws, the new City-wide Zoning Bylaw Update, the Near Campus Neighbourhoods Study
• a summary of legal considerations related to the passage of an Interim Control Bylaw
• a draft Interim Control Bylaw as directed by council

At its Jan. 24, 2017 meeting, council directed staff to undertake a land-use study of the City's existing policies and regulations on residential intensification within the same area and make recommendations addressing development and/or conversion pressures to guide the future of these areas. Council also asked that a public meeting be held to receive feedback from residents on the draft Interim Control Bylaw and other policy changes and report back to council with options/recommendations in April.

On Mar. 1, 2017, a public meeting was held to receive feedback on the draft Interim Control Bylaw.

On May 2, 2017, a Recommendation Report was provided to council that offered:

• a summary of the existing policy and regulatory framework
• the land-use planning concerns and other issues identified through the public consultation process on the draft Interim Control Bylaw
• the merits and limitations and risks of implementing an Interim Control Bylaw in the three electoral districts
• an alternative approach that included a number of short-term and long-term recommendations, including undertaking the Central Kingston Growth Strategy, to respond to the complexity of land use and other issues identified through the public consultation process

Council endorsed the staff recommendations at its May 2, 2017 meeting.

The terms of reference for the Central Kingston Growth Strategy were approved by council at its Aug. 8, 2017 meeting.

On December 5, 2017, Council approved the recommendations of Report Number 18-004 to award the contract for the Central Kingston Growth Strategy to a team of consultants led by WSP Canada Group Limited.

Project team

City of Kingston

• Paige Agnew - Commissioner, Community Services
• Tim Park – Acting Director, Planning Services
• Sukriti Agarwal –  Acting Manager, Policy Planning, Planning Services
• Mike Szilagyi – Senior Planner, Planning Services

Lead consultant

• WSP Canada Group Limited

Sub-consultant

• Brook McIlroy