Cornwall report on parking minimums, height limits delayed to 2025

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In April, Cornwall council asked for a comprehensive report on removing the minimum number of parking spots required for new developments, and height restrictions on buildings, from its land-use rules. On Tuesday, it was told that the work on this report would have to wait until next year.

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Administration in an update report received Tuesday said that in order to consider the removal of parking minimums, a detailed review of the city’s active-transport network and transit system would be required.

Also, to assess the appropriateness of removing height restrictions and allowing limitless height as of right throughout the city, consideration of potential unintended impacts (shadow impacts, heritage impacts, etc.) to neighboring properties needs to be studied, as well as the capacity limitations of the municipal infrastructure, such as transportation networks, and water and sewer services required to support the proposed increased density.

“I’ve said many times that our active-transportation system is broken in many ways,” Coun. Sarah Good said on Tuesday. “It doesn’t provide continuous network linkage, especially for those cycling through our community. So I’d really like to emphasize that any investments we’re making in our active-transportation system be aimed at (continual linkage of cycling routes) to allow people to use active transportation safely.

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“We can’t expect to eliminate parking minimums if we don’t have an effective alternative.”

The financial implications related to the preparation of the requested report are proposed to be presented to the council for consideration as part of the 2025 budget.

Council in the follow-up to the April resolution was told that, currently, the planning services department is experiencing a staffing shortage. So, for the city to meet its planning-services obligations, a consulting firm has been retained to assist with the statutory planning approval review to maintain an appropriate level of service. Council was told the funding required to retain a consulting firm to undertake a planning study is typically drawn from the department’s working reserve. The cost to complete a comprehensive report that considers the removal of parking minimums and height restrictions is estimated to be approximately $100,000.

Currently there are no funds within that reserve to support the study. So, it’s being recommended that the funds be included within the 2025 budget, which the council should start reviewing late in the fall.

“I’m very hopeful to see what comes in 2025 as we get into that budgeting cycle – and as some of those very extensive reports come back to us with recommendations,” Good said.

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