Committee of Adjustment: When a Variance is Worth Pursuing and When it is Not
A variance is worth pursuing when the project is fundamentally sound, the relief is narrow and defensible, and the application can clearly satisfy the Planning Act tests. It is usually the wrong path when the proposal is trying to force a fundamentally non-compliant...
Permit pathway in Ottawa: what drives review timelines and resubmissions
In Ottawa, permit timelines are driven less by the City’s speed and more by how quickly a reviewer can confirm what you are building and that it meets the rules. When the submission set leaves intent, structure, life-safety, or zoning triggers open to interpretation,...
When You Need a Permit vs When You Do Not: The Risk of Guessing Wrong
The most expensive permit mistake is not pulling a permit when you need one. The close second is pulling the wrong permit, too late, after drawings, budgets, and schedules have already hardened. In Ottawa, both errors usually show up the same way: sudden delays,...
Zoning Constraints that Change Design: Setbacks, Height, Lot Coverage, Parking, and What Must be Understood Early
Zoning is not a paperwork step you deal with after you fall in love with a design. In Ottawa, the by-law rules around setbacks, height, lot coverage, and parking often define what is physically possible on a property long before drawings feel “real”. If those...