Permitted Obstructions in Required Yards (Section 5.8) 

The Zoning Bylaw allows for the permitted obstruction of balconies into a required side yard by up to 1.8m, or 25% of the width of the required side yard, whichever is lesser.  The regulation does not make a distinction for side yards with an intervening lane or a flanking street on a corner site.   

 It is proposed that the requirement for 25% of the width of the required side yard not apply to sites where the side yard flanks a street or registered lane. These sites would still be required to meet the 1.8m requirement.  

Building Height (Section 5.11) 

In order to provide clarity, amendments to this section will include:  

• That roof area coverage is applied to enclosed mechanical penthouses only;  
• Adding a screening requirement for mechanical equipment; and,  
• Adding that height limitations do not apply to stair / elevator access to roof tops.   

Secondary Suites (Section 5.30) 

Stakeholders have provided feedback that the regulations for secondary suites can be too restrictive and do not encourage secondary suites. In order to provide more flexibility for secondary suites, the following amendments are proposed: 

• Remove the minimum gross floor area for the principal building. Currently, the principal building must have a gross floor area of at least 100m²; 
• Increase maximum size from 65m² to 80m² to align the maximum size with the National Building Code; 
• Remove the requirement for no more than three persons to occupy a secondary suite. This requirement is not enforced and will provide flexibility for the number of residents in a secondary suite; and, 
• Remove the requirement for the parking space to be paved. Paving a parking space for a secondary suite has proven to be cost prohibitive and is not appropriate in some areas where paved parking for dwellings is not the norm.  
• Secondary suites shall not be located in one-unit dwellings located within a dwelling group. Due to servicing capacity, secondary suites cannot be accommodated in dwelling groups. Should this form of development be desired, it would need to be considered during the concept plan stage.   

Corner Cut-Offs (New) 

It is proposed that illustrations of sites with front yard corner-cutoffs in R1A, R1B and R2 districts be added to clarify how to measure a front yard setback for a dwelling unit on a site with a front yard corner-cutoff in these districts. 

Width of Drive Aisle (Section 6.2.2(f)) 

Stakeholders have provided feedback that clarity and greater flexibility is needed for the width of aisle / driveway including the width of a parking facility vehicle access door. It is recommended the following table be included in the Zoning Bylaw to provide clarity, eliminate potential appeals and to provide new regulations for two drive aisles / doors.

Required Parking and Loading Standards for Street Townhouse in Residential Districts   (Section 6.3)  

It is recommended that the parking requirement for street townhouse be amended from two parking spaces per dwelling unit to one parking space per dwelling unit.  This change will apply to street townhouses in the RMTN and RMTN1 Districts only.  

RMTN – Townhouse Residential District 

The following amendments are proposed for the RMTN District: 

• Increase maximum site coverage to 40% in dwelling groups including detached accessory buildings, covered patios, decks and entrances.  Currently, the maximum site coverage is 30% for dwellings in dwelling groups and site coverage may be increased for attached covered patios or decks by the percentage of the area covered by such patio or deck, but the total site coverage shall not exceed 40%. The amended regulation will provide for more flexibility in how the site coverage requirement is achieved while not impacting the overall site coverage requirement.  
• Reduce the side yard setback for street townhouses from 2.3m to 1.5m to be consistent with other side yard setback requirements for the similar uses.  
• Clarify the requirement for landscaping in the front yard for street townhouses.  
• Add semi-detached dwellings as a permitted use. This use are currently not listed as a permitted use in this district.

RMTN1 – Medium Density Townhouse Residential District 

The following amendments are proposed for the RMTN1 District: 

• Increase maximum site coverage to 45% in dwelling groups including detached accessory buildings, covered patios, decks and entrances.  Currently, the maximum site coverage is 40% for dwellings in dwelling groups and site coverage may be increased for attached covered patios or decks by the percentage of the area covered by such patio or deck, but the total site coverage shall not exceed 45%. The amended regulation will provide for more flexibility in how the site coverage requirement is achieved while not impacting the overall site coverage requirement.  
• Add semi-detached dwellings as a permitted use. This use are currently not listed as a permitted use in this district.

M3 - General Institutional Service District; M4 - Core Area Institutional Service District  

(Use - Special Needs Housing) 

Special Needs Housing means multiple unit dwellings or dwelling groups operated by a non-profit corporation or public authority and used exclusively for the domestic habitation of senior citizens, disabled persons, occupants of subsidized housing, or the cohabitant spouse and children of persons noted above. Special Needs Housing is a discretionary use because it has a lower parking rate in comparison to similar types of uses that are not non-profit or public authority (e.g. Special Care Homes, dwelling groups and multiple unit dwellings). 

It is recommended that Special Needs Housing be a permitted use in the M3 and M4 Districts to align with similar types of uses of supportive housing that are already permitted in these districts.  

M4 - Core Area Institutional Service District  

Amend the Notes to Development Standards (6) to remove the reference to a “corner” site.  The current wording suggests that the 3.0m maximum side yard only applies to corner sites along a flanking street or lane, however, the provision should apply more broadly to any site with a flanking lane. It is not sensible to restrict the provision only to the scenario of a corner site with a flanking street and lane.

B2 – District Commercial  

Stakeholders have requested a review of the height in B2. It is recommended the height in B2 be increased from 7.5m to 10.5m in order to provide flexibility for the types of building forms that can be accommodated in this district. The increase in height aligns with similar zoning districts in other Canadian municipalities and would align with the progression of Commercial zoning districts in the City’s Zoning Bylaw.  

In order to align uses in the Agricultural and Future Urban Development Districts with the proposed Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth (P4G) District Zoning Bylaw, proposed amendments include: 

• Add Secondary Suites accessory to a one-unit dwelling as a permitted use in both districts; 
• Remove Agricultural Research Stations as a discretionary use in the Future Urban Development District. Due to the permanent nature of Agricultural Research Stations, these uses are more suited to the Agricultural District; 
• Amend market gardens, nurseries and greenhouses to be discretionary. This use is currently a permitted use, however, due to the nature of this use and to align with the P4G Zoning Bylaw, it is recommended this be discretionary. Applications will be evaluated based on the proposed intensity of the use; 
• Add Child Care Centres and Pre-Schools as a discretionary use when they are accessory to a dwelling;  
• Remove the list of prohibited uses in both districts. If a use is not listed as a permitted or discretionary use, it would be not be allowed in these districts.