schools, community facilities, and retail plazas that include businesses that carry food products;

• Transit accessible neighbourhoods are neighbourhoods that offer transit within a 5 to 10 minute walk (400 – 800 metre radius) of the proposed development; and,

• In neighbourhoods that are less walkable (more than 800 metres to amenities) and less transit accessible (more than 800 metres to transit), parking variances should be granted at a ratio that achieves between 0.75 – 1 parking spaces per unit.

The City of Belleville also implemented a plan to cover the application fees for developers that were pursing a parking variance for affordable housing.

The intent of such a policy is to encourage affordable rental housing to locate close to amenities and transit in return for a reduction in parking requirements, which in turn can lower the overall development costs for the project, but also makes the project a better option for someone without a car. Conversely, locations close to amenities and transit may end up having higher land costs, which could cut into the savings from the reduced parking.

It should be noted that the C ity’s Planning Department has been supportive of parking reductions for mid- to high- density development projects located in areas with good access to transit and amenities. Some recent examples include:

• 3100 Meadowbrook Lane (City-funded affordable housing project) - 145 affordable rental units - ~181 parking spaces required, reduced to 130 through a Zoning Bylaw Amendment;

• 840 Wyandotte St E. – 24 residential units w/ 3-4 commercial units - ~45 parking spaces required, 30 provided through minor variance reduction;

• 531 Pelissier St. – 24 residential units w/ 3 commercial units – minor variance to permit parking off-site, requirement was 18 which they achieved;

• 781 Erie St. – 15 residential units w/ 1 commercial unit - ~ 15 required, 7 provided through minor variance reduction; and,

• 955 Ouellette Ave. - 32 residential units - 40 required, 36 provided through minor variance reduction.

Although the Planning Department has been supportive of a balanced reduction in parking, having guidelines would provide an additional level of certainty to developers at the early stages of project conception, making it easier to mitigate the potential risk associated with having to pursue a minor variance.

Development Streamlining