Neighbourhood Main Streets Zoning Review
Neighbourhood Main Streets Zoning Review Update
Please note that this project is now complete. Official versions of the Planned Development Overlay Zoning Districts for each of the three neighbourhoods can be found in the Winnipeg Zoning By-law 200/2006 which is available on-line through the By-law website managed by the City Clerk's Department.
Project Purpose:
The intent of the project is to create a zoning framework to implement the community’s vision in three neighbourhood main street areas – Academy Road, St. Norbert and Transcona.
The goals of the project are to:
- Address concerns related to land use and urban form.
- Determine the appropriate zoning tool or set of tools such as a Planned Development Overlay (PDO) to implement the desired development pattern.
Project Description
The project will start with a characterization of each of the target neighbourhoods to determine the existing socio-economic conditions and development patterns in the area. Background work has been undertaken in some neighbourhoods. This phase of the project will build on the work done to date. Individuals, community and business groups will be interviewed to tap their local expertise and identify neighbourhood assets and opportunities. Best practices will be researched to explore techniques and tools used in other cities.
The next step in the project is to invite the broader community to participate in a community visioning exercise. This exercise will use information gathered from stakeholder interviews and background research to develop a vision for each area describing the community’s aspirations, desired types of development and their physical form. The visions will shape a series of development scenarios and implementation options that will be prepared for further review and discussion.
In the last phase of the project, the community will examine the various development scenarios and select a preferred option. A community workshop will be convened to receive input and move toward consensus. The consulting team will draft the preferred scenario and implementation option into zoning language so that it can be presented as a by-law (PDO) at a public hearing. If adopted by City Council, the PDO By-law would act as a guideline for future development decisions.
Project Team
The project is managed by the Planning, Property and Development Department. A consulting team led by Dillon Consulting has been retained to undertake the project and conduct a public consultation program. McGowan Russell Design Group will provide support to Dillon and lead the Transcona component of the project.
Throughout the process, the Project Team will be working closely with City staff, elected officials, and community groups in each neighbourhood. Information and progress on the project will be posted on this project web site.
For further information about the project, please contact
Valdene Buckley, MCIP
Project Manager at 986-5161
or email
What’s a Neighbourhood Main Street?
- Neighbourhood Main Streets are business areas in more established neighbourhoods that are typically pedestrian-oriented streets that serve the immediate day-to-day needs of the surrounding community.
- They are characterized by a critical mass of buildings that function as a compact economic group
- Often, they are governed by neighbourhood business associations that serve in a promotional and marketing capacity. They may be eligible for funding for streetscaping, economic development, heritage preservation, and storefront improvements.
What’s a Planned Development Overlay (PDO)?
- A PDO provides the means to customize zoning rules in a unique or special area to achieve local planning objectives. They are most commonly adopted to implement plans for small areas through concise regulations.
- A PDO is a zoning tool that is used to implement the community's vision and guides future development decisions. For example, the City would refer to the PDO to determine the community's desired land use pattern, design and form of development when reviewing and approving development applications.
- In neighbourhood main street areas, a PDO can be used to:
- Protect the scale and character of pedestrian-oriented, neighbourhood scale commercial areas in older areas of the city
- Manage the introduction of new uses to be sensitive to the existing scale and character of the area; and
- Protect surrounding residential neighbourhoods from adverse impacts of active commercial uses.
- In Winnipeg, PDOs have been applied around the airport to minimize residential and airport conflicts, to protect the cultural and historic character of Provencher Boulevard, to protect designated industrial facilities from adverse impacts, to protect the scale and character of other neighbourhood main streets and to implement policies in Neighbourhood Plans.
Approval Process
- Following completion of the public consultation program, an amendment to the Zoning By-law will be drafted for the proposed PDO. Each PDO forms its own section within the Zoning By-law.
- A public hearing will be scheduled at the local Community Committee meeting to receive public input on the proposed changes. The Community Committee, which consists of three local ward Councillors, may make a recommendation to either approve, amend or deny the proposed PDO. Public representations are closed after the public hearing at the Community Committee level.
- Community Committee recommendations proceed to the Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development, Executive Policy Committee and Council where they can be approved, denied or amended.
- If adopted, Council gives 3 readings to the By-law and it will take effect immediately, unless otherwise noted.
Project Schedule*
The project is organized into three phases described below:
| Phase 1 | • Background research |
February February February |
| Phase 2 | • Community/stakeholder visioning session • Scenario development, community workshop • Interim Report |
February March March |
| Phase 3 | • Prepare draft by-law text, maps, graphics • Final Report • Public notice and advertising, public hearing • Council approval, by-law adoption |
April |
A Project Fact Sheet is available in a brochure format 471 KB | Download
Last update:
December 7, 2012
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