11-19-2015, 11:49 AM
(11-19-2015, 09:12 AM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: The limit is 3-4 storeys, depending on the height of the storeys. I'm sure Huether would predate this limit, but it basically means that you have to keep to 3 storeys if you want higher floor heights, or 4 storeys for shorter floor heights.
Yes, Princess Condominiums proves you can build in UpTown. But it's also a rarity. It works in large part because it hides behind the tallest part of the street frontage, because it's the highest point above the water table. Propose five storeys that could somehow fit on the back half of a shorter lot that can't accommodate underground parking and would sit behind a 2-storey building, and see how far it gets.
Well, no, it's not quite so simple. Uptown is a mishmash of different commercial zonings, and the height limits vary. For example, the Huether property is zoned C8-25, which allows up to a 75m tall building with 25 (!) storeys. The Princess apartments property is the same. The post office property across King street is C9-6, which maxes out at 18m and 6 storeys. While there are some -4 and -6 zones in uptown, most of it is -12 (36m maximum) or -25 (75m).
Of course if the developer is looking for variances, the city can push back on these limits. But if you build strictly within the zoning bylaw, you are certainly not limited to four storeys.
The zoning map and the zone definitions are all here:
http://www.waterloo.ca/en/government/zoning.asp