I object to this sort of…

I object to this sort of thing because it essentially renders existing zoning as meaningless. Zoning in Ottawa here is totally out of control (when was the last time the province saw our Official Plan after several omnibus changes the city calls clarifications). So if a setback is 6 metres, and you allow 5.5 as of right, you have effectively made the city documentation misleading. If it is 5.5 metres, write 5.5 metres with no tricks or conditions or provincial planning priorities. Just write the damn number you want followed, and follow it. What you may be doing with this policy may be just allowing a builder to build one big larger single family home on the lot as of right - is that what you want? What isn't understood now as I see it is that minor dimensional variances in zoning can lead to huge changes in actual dwelling densities. An example is a single house lot in a residential area here where if a 1 metre reduction in lot width after a severance were allowed, it would mean that instead of what under new zoning would be six units, it would mean 12 units could be built. This is a huge change in a single residential housing lot here. Effectively turning residential neighbourhoods into apartment blocks. But a very small change now can enable that sort of thing. Ottawa is totally out of Control right now.