City backlogs are the reason developers are asking after-the-fact for official approval of units they've already built, the planning committee heard on Tuesday.

Coun. Jeff Leiper urged the committee to reject such an application on Tuesday, and send the message to developers that they should be transparent about their plans from the beginning.

Peloso Construction asked for approval of zoning changes to add a fourth unit at both 266 and 270 Byron Ave. The city had approved the sites for three-unit buildings in 2015.

Peloso built the extra units during the original construction.

"It was this developer's intention all along to put in a fourth unit," Leiper said. "That is hurting the resident's trust in the planning process at the City of Ottawa."

Coun. Jeff Leiper says a rezoning application for two buildings in his ward is an example of developers asking for one thing and then asking for more later. (Giacomo Panico/CBC)

But small businesses can't afford to wait for all approvals up front, said Murray Chown, a planning consultant representing Peloso Construction. He said the process is lengthy and expensive.

"These small builders need to get going. They can't afford the carrying costs associated with the delays and costs of site plan approval and, in this case, rezoning," Chown said.

He said in this case, the builder needed the money being generated by the first three units before it could afford to apply to the city to have the fourth approved.

"They don't have the luxury of being able to carry properties for extended periods of time," he told committee.

Review into application process underway

Leiper's bid to "send a powerful message" to developers by denying the rezoning failed. Other councillors noted that if council had denied the application, the Ontario Municipal Board likely would have approved it anyway.

"Really you're just asking us to waste tax dollars to the OMB," said Coun. Allan Hubley.

Hubley said the more he heard about the issue, the more it sounded to him like the city was putting builders in this position.

Lee Ann Snedden, planning director for the city, said her department is doing a review to see how it can speed up rezoning site-plan applications to ultimately make them more cost effective for builders. The planning committee will discuss that review in the new year.

But Leiper said the city shouldn't be trying to save small builders money and time.

"If they can't afford to build the buildings they're proposing without misrepresentation, maybe those projects shouldn't move ahead," he said.

The final decision on the Byron Road applications will be made on Wednesday by council.

Committee voted eight to one in favour, with only Leiper voting against.