City approves backyard houses and requires two-year review

City Council has approved Garden Suites, a second house in the backyard of single-family houses, as an apparent partial means of creating affordable housing. The concept is suspect among many homeowners who are concerned about damage to the character of neighbourhoods and the infiltration of developers. The concept is seen by others as benign. The issue of actual affordability, as opposed to simple density, may await a two-year (or 200 unit permit application) review by the City. At present, it seems an open question. Release

Through the adoption of the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendments, Council has put the policies in place to increase the supply and type of housing available in the city. The new policies and zoning requirements will allow garden suites to be permitted on properties in most residential zones across Toronto. The decision also adds the term “Garden Suites” to the definition of “infill housing”, in Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 519 (Infill Construction, Public Notice).

With this amendment, people submitting a building permit application to build a Garden Suite will be required to post a public notice on the property. This move also facilitates the collection of data and monitoring of garden suites by the Toronto Building and City Planning divisions, similar to laneway suite construction. The City will require a report back after either the 200th permit for a Garden Suite has been issued or after two years, whichever comes first.

As part of the City’s adopted regulations for garden suites, issues related to privacy, shadowing, parking requirements, and protecting trees and green spaces are also addressed. City staff gathered input from the public and industry stakeholders about how to best allow the construction of garden suites in Toronto while considering these important matters.

Subsections 16(3) and Section 35.1 of the Planning Act require cities in Ontario to include Official Plan policies and Zoning Bylaw requirements to allow detached accessory housing units, such as garden suites and laneway suites, on properties with detached, semi-detached, and townhouse buildings.