Nearly 6 months after its enactment, the Changing Lanes policy has continued to gain traction in our city. There are currently about 50 laneway suite applications under review, putting Toronto on a similar pace to Vancouver where 100 were approved in the first year. While fielding inquiries for dozens of properties, our team has found that many homeowners and their builders are still learning about the city’s emergency access criteria. This requirement is not a part of the zoning by-law – its assessed as part of the permit review. This stipulation has the potential to disqualify a lot that would otherwise conform to the policy, so we have taken it upon ourselves to seek clarity on the issue.
Toronto Laneway Housing Project