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Garden Suite Draft Bylaws

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After much anticipation, a draft zoning bylaw amendment for as-of-right garden suites is now available to the public. The requirements set forth have been refined from the City Planning recommendations published in June of 2021 following consultation with community groups and municipal stakeholders.

While this draft is not a final binding policy, it is a major step towards the completed bylaw. The draft still requires council approval and ratification before garden suite projects can move forward in the city, however we are optimistic that there will not be any substantial modifications made as part of that process.

Those familiar with the laneway suite zoning by-laws will recognize some of the requirements set forth. The garden suite policy is loosely based on the laneway suite framework, though there are several fundamental differences in response to a non-laneway-oriented condition.

Our team has summarized the draft bylaw requirements here:

Here, we summarize the notable recommendations that will be presented to the Planning and Housing Committee on November 25th, 2021.

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Proposed Laneway Suite By-Law Amendments

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When the Changing Lanes policy was enacted in 2018, City Council requested that Toronto Planning undergo a by-law monitoring program, reporting back following the first 200 permits issued or 2 years into implementation. The direction was to review the policy’s progress, evaluate, and make recommendations for refinement if necessary, in consultation with the community. We feel it’s a great initiative that allows lessons learned in implementation to inform an evolving framework.

On August 31st and September 1st, 2021, Toronto Planning hosted two information sessions presenting their findings from both an internal review and a report commissioned by Gladki and Associates Planning. On October 27th, City Planning presented a series of recommendations for by-law amendments based on their community consultation and recommendations put forth in the Gladki report.

Here, we summarize the notable recommendations that will be presented to the Planning and Housing Committee on November 25th, 2021.

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The Pandemic & Your Project: The Facts

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Timelines and budgeting are some of the most common questions we receive about laneway home development. Over the last 8 to 12 months, these questions have steadily become more focused on the premiums or delays associated with building during the pandemic. By now, we have all seen news articles and social media references to the ballooning prices of goods and depleted supply chains across many industries. While laneway suite construction has not been immune to these trends, it is important to understand the specific ways in which the pandemic has truly affected this new typology.

Here, we will highlight how the pandemic has affected two of the most important (and intertwined) factors in planning your project: timelines and costing.

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Garden Suites Panel Discussion

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Lanescape presents its first ever live panel discussion on everything garden suite related. On this live stream, our co-founder, Craig Race and a group of panelists from the planning department of the City of Toronto answer questions about this exciting new housing typology. We discuss all things garden suites and the realities, challenges and opportunities involved.

We welcome David Driedger, Allison Reid, and Graig Uens.

Stay tuned for more garden suite updates! In the meantime, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for upcoming events, policy information, and projects.

History of Laneway Suites – Video 6

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Lanescape presents its sixth episode of the laneway suite video series. Our co-founder Craig Race discusses the history of laneway suite living, which had been going on for over a century in Toronto. Here we get to learn a bit about where this unique housing typology emerged from and how it can be a precedent for alternative future developments like garden suites and coach houses.

Stay tuned for laneway suite videos covering a wide range of topics surrounding the new typology. In the meantime, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for upcoming events, policy information, and project updates.