Zoning Reform Ideas

[allengeorge]

Doug Ford will override municipal zoning to allow more housing across Ontario, confidential document reveals

The Ontario government wants to “remove rules that prevent missing middle” housing — multi-dwelling units curbed by local zoning laws favouring single-family homes.

www.thestar.com

Let’s see if this actually comes to pass, but, key highlights:

• “limit the role of conservation authorities to “commenting agencies” focused on preventing floods and other natural hazards rather than panels that residents have used to stall development” (ridiculous; further gutting CAs - what does this government have against the environment?)
• “amend the Building Code to allow two- and three-unit homes in existing houses provided the same square footage is retained — so no extensions or additional floors without municipal permission” (dunno how much impact this will have?)
• “targets for municipalities to force them to approve more housing construction” (dunno if this was simply a proposal)
• “eliminate “unnecessary approvals and inhibiting rules, such as waiving site plan control for smaller developments, limiting third party appeals and removing unnecessary public meetings.” (What does this mean, concretely?)

On the removal of fees on the IZ front, “The province will offset any lost revenue to cities — in Toronto, residential development fees range from $25,470 to $93,978 per unit depending on the size of the home — using Ontario’s $1.6-billion share of the federal government’s $4-billion “Housing Accelerator Fund.”

 

[allengeorge]

Further details from Sean Galbraith:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1582844625286402048

 

[allengeorge]

The CA changes are really angryfying.

 

[AlxOptimism]

DC interest rate 1% cap

Can anyone explain what this means?

 

[allengeorge]

Apparently there are tons of rumors floating around, and the devil is in the details. We’ll have to wait until the 25th.

 

[AlxOptimism]

Gotchya

I'm gonna assume it means developers who defer DC's can only be charged 1% per annum? Again we'll see on the 25th

 

[afransen]

Gotchya

I'm gonna assume it means developers who defer DC's can only be charged 1% per annum? Again we'll see on the 25th

In that case, why not just defer forever?

 

[AlxOptimism]

In that case, why not just defer forever?

Requirement to be on a payment plan over a maximums of x months? We're gonna just be speculating for a week

 

[innsertnamehere]

Gotchya

I'm gonna assume it means developers who defer DC's can only be charged 1% per annum? Again we'll see on the 25th

I assume it means that the City can only increase DC's by 1% annually, not the 46% increase the City is currently trying to impose.

 

[Northern Light]

I assume it means that the City can only increase DC's by 1% annually, not the 46% increase the City is currently trying to impose.

We'll have to wait on the details; but Sean specifically references 'interest', not 'increase' in that line.

 

[allengeorge]

Doug Ford to end development fees for homeowners who add rental units

In a bid to boost the supply of affordable housing, Premier Doug Ford plans to eliminate development charges for homeowners who want to add rental apartments to existing homes.

www.thestar.com

 

[allengeorge]

Ah. Knew it was too good to be true:

“The Progressive Conservatives’ legislation won’t scrap exclusionary zoning rules that are used by NIMBYs — “not-in-my-backyard” opponents of development — to stop multi-unit homes from being built in traditionally single-family neighbourhoods.”

 

[AlxOptimism]

Along with making it cheaper to add a rental unit to an existing house, the Tories are scrapping development charges on “inclusionary zoning” projects, which should encourage more affordable housing to be built.

This is still a big win

 

[JasonParis]

I find myself mostly agreeing with the Ford government here, save the curbing of the CAs. Was that really necessary?

 

[Undead]

"The province will amend the Building Code to allow two- and three-unit homes in existing houses provided the same square footage is retained — so no extensions or additional floors without municipal permission."

Yet no one has a problem with the idiotic monster homes going up all over the place. Rubbish.