A motion by two members of City Council would place limits on one of city hall’s most aggressive housing initiatives after a developer proposed two new buildings with a total of 32 bedrooms on what had previously been a single family lot. Coun. Corrine Rahman and Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis have drafted a motion for consideration by the Planning and Environment Committee (PEC) that would place limits on the size of Additional Residential Units (ARUs) and the number of bedrooms permitted inside. “While ARUs play a vital role in addressing housing affordability and increasing rental supply, concerns have been raised about the scale and intensity of some of these units particularly those with four or more bedrooms,” the motion reads. Also called granny suites, ARUs are constructed by homeowners as separate residential units (with their own kitchen and bathroom) within their home or on their property that can be rented to tenants. In 2023, City Council approved permitting four residential units, as a right, on single family residential properties (one primary dwelling unit plus three ARUs). Subsequently in February 2024, Council removed the bedroom limit citywide, with the exception of student dominated areas defined as Near Campus Neighborhoods. The combination of those two decisions has caused turbulence in several neighbourhoods where developers have pushed the limits. The motion cites a proposed development at 545-547 Elmdale Avenue as an example of the need to reinstate some limits on the number of bedrooms. “What’s being proposed is apparently two buildings, each with four units with four bedrooms in each units,” explains neighbour Jeanette Gray. Residents are concerned that the 32 bedroom development would have a disruptive impact on the quiet neighbourhood, including impacts to traffic, stormwater runoff and street parking. The developer first received permission from city hall to divide the lot into two properties, then took maximum opportunity of the permission to build four units on each. Without a limit on bedrooms, the developer has proposed four in each unit, for a total of 32. “I think it’s been pushed to the limit,” says Gray. “If the idea in the city is to allow more urban dwellings rather than taking farmland, I’d be in favor of that, but it just seems like it’s become a ridiculous proportion that nobody in the neighborhood is happy with.” In retrospect, Rahman suggests Council’s decision to remove the bedroom limit might have gone too far, “A situation like this, where (the developer) splits one lot into two, I personally didn’t envision.” The proposed amendment would set a limit of two bedrooms per ARU, and limit their size to 80 per cent of the gross floor area of the main dwelling. There would also be a three bedroom maximum within several combinations of ARUs and main dwelling units under the proposal. “This change would help ensure that ARUs remain modest in scale, better integrated into existing neighbourhoods, and aligned with the original intent of gentle density,” the motion reads. “We have to take steps that make sense for our community, but we also have to listen to the community,” Rahman adds. “If we don’t get it right, we have to be willing to go back to the table and have a discussion.” The Planning and Environment Committee will consider the changes on October 21. Specifically, the motion would: The provisions are intended to operate within the existing zoning framework that permits no more than four (4) total dwelling units on a residential property, including one primary dwelling and up to three Additional Residential Units, with a maximum of two detached ARUs permitted, and to limit the combined total number of bedrooms within all Additional Residential Units on a property to six.
