The next step towards Garden Suites being permitted in Toronto as-of-right has been released!

The City of Toronto draft Garden Suite regulations can be reviewed here: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ph/bgrd/backgroundfile-168225.pdf

Highlights of the proposed regulations include:

• Lot Coverage can be maximum 40% of the rear yard for the Garden Suite, up to a maximum of 60 square metres (more than the 30% max currently allowed for Laneway Suites)
• Garden suites can be excluded from the property’s permitted FSI.
• Permitted height will be the same as current Laneway suites: 4 metres height where the Garden Suite is at least 5 metres from the main house, and up to 6 metres height, where the Garden Suite is at least 7.5 metres from the main house
• Angular planes required on all four sides of the building starting at 4.0m at the front and sides and starting at 2.0 m at the rear
• A maximum 45 metre travel distance, with a minimum width of 1 metre and a vertical clearance of 2.1 metres, from a public street to the entrance of a Garden Suite, would be required for emergency services.
• Results from Garden Suite survey are appended to end of report.
• Preliminary considerations for sustainable building practices include promoting sustainable design standards for Garden Suites that improve such aspects as energy efficiency and increased building resilience to heat waves, power outages, and flooding.
• A report recommending Official Plan policies and Zoning By-law regulations to permit Garden Suites, as-of-right, across the city, will be presented to the Planning and Housing Committee in the fourth quarter of 2021