Ward 11 councillor Stephen Turner (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press)
City politicians endorse ‘granny flat’ rule changes for London homes
Forget granny suites. Now, you can build an extra unit for granny and another for grandpa.
A provincial rule change – which gave Ontarians the ability to create up to two additional units on a property – is forcing cities to change their own policies to match.
But changes to official plan policies and zoning rules to allow more units has “removed or weakened requirements that we considered important to maintaining a balance of residential uses in our neighbourhood,” the association said.
Ward 9 Coun. Anna Hopkins said it’s important for politicians to be “also looking at minimizing the impacts to other properties.”
Cities can still create their own regulations to address compatibility and “fit issues.” Council’s planning committee signed off on London-specific rules, including restricting those extra units to properties that have space – you can’t add a new driveway and access should be through existing doorways or a side or backyard – and require additional dwellings to be less than 40 per cent of the gross floor area of the main home.
Politicians and staff suggested the additional residential units could help not just with affordable housing, but with more efficient use of city resources, more efficient use of land, giving homeowners a chance to earn extra income, and allowing older people to stay in their homes longer.
“It’s very supportive of aging in place,” Hopkins said.
Council will vote on the official plan amendment to align with the new provincial rules next week.
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide legal advice. Individual situations will differ and should be discussed with a lawyer. For specific technical and/or legal advice, please contact Chinneck Law.
