Laneway and Garden Suite Investment
By OTP Design's Director of Design - Austin E.
Intro
A laneway or garden suite are accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the backyards of the main house on the lot. The municipalities that permit them have different restrictions which limit the size and height of the suites. These suites are meant to be subordinate to the main house on the lot. It isn’t always possible to fit a laneway or garden suite in the backyard so the below outlines some factors that determine the feasibility of adding a suite to your property.
Size of Land
The size of the land and location of the property determines how big of a laneway or garden suite you can build by right. In general, a backyard that’s 60’ deep and 25’ wide or larger would result in the maximum sized laneway or garden suite footprint being feasible. Toronto has been at the forefront of opening up allowances for laneway and garden suites so Toronto generally has the most development potential. However, if the backyard isn’t large enough it may not be worthwhile to develop a laneway or garden suite.
Zoning By-laws
The zoning by-laws for laneway and garden suites differ as they each have their own restrictions to follow. In Toronto, a laneway suite can be larger as it can be up to 80 sq.m. (861 sq.ft.) in footprint whereas a garden suite is limited to 60 sq.m. (645 sq.ft.) in footprint. They can each be up to 2-storeys tall and could include a basement. The by-laws include limits such as minimum distance to the main house, rear/side setbacks, building height, density, lot coverage, building length and width (for laneway suites), lot frontage, and soft landscaping area. These limits all define the built form on the property. If desired, the zoning by-laws can be exceeded by requesting minor variances at committee of adjustment. Committee of adjustment is a municipal process that provides relief from the zoning by-laws when they can’t be met. However, this process notifies neighbours who can attend the hearing and adds roughly 4 months to the project timeline.
Site Features
The existing site features can determine the development potential of a laneway or garden suite. If there are large trees in the backyard of the property, it may not be possible to obtain permission to remove them to build which affects the project’s viability. If there are steep slopes on the property, it may make the build more expensive and could possibly lead to slope stability studies being required. A laneway or garden suite typically needs to be within 45 m of the public street curb in front of the house and 45 m to the nearest fire hydrant from there. A 0.9 m or 1 m wide walkway is required for firefighting access on the property. A shared driveway, right-of-way or easement can possibly impact the firefighting access path required for laneway and garden suites.
External Authorities
There are numerous external authorities that can govern over a property which could impact the ability to obtain building permits. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) mainly regulates slope stability and flooding potential (100 year storm event). This could make a basement difficult to build. Ravines and Natural Feature Protection (RNFP) in Toronto makes any tree protection zones doubled within its jurisdiction which could affect the buildable area in the backyard. TTC and Metrolinx regulate development nearby their infrastructure and may request drawings to determine if there’s any impact to their infrastructure.
End User
A laneway or garden suite can be designed for different purposes and end users. It could be made as a rental unit or create multi-generational living on the property by having extended family in their own space or it could even be used as a home office or studio. There’s also the ability to fit a garage into the suite as well. We’ve even designed barrier-free washrooms and added elevators into suites to make aging in place a reality.
Conclusion
A laneway or garden suite can be a great way to maximize your property by utilizing the valuable land area you have available. The suites can be designed in a way to ensure future flexibility so that it can adapt to your needs now and in the future. We’re subject experts in laneway and garden suites so we can analyze the above factors to make sure a suite is feasible on your property. Our Property Development Report (PDR) was created to ensure you can achieve what you’re looking for before proceeding so that it’ll be a smooth process from design to building permits to construction.
