Residential property owners in Aurora may soon be permitted to have up to three residential units on their single lots.
Council directed staff to prepare a registration bylaw for additional residential units at its committee of the whole meeting last night, in the wake of the provincial government’s Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, which requires municipalities to “permit the use of additional residential units town-wide within detached, semi-detached, or townhouse units, and within an accessory structure located on the same property.”
The provisional rule changes permit "as-of-right" up to three units on a single lot, according to a town staff report. Those three units can be within the same building, or two in the same building and one in an ancillary building on one residential lot.
Councillor Wendy Gaertner asked staff if it was worth having a separate bylaw for garden suites, which are housing units in buildings separate from the house.
“Garden suites are going to be quite a new thing for Aurora,” she said, adding she thought they would be increasingly popular in town.
The town is set to begin its zoning bylaw review next year, with planning director Marco Ramunnno noting council had previously directed staff to consider allowing four units on a residential lot.
Councillor Ron Weese echoed Gaertner's question, asking what impact the new bylaw would have on the town’s stable neighbourhoods, saying he had heard concerns from several residents in older areas of town.
Ramunno responded several standards would be reviewed, including allowing garden suites with more than one storey, including a dwelling over a garage.
So far, the town has received about three garden suite applications, he added.
A final decision regarding the bylaw will be made at a future council meeting.
