It could become easier for Bradford homeowners to add more rental units to their properties, thanks to potential zoning changes.
Based on a report from Mana Masoudi, senior planner for the town, council approved preliminary changes to the town’s zoning bylaw, and directed staff to move ahead with public consultation on a new draft, during the regular council meeting on Feb. 20.
Those changes include increasing the number of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) allowed on residential lots with municipal services to two from one, as well as allowing ADUs in accessory buildings like garden suites.
Those permissions are also proposed to be expanded to townhouses in addition to fully- and semi-detached houses, where the town already permits ADUs.
While he expressed his appreciation for the report and thought the idea is “fantastic for Toronto and other areas,” Ward 4 Coun. Joseph Giordano had concern over how it would impact Bradford.
“We have the ability for a lot more development to take place and there’s lands that are available,” he said, adding that “a lot” of newer homes are on “small” properties that would struggle to accommodate “a pretty significantly large dwelling,” in the back.
A better way to address the issue would be to encourage developers to build houses designed for multi-generational households, according to Giordano.
Ward 3 Coun. Ben Verkaik countered that council has “a mandate to build up the density in town,” to prevent building over “prime agricultural land,” and Ward 2 Coun. Jonathan Scott added that while some areas of town might not be ideal for ADUs, there are other solutions, such as multiplexes, that the town should also consider in future.
In the report, Masoudi explained the changes come in response to provincial Bill 23, which passed on Nov. 28, 2022, and made changes to the Planning Act to permit two ADUs in addition to the primary unit in single- and semi-detached houses and townhouses, allowing up to three dwelling units on residential lots with full municipal services.
In Bradford, proposed requirements include that only one ADU be permitted in the main structure with a maximum floor area of 49 per cent, that only one ADU be permitted in an accessory building, that only one parking space be required for each ADU and that no ADUs be permitted on properties serviced by septic systems or in places considered hazardous by any local conservation authorities.
The changes would not apply to places of worship, which would remain limited to one ADU.
Those ADUs in accessory buildings are set to require an unobstructed 1.2-metre path to allow access for emergency services to the rear of the house or to a detached residential structure in the rear yard.
When it comes to the size of accessory buildings being used as ADUs, staff recommended “common” setbacks to provide for drainage and safety purposes, which include: three metres from the main building, .6 m from one side of the property and 1.2 m from the opposite side, 1.2 m from the rear of the property, and being no more than 5.4 m tall.
The changes are expected to increase the total number of rental units available in town, which could positively impact availability and price.
“In recent years, BWG has experienced a substantial increase in the average market value of its housing which has also resulted in increased housing unaffordability,” Masoudi said in the report, noting that more than one in four homeowners are spending more than 30 per cent of their total household income (before tax) on mortgage payments and other shelter-related costs, with the average resale price of all types of housing in Bradford at $1.15 million.
She goes on to note that about 69 per cent of newly built houses in town are single-detached homes “which are among the most expensive forms of housing both in terms of purchase and rent.”
While there are purpose-built rental buildings in Bradford, about 86 per cent of rentals are in privately owned houses and condominiums as well as publicly subsidized units, with more than one in three renters spending more than 30 per cent of their total household income (before tax) on rent, according to the report.
“While the average affordable monthly rent is $1,646 in south Simcoe, in BWG rent costs an average of $2,464 per month,” Masoudi said in the report, adding that the average rental market vacancy rate in Bradford was 2.5 per cent in 2022, “indicating a tight rental market with a strong demand for rental housing.”
Following the public consultation process, staff plan to present an updated zoning bylaw for council approval.
As a result of Bill 23, the town only has until March to make the update, according to the report.
