Guelph-Eramosa has updated the accessory dwelling and apartment portions of its zoning bylaw.
At an April 9 public meeting, planning consultant Rachel Martin explained the “housekeeping amendment” addressed three things.
“The first is to permit accessory second units and accessory buildings,” she said. “The second (is) to amend apartment dwelling regulations of the C1 (village commercial) and C2 (village service commercial) zones to permit one or more apartments above ground for commercial.
“And the third is to permit semi-detached dwellings in the C2 zone.”
Accessory second units and accessory buildings
Under the current bylaw accessory second units must be contained within the main dwelling.
The housekeeping amendment proposes that in zones that currently permit accessory second units, those units can also be located in ancillary buildings.
Martin also proposed a number of additional regulations for second and ancillary units:
– they cannot be severed from the property;
– they must be located within the main building cluster;
– water and sewage services must be available;
– they must be screened by the township; and
– they cannot be on the same lot as a garden suite.
At the public meeting, resident Rosemary Coombs spoke in favour of this portion of the amendment, having just bought property on Jones Baseline.
“The reason we purchased the property was because we wanted to live with our children and our grandchildren and have an accessory house … which sets us up for retirement and allows us to be a part of the community but it’s a great plan in terms of for our family,” Coombs said.
“We are heartily in favour of this amendment so we can build an accessory unit for my husband and I, so we don’t drive our kids nuts in the future by living in the same house with them.”
Apartments in commercial zones
Currently C1 and C2 zones permit apartments with three or more units above ground floor commercial buildings. However, there is no provision to allow for one- or two-unit apartments.
“The proposed regulation or proposed amendment is to amend both … zones to permit one or more apartments above ground floor commercial,” Martin said.
“Apartment units will continue to be permitted above ground floor commercial, just one or more.”
Residential uses in C2
Residential uses in the C2 zone currently permit accessory second units, apartment dwellings, cluster townhouses, street-fronting townhouses and retirement homes.
Under the housekeeping amendment the C2 zone would permit detached and semi-detached dwellings. This would allow for any housing type in the transition zone from commercial to residential zoning in Rockwood, Martin said.
Council unanimously voted to adopt the housekeeping amendment.
