Affordable Housing (Photo provided by the County)
Meaford is making the process of constructing additional residential units easier.
Council approved a zoning by-law amendment to increase the opportunities for owners to create more residential units on their properties in the municipality during a meeting on April 29.
This change comes after council reviewed a report in November detailing the need to update the by-law for more residential units.
The changes include allowing for up to three units on urban residential properties in a single detached, semi-detached and townhouse, increasing the max permitted height up to two storeys, get rid of the cap on bedrooms with the current max being two, and other adjustments.
A public meeting was held on these changes in March last year, and the comments staff received from residents were in support.
A report from Director of Development Services Robert Voight says this is the first step to implement changes for additional residential units.
“Additional changes, such as adding a third unit to rural properties, will be part of the larger comprehensive zoning by-law update project during this year,” says the report.
Deputy Mayor Shirley Keaveney questioned how they plan to make people more aware of this by-law amendment.
Manager of Planning Services Denise McCarl says, “I think one of the ways is just have more information out going to the public.”
She adds they can come back to council with an implementation plan of how to keep this update on people’s radar.