VictorEric Design Journal Our Latest News & Thoughts On The Design Industry

The city is still working on amending the district schedule, but these
are some notes which we believe to be effective sometime after July.
(Please note that this information is not confirmed and we cannot be
held responsible for the use of it.)

a) Permit a house with:
     * More floor area overall (up to 0.70 FSR);
     * Less floor area above grade (0.45 FSR or less,
        if an above grade formula permits less);
     * A smaller house footprint (25% of lot area); and
     * A basement no larger than the first storey.

b) For existing houses, permit a basement provided that:    
     * Total floor area is not be more than
        0.75 FSR after the basement is added;
     * Existing above grade area is 0.50 FSR or less
        (no additional floor area is permitted above grade
        – see note below);
     * The house footprint is not more than 25% of lot area; and
     * The basement is not larger than the first storey.

c) Basement regulations are added to the zoning as an option, i.e. current floor area regulations are still available.

Part 2: More Livable Basements
     * Outright basement height increase from 4 feet to 6 feet
        in RS-1/3/3A/5/6; and
     * Outright building height increase in the RS-1 zone
        from 30 feet to 31 feet.  The primary and secondary envelopes
        are also increased by one foot.

NOTE: 

    * An existing two-storey house cannot increase above grade floor area to 0.50 FSR,
       i.e. if existing is 0.47 FSR, it cannot increase to 0.50 FSR.
    * An existing one-storey bungalow may add a second storey, subject to the provisions in Part 1:(a),
        i.e. above grade cannot exceed 0.45 FSR (or less, depending on the above grade formula).