Small Lots

[Ron]

Firstly I work in a geographic area that is cut into too many municipalities and they all differ on planning and zoning drastically !

I have worked in small lots of 3500-4000 sf in a few districts.

One here has just initiated lots of 221 sq metres , 2400 sf ! !

Front yard (primarily parking) is 30'x15' Rear yard 30'x18', 4' to sideyards..

Can barely get a typical typical townhouse plan on it... Might as well just stick em together and call em rowhouses.

What size lots have you in your territories ?

Ron in BC

[Michael Bulatovich]

Same everywhere. Even though they amalgamated TO years ago we still deal with 6 by-laws within the same (new) city. One of those is just a pile of even smaller by-laws stapled together, when they amalgamated a bunch of small villages into Etobicoke. My favorite question: What's "grade" mean"

My lot is 1402.5 sq.ft. without the exclamation points. 2550 is typical in my neighborhood.

I sense a conceptual limitation.

Great cities have been made of that form. BTW those terms are interchangeable here.

All kinds. Dealing with the site is one of the challenges of the profession, isn't it? Whoever subdivided either had an idea about the form of development expected and desired, or, alternatively, didn't have a clue. Too late now. Time to design the best thing that will fit and sell, if you're in the spec end of the pool, and it sounds like you are....

[RicodJour]

I had that existential conversation with my parents when I was in college. Apparently some people believe grades mean something. ;)

I love the definition of grade when it's based on the centerline of the street. But, says I, the owner's house is on a small hill - you're telling me that code is requiring them to build underground to meet the height limitation or to never build on the site at all? Which is it, and would you mind putting that in writing so the lawyers can have a field day? Average grade at the front of the house is better, but there are still all sorts of problems with it. I think it should be based on shadow length cast at 3 PM on the vernal equinox. Makes just as much sense.

R

[Michael Bulatovich]

That's what it is in one part of town... disadvantages lots that slope down to the street.

That's what it used to be 'downtown'...existing or proposed, which ever is higher. Now you project the building corners to the side lot lines, get the average grade on each of those, and take the lowest one ....not completely unlike the Hokey Pokey.

I think it should be whatever I want it to be!