Key Policy Shifts

1. Height & Storeys — Reduced to 10 m for 4–6-unit forms, 8.5 m for 1–3-unit forms, and 7.5 m for rear principals. Rear buildings are further limited to two storeys.
2. Balconies & Rooftops — No projections into required yards; height exemptions for rooftop patios removed, limiting private outdoor amenity options.
3. Lot Coverage — Reduced by 5 % across all housing types, tightening buildable footprints city-wide.
4. Smaller Lots (< 748 m²) — 30 % lot coverage cap; 2.5-storey maximum height.
5. Larger Lots (> 748 m²) — 25 % lot coverage cap; 2.5-storey maximum height for developments with fewer than three units.

Effective Impact:

• 17–38 % reduction in allowable height; shallow foundations on sloped sites may now require sump pumps.
• ≈ 33 % loss of buildable floor area, and up to 45 % when both front + rear principals are included.
• Functional space compressed — families lose bedroom or flex space, and fully enclosed garages become impractical on many lots.
• Reduced livability — no rooftop or balcony projections means less usable private outdoor space.
• Higher cost per square foot — smaller sellable area against the same land, and soft costs inflate prices.
• Basement counted as a storey — constrains above-grade design flexibility and mechanical clearances.

Collaborative refinement is needed. We urge Council to re-evaluate these thresholds in consultation with builders and residents to achieve a balanced outcome that supports affordability, livability, and housing supply.