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Tiny houses and second suites survey

There are obvious challenges to affordability in the Central Frontenac housing market. One way to help everyone to navigate these challenges may be to add rules about tiny houses and second units to the Central Frontenac Zoning Bylaw. We need your guidance and advice about what those rules ought to be. Your answers to this short survey will be collected and delivered to Township Council for consideration as part of the 2022 Central Frontenac Zoning Bylaw Review. 

Section 3.14 of the Township of Central Frontenac Official Plan provides for the possibility of second units. These are fully equipped suites or apartments in addition to or part of a primary dwelling on any lot zoned for residences. There are some preliminary conditions outlined in the plan about defining second units and limiting their unregulated proliferation. Still, there are so far no specific rules in the Central Frontenac Zoning Bylaw about requirements or restrictions for second units in various zones.   

Section 3.21 of the Township of Central Frontenac Official Plan provides for the possibility of tiny houses as dwellings. There are similarly some preliminary conditions outlined in the plan about defining tiny houses as distinct from RVs, temporary structures, or traditional dwellings. Still, there are so far no specific rules in the Central Frontenac Zoning Bylaw about requirements or restrictions for tiny houses in the various zones across the township.  

Adding rules about second units and tiny houses can help to ensure that zoning rules are fair to every Central Frontenac property owner and all their neighbours. It’s one way to help to make housing more accessible to people already living in Central Frontenac. It could add revenue to the property tax roll, providing new money for public improvements while reducing upward pressure on individual tax rates. And it’s another way that residents of Central Frontenac could help to protect the natural environment for our children’s children. 

For more information about tiny homes, visit Build or Buy a Tiny Home in Ontario. For more information about second units, visit Adding a Second Unit to Your House in Ontario