City council considers ending minimum parking space requirement on new builds
Toronto City Council is considering removing a requirement that requires developers to build a minimum number of parking spaces in new condos.
Those in favour say the requirement can lead to an overbuilding of parking and that eliminating the minimum will help propel the city into the future by reducing the costly construction of underground parking.
Moreover, they argue the move will allow for more affordable housing to be built faster, and by making it more difficult to park, people will be encouraged to take transit, ride share or bike, and reduce traffic congestion and emissions.
The city hasn’t verified the data but says the Building Industry and Land Development Association showed about one third of parking spots didn’t sell.
“There’s already a trend in the industry, that amount of parking necessitated by the bylaw that is out of touch and is actually asking for more parking than what the market is asking for,” said Paul De Berardis with the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON).
At the same time, a parking space can be an expensive piece of real estate in Toronto. The city said a space in a typical development in Toronto is believed to cost between $48,000 and $160,000 to construct.
“The further down you go to build underground parking the more expensive it gets so this is expensive, it’s also bad for the environment, adds embodied carbon,” said Matti Siemiatycki, director of the Infrastructure Institute at the University of Toronto.
“As they save money, they will pass it on to the buyer, some will try to put it in their pockets as profit, this is how a market with a lot of units will find its equilibrium.”
But some aren’t convinced the savings will be passed on to buyers.
“I’m concerned developers will say I don’t have to buy that and be selling units at exactly the same cost,” said City Councillor Paula Fletcher in a planning meeting on Nov. 25.
The Federation of South Toronto Residents’ Association (FoSTRA) works with dozens of residents’ groups south of Bloor Street. It believes about 30 per cent of vacant spaces are in the core and then points to Liberty Village where parking is very tight.
“There needs to be a lot more evidence-based research done by people who aren’t vested in the outcome to make sure its a planned approach by the community instead of a one size fits all solution,” Chair Rick Green told CTV News Toronto.
FoSTRA adds without looking closely at the minimums requirements, more vehicles could be pushed to park on city streets.
City council will consider the change December 15.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.