Proposed luxury home in Toronto drawing controversy
A proposed home in Toronto that originally would exist mostly underground, and received pushback from the area’s city councillor, has had its plans revised.
The owner of the property, located at 7 Knightswood Road in the Don Valley’s Hogg’s Hollow neighbourhood, applied in 2020 for permission to build a new home with a two-storey basement.
Toronto real estate agent Marco Momeni told CTV News Toronto the decision to build extensively underground, is “a luxury trend that is often used to bypass height limits on construction.”
“In cities such as Toronto, there are so many restrictions when it comes to constructing … homes — one of them is the height,” Momeni said. “So sometimes, they build a multi-level basement.”
The original application for 7 Knightswood proposed that the home be permitted to extend almost 8 metres deeper than City of Toronto bylaws usually allow.
Currently, homes are permitted to be 19 metres deep and the original proposal for 7 Knightswood had a depth of just over 27 metres.
The original application also requested permission to extend the length of the home by 10m more than city bylaws usually allow.
That application was approved in November 2020— the city deemed the variances to be minor.
However, after the application to extend 7 Knightwoods 8 metres deeper was approved, the developers changed their plans, resubmitting the design and proposing the basement be only one storey with a 10 ft ceiling.
City Councillor for Don Valley West, Jaye Robinson, says that homes that are built too deep have “serious environmental impacts.”
“The serious environmental impacts are well-documented,” Robinson told CTV News Toronto on Friday, adding that they could result in “reduced soil permeability, increased runoff, compromised foundations in neighbouring homes, and added stress on stormwater infrastructure.”
Robinson says the original plans at 7 Knightswood were approved “despite objections from Urban Forestry and the community” and that she will be bringing the issue in front of city Council at the next opportunity.
However, Momeni says that, because such homes are a thing of luxury, you shouldn’t expect to see a surplus of them in your neighbourhood anytime soon.
“It's not for everybody … I don't believe it could be built everywhere.”
Correction
UPDATE: This article was updated in February 2022 to reflect the revised development plans for 7 Knightswood.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.