Zoning change expands housing options in Brant County

Hamilton Spectator

25-05-2025

County of Brant Council approved a staff recommendation to support a zoning by-law amendment that would permit four residential units as-of-right in the communities of St. George and Paris, during the regular Council meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
Earlier this year on February 11, Council directed staff to undertake a detailed analysis to identify local provisions that would permit up to four (4) units as-of-right, per lot, within the fully-serviced primary settlement areas of Paris and St. George. Currently, the County's existing zoning regulations permit up to three residential units per lot as-of-right (one primary and two ARUs), in fully serviced areas.
By approving the zoning by-law amendment, it would allow the County to qualify for the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) – Direct Delivery Stream funding, which is designed to help enable the construction of more housing as it supports infrastructure projects such as water, stormwater, wastewater and solid waste systems.
To qualify, municipalities with over 30,000 residents must commit to permit zoning for four units as-of-right, per lot, in all low-density residential areas with municipal servicing. If received, the funding would support much-needed infrastructure upgrades in Paris and St. George, and would ultimately support increased housing options with the county.
According to an April 8 report, the initiative is 'one of the first steps in the County's Housing Needs Assessment process, aimed at facilitating the development of more affordable and diverse housing options while supporting focused growth and infrastructure.'
Allowing four units as-of-right would mean that a property can have up to four units on one lot. This could include a fourplex, which is one building split into four equal parts, or one main home and three additional rental units (ARUs) that are smaller.
Additionally, detached, semidetached, duplex, triplex, stacked townhouse, rowhouse, and street-fronting rowhouse dwellings could also all be used to achieve four units depending on the zoning of the lot.
While as-of-right permission means a property owner can build without going through a public meeting or getting Council approval, regardless of the configuration, a building permit would be required for any new proposed residential dwelling.
During the meeting, Negin Mousavi Berenjaghi, a Development Planning Student with the County, presented Council with some changes to the preliminary item from April 8 including side and rear yard setbacks, ARU building heights and maximum lot coverage. She also noted that there would be no changes to zoning requirements for parking, landscape open spaces, unobstructed access, lot frontage, and lot area.
She said that the reason for that would be to ensure that future infills remain gentle and to minimize impacts on existing developments.
'Any residential development and redevelopment must demonstrate the availability of adequate servicing. These required standards, along with site-specific conditions, can influence the potential uptake of the four units' initiative,' said Mousavi Berenjaghi. 'At least five parking spaces would be required for four dwelling units, assuming the primary dwelling unit fronts a public street and includes three ARUs. Smaller lots are unlikely to accommodate sufficient parking for more than three dwelling units.'
Following the rest of her presentation, resident Karen Seiling stood to express her concerns for the older, more unique residential areas.
'My understanding is that someone could come in and take that lovely home up on St. Andrew Street and make it into a fourplex, and the lovely front grass and backyard would now become a parking lot,' she said.
Brandon Kortleve, the County's Manager of Policy Planning, clarified that there are regulations in the zoning (such as parking, setback requirements and lot size) that will ultimately prohibit many owners from putting any additional units in, but that the goal is to ensure flexibility for those properties that can meet the criteria.
Seiling reiterated that it was one thing to allow additional units in the newer parts of Paris, but to do it in the older, more established neighbourhoods, would ultimately disturb the small town feel of the community.
'We're looking to you to do what's right for our little town,' she said.
Councillor Steve Howes said that while people are reasonably concerned about the issue, he pointed out that multiple units have been allowed in the county for some time now. He then asked staff how many home owners have actually taken advantage of the currently permitted three units as-of-right.
Alysha Dyjach, the County's General Manager of Development Services, later said that the answer to his question was zero, 'we don't have any yet that have come forward.'
Councillors John Bell and John Peirce said that while they were supportive of having diverse and innovative housing options, they were worried this would open some sort of Pandora's box.
Pierce said that because of the loss of lot coverage with the additional units, he was worried there would be nowhere for the vehicles to park without spilling out onto the streets.
'That's going to cause more problems with street parking and it's going to exacerbate a problem that we've already have. The initial statement in this report is, 'to increase the opportunities for diverse and innovative housing options,'' he said. 'One-hundred per cent we need to do that, but I believe this is not the way to do it. I think this is opening up something that we don't really want to do. If we want to do it on a case to case basis, that's a different story altogether, but I think just opening it up like this is going to cause issues.'
Looking at it from a different point of view, Councillor Lukas Oakley later said that the community desperately needs this type of expanded housing options.
'We need them to be in areas that are already developed, or else we will continue to have urban sprawl and pave over farmland or natural areas,' he said. '… In my opinion, it's the financially responsible thing, the socially responsible thing and the environmentally responsible thing to support this recommendation tonight.'
Councillors Jennifer Kyle and Howes said that while there isn't a perfect solution, they need to think of the younger residents looking for modest housing and the seniors who are looking to downsize.
'I think we need to be forward thinking for this because this is more of the gentle density that should theoretically keep that small town feeling, rather than continuing to expand out and put in more big apartment buildings,' said Kyle. 'If we can find some of these smaller solutions, I think that will actually help to keep the feel of the town.'
Mayor David Bailey said that while yes, there's funding attached to allow the four units as-of-right, he was worried about doing the wrong thing.
'I think we just need to tweak it so that we don't end up with these things looking like bunk houses on Grand River Street going up the hill because we didn't have our qualifications or our Terms of Reference right,' he said. 'Maybe we should just tweak it and then okay it, but I don't think we should have it so that that can happen. I'm worried about things slipping through.'
In the end the motion to enable four units as-of-right in all low-density, full serviced areas of Paris and St. George, was carried on a vote of 6-4, noting that Councillor Christine Garneau was not present.
Kimberly De Jong's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at
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