As-Of-Right Zoning

As-Of-Right Zoning: 

The Problem with Blanket Zoning

There are several debates in Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park, about "as-of-right" zoning. Zoning is a vital tool for creating a livable and functional city; it shouldn't be a blanket permission slip for developers to do whatever they want in every neighborhood.

Our Ward has a mix of pre-planned subdivisions and earlier developments where lots were severed, and homes were built individually. This variety is precisely why a one-size-fits-all approach to zoning doesn't make sense.

I support a wide range of legal housing types—including duplexes, triplexes, four-plexes, and larger multiplexes—and acknowledge that there is a place for them in Toronto and Scarborough. However, the right of where they go should be determined by thoughtful City Planning, the needs of local neighborhoods, and the logic of purpose-planned subdivisions.

Protecting Neighborhood Character

My primary concern is the push to allow commercial uses in what have traditionally been residential areas. When someone buys a home in a single-family neighborhood, they don't expect City Hall to approve a pub or restaurant next door. There's a big difference between a quiet, home-based business—like tailoring or accounting—and turning a two-story home into a disruptive commercial establishment.

We have small plazas embedded into our neighborhoods that provide valuable services and affordable spaces for businesses in appropriate locations. Giving developers a blanket "as-of-right" brush removes local voices from the process and can negatively affect the character of our communities. This isn't a "Not In My Backyard" (NIMBY) attitude; it's about smart development that respects the character of a community.

As of right zoning won't solve a housing crisis...it will do the opposite.

This is why I am opposed to as-of-right zoning.