Monday, June 18, 2007

In the zone

The one for two-family residences, that is. So rest assured on that front.

Here's a link to our zoning info: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/BYLAWS/zoning/rt-4&4n.pdf

We're in the "RT-4" zone. Close to R2-D2, but without all the whistles and clicks.

The tricky thing is going to be talking City Council into giving us a building variance of 75%.

Not sure if I used the terminology right -- basically, right now our zone (RT-4) allows us to build a dwelling that's 60 some-odd percent of the lot size, 2 1/2 stories max. But that'll give us a duplex that's about 2150 sq feet. That's way too small for our needs, I think.

Still, there's no harm in being prepared. That's why I went and bought a couple of books this weekend on the topic of efficient modern home design. One's on houses in Asia and the other is "500 Ideas for Small Spaces." I'm keen to choose a plan that makes maximum use of the space available, no matter how much space there ends up being.

Here's one good thing to know: Apparently our outdoor patios, decks, rooftop gardens, and garages don't count toward that area, either. Together all of it can't go over a certain amount, but it looks like we'll have a little more space available to us than I originally thought.

So we've got that going for us, at least.

Of course, this whole plan hinges on our landlord following through on his offer to sell us our rental property. It's something he's mentioned several times. But now that we're interested, will he sell it to us at the price he offered us once before?

Please say yes, please say yes...

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