This week, I received a notice in the mail that a neighbor to Mackay Laneway House is seeking variances for their own laneway house. I immediately thought to myself, “oh, the hypocrisy.” Here is a neighbor that vehemently opposed my Committee of Adjustment application back in 2017 and now wants to do something similar.
It’s also not like you need minor variances in order to build a laneway house today. They are, as many of you know, permitted as-of-right. That’s how MLH was ultimately built. We went straight to building permit. But in this case, the request is for 7 variances to the current by-law. The build aspires to go above and beyond.
As I’m sure you can imagine, there’s part of me that wants to be a real asshole here. But of course, that would run counter to many of the objectives that we regularly cover on this blog: more housing, revitalized laneways, and so on. So I can’t do that. It’s directionally the right city building move, and they have my full support.
BRANDON DONNELLY 
I’m with you, but I would make them sweat a little bit.
You could offer full and and complete support in exchange for 50% equity in the project (as a joke) and watch his/her face drop.
Bonus point if you get your lawyer to draft the agreement and hand them a hard copy.
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Agree with AM, give em the gears a little bit. It’s shitheads like them who are part of the reason we are in a housing crisis. I’m glad they want to do in-fill but are only doing it likely because of the success of MLH
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The irony is so thick!
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Short term me: get in touch with your inner asshole; it’ll feel really good.
Long term me: you get more out of life with honey rather than vinegar.
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