Aside from a few small revisions, we’ve just been informed that our Preliminary Project Review has been approved by the city, and we will not have to go before the Committee of Adjustment.
The Committee’s job (among other things) is to review minor variances from the zoning by-laws. Had we exceeded the allowed setbacks or density requirements, we would have needed to go before the Committee. Doing so is somewhat of a gamble, as it would have added weeks (months?) to the schedule in waiting and potential revisions. I’d say it was luck, but this is clearly another benefit of using a skilled architect.
The required revisions are actually quite minor. We have to set the house back 1 additional inch, and we need to increase the width of our garage by an additional 8 inches. The front setback isn’t an issue at all, but I’m a little concerned about expanding the garage. We can’t expand outward, so we’ll need to sacrifice some space in the hall and kitchen. 8” doesn’t seem like much, but our house is quite narrow and those lost inches will definitely be missed.
Next step, building permits.