14 terms · 82 site types

Glossary

Definitions for site screening and pre-development in Canada and the United States. Local legislation and bylaws determine how each term applies to an address.

Concepts Site types

A

Accessory dwelling unit (ADU): Accessory dwelling unit — a secondary residential unit on the same lot as a primary home (laneway house, basement suite, etc.).; Official sources: Planning Act, s. 35.1 (Ontario e-Laws) · O. Reg. 299/19: Additional residential units

B

Bucky methodology: Bucky connects preliminary site analysis to municipal parcel records, zoning maps, bylaws and other source datasets. A citation identifies the source behind a fact, with a section reference where available. Coverage and freshness vary by municipality and layer.; Read more: Bucky methodology
Buildable envelope: The three-dimensional volume within which a structure may be placed given setbacks, height limits, and coverage rules.; Official sources: Zoning By-law 569-2013, Section 10.10 (R zone)

D

Development charges: Development charges are charges on development that help municipalities fund infrastructure needed for growth. In Ontario, the applicable municipal by-law sets the calculation.; Read more: Development charges

F

Floor area ratio (FAR / FSR): Floor area ratio is counted floor area divided by lot area. A ratio of 0.6 allows counted floor area equal to 0.6 times the lot. Canadian by-laws often call the same measure floor space index or floor space ratio. The by-law decides which floor area counts, and the maximum usually changes by zone.; Read more: Floor area ratio (FAR / FSR)

G

Garden suite: Toronto permits one garden suite on eligible residential lots, subject to Zoning By-law 569-2013 and other applicable law. You do not need a laneway.; Read more: Garden suite
Geo-division: A Bucky municipal boundary used to attach zoning data, feasibility tools, and local regulations to a site.; Official sources: Bucky: how Bucky sources and cites local rules · Bucky: coverage by municipality

H

Highest and best use: Highest and best use is the reasonably probable use of a property that is physically possible, legally permissible, financially feasible, and maximally productive. A highest and best use analysis compares options that pass all four tests.; Read more: Highest and best use

M

Minor variance: A minor variance is Ontario’s name for permission to depart from a zoning by-law on one property. The by-law stays in force for every other property. Québec, British Columbia, Alberta, and other provinces use different names and different tests for that permission.; Read more: Minor variance

P

Parcel: A defined land lot with a legal boundary, often identified by a municipal lot number or PIN.; Official sources: City of Toronto, Property Boundaries
Pre-development software: Pre-development software helps real estate teams evaluate a property before committing to acquisition, design or approvals. It brings parcel facts, local rules, site risks, program options and financial assumptions into a shared decision process.; Read more: Pre-development software

S

Setback: A setback is a required distance between a building and a reference line, usually a property line. Lot coverage limits the share of a lot occupied by the buildings or structures counted under the local rule.; Read more: Setback

Z

Zoning: Municipal rules that define what can be built on a parcel — permitted uses, height, setbacks, density (FAR/FSR), and parking.; Official sources: Zoning By-law 569-2013, Section 10.5 (residential zones) · Chicago Zoning Ordinance, Title 17
Zoning variance: A zoning variance lets one property depart from a zoning ordinance. The ordinance stays in force for every other property. Some cities call that permission a variation or an adjustment. Relief from a setback is a different decision from permission for a use the zone prohibits.; Read more: Zoning variance

Site types

The current use of a site, as Bucky classifies it. You can search for lots by any of these.

Residential

Apartment building: A building whose dwellings share a common entrance, stair or corridor, from walk-ups to towers.
Assisted living / long-term care: Seniors’ housing with meals and personal or nursing care on site.
Detached house: A single dwelling standing alone on its own lot.
Group home: A house used as shared, supervised housing for a small group of residents.
Manufactured home community: A single parcel leased out as pads for factory-built homes.
Plex: A house-form building with two to six dwellings, stacked or side by side, usually each with its own entrance.
Rooming house: A house rented out as individual rooms with shared kitchens or baths.
Semi-detached house: Two dwellings sharing one party wall, each on its own lot or half-lot.
Seniors’ independent living: An apartment building for older adults with optional services but no nursing care.
Student residence: A residence of shared or private bedrooms built for post-secondary students.
Supportive / transitional housing: Housing with on-site support services for people leaving homelessness or care.
Townhouse row: Three or more dwellings joined side by side, each with its own ground-level entrance.

Commercial

Arena / stadium: A large venue with seating for sport or events.
Auto repair: A building with service bays for repairing vehicles.
Bank branch: A small stand-alone bank building, often on a corner pad with parking.
Bar / nightclub: A licensed premises serving alcohol, sometimes with music or dancing.
Big-box store: A large single-storey store, usually for one retailer, with a large parking field.
Bowling alley: A building of bowling lanes.
Car dealership: A showroom and outdoor lot for selling new or used vehicles.
Car wash: A building with wash tunnels or bays for vehicles.
Cinema: A building with one or more film screening rooms.
Convention centre: A large-span hall building for conventions, trade shows and events.
Dry cleaner / laundromat: A dry-cleaning shop or plant, or a laundromat with coin-operated washers.
Enclosed mall: An indoor shopping centre with stores along interior corridors, ringed by parking.
Fitness club: A building for exercise equipment and classes.
Funeral home: A building for preparing the dead and holding funeral services.
Garden centre / nursery: A store selling plants and garden supplies, with greenhouses and an outdoor yard.
Gas station: A fuel-selling site with pump islands, a canopy and often a small store.
Golf course: Land laid out as a golf course with a clubhouse.
Grocery-anchored centre: A neighbourhood shopping centre anchored by a supermarket, with surface parking in front.
Hotel: A multi-storey building of guest rooms reached from interior corridors.
Indoor sports facility: A large-span building with indoor courts, fields or rinks.
Main-street retail: A one- or two-storey shop building at the sidewalk on a traditional commercial street.
Marina: A sheltered harbour with slips for recreational boats.
Medical office / clinic: A building of doctors’ offices, clinics or outpatient services.
Motel: A one- or two-storey building of guest rooms that open onto the parking lot.
Office building: A multi-storey building of leased office floors.
Outdoor sports courts: Open-air courts or fields for sport.
Resort: A destination lodging property with recreation amenities on a large site.
Restaurant / drive-thru: A stand-alone restaurant building, often with a drive-through lane, on a pad site.
RV park / campground: Land laid out as sites for tents, trailers or recreational vehicles.
Strip mall: A single-storey row of shops facing a front parking lot.
Veterinary clinic / kennel: A clinic that treats animals, or a building that boards them.

Industrial

Cold storage: A refrigerated warehouse for food and other temperature-sensitive goods.
Contractor yard / outdoor storage: A mostly open, fenced lot for storing equipment, vehicles or materials.
Factory: A building where goods are manufactured, assembled or processed, from light assembly to heavy industry such as steel, paper or chemicals.
Light industrial / flex: A single-storey building of small industrial or workshop bays with roll-up doors.
Quarry / aggregate pit: An open excavation where stone, sand or gravel is extracted.
Salvage / scrap yard: An open yard where vehicles, metal or materials are dismantled or sorted for recycling.
Self-storage: A building or compound of rentable storage lockers.
Truck terminal: A cross-dock building and yard for transferring freight between trucks.
Warehouse / distribution: A large single-storey building for storing and shipping goods, with truck docks.

Institutional

Armory: A large drill hall and offices built for a military reserve unit.
Cemetery: Land used for burials.
Church / place of worship: A building used for religious services.
Community centre: A public building for community programs and recreation.
Courthouse: A public building housing courts of law.
Daycare centre: A building licensed to care for young children during the day.
Fire / police station: A public building housing fire or police services.
Government office: An office building that houses a public administration.
Hospital: A building providing in-patient medical care.
Library: A public building for lending books and community programs.
Military base: A large site used by the armed forces.
Post office: A public building for postal services.
Prison: A secure building for holding people in custody.
Rectory / parish hall: A house for clergy or a hall used by a congregation.
School (K-12): A public or private elementary or secondary school with its playing fields.
Trade school / training centre: A building for vocational or professional training.
Union hall / lodge: A meeting hall owned by a union, veterans’ group or fraternal organization.
University / college building: A post-secondary teaching, research or administration building.

Infrastructure

Airport hangar: A large-span building for storing and servicing aircraft.
Data centre: A secure building of server halls with heavy power and cooling.
Parking garage: A multi-level structure for parking cars.
Port terminal: A waterfront site for loading and storing ship cargo.
Power plant: A facility that generates electricity.
Rail yard: A set of tracks for storing, sorting or servicing rail cars.
Substation: A fenced yard of electrical transformers and switchgear.
Surface parking lot: A paved open lot used only for parking cars.
Transit station / bus depot: A passenger station or a garage for storing and servicing buses.

Open land

Farm / agricultural land: Land used to grow crops or raise livestock.
Park: Public open land for recreation.
Vacant lot: A lot with no building on it.