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Orangeville council adopts ordinance to regulate accessory dwelling units
Summary
The Orangeville City Council on Oct. 9 adopted Ordinance 2025-5 establishing rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), after planning and zoning asked for clarifications and removal of a prior size restriction. The measure passed with no recorded opposition.
The Orangeville City Council voted on Oct. 9 to adopt Ordinance 2025-5, which establishes local regulations for accessory dwelling units, commonly known as ADUs. Committee member Doug made the motion to approve the ordinance, and the council adopted it following a second and a unanimous voice vote.
The ordinance had been tabled at a prior meeting so staff and the Planning & Zoning commission could address technical language. Amanda, speaking for staff, said the council removed a section that had limited an ADU’s size to 50% of the primary residence. “So this was brought up in public meeting a couple meetings ago. It was tabled. There were some concerns that planning and zoning had that they wanted to correct, and so we corrected that section,” Amanda said.
During discussion, a planning official described an ADU as distinct from short-term rentals: “An ADU is kind of the opposite. It’s a long-term rental. It’s 30 days or longer,” the official said, noting the state’s push to increase housing supply by enabling homeowners to create additional long-term rental units on their property. Councilors said the ordinance is intended to guide how ADUs are developed and to ensure they meet local zoning standards.
The ordinance’s adoption concludes a multi-meeting review that included input from the Planning & Zoning committee; staff will implement the new rules and update permitting guidance for residents who wish to convert part of a house or add a dwelling on their lot.
The council did not record roll-call tallies in the discussion minutes beyond unanimous assent. The next steps are administrative: staff will publish the ordinance text and update application forms for ADU permits.
