Aging in Place in Richmond Hill - Design, Permits, Construction

The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan covers Richmond Hill's northern third, and on those Jefferson and Oak Ridges lots the tree-protection and grading requirements routinely cost more than the ADU's foundation. We price a moraine site and a Crosby site as two different classes of project. Richmond Hill permits additional dwelling units subject to Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan constraints on the northern third of the town.

Sloped and treed lots along the moraine where site grading and tree protection drive cost more than the building itself. Richmond Hill sees 139 cm of snow and -4.6°C winter averages.

Aging-in-place design plans for a body that will change: blocking in the walls for future grab bars, a bathroom sized for assistance today, and a single-storey layout so the unit never depends on stairs. Single-storey means a wider footprint, so on a Richmond Hill lot we test the plan against lot coverage and rear-yard soft landscaping before committing to the layout. Proximity is the point - the unit sits on the same parcel as family, so -4.6°C winters never mean a drive across Richmond Hill to check in.