City of Pickering - Planning and Development Approvals

STANDARDS FOR INFILL LOTS
CITY OF PICKERING DEVELOPMENT CONTROL

A lot grading plan indicating the means by which the builder will ensure that each lot is to be properly drained is required. Normally no discharge onto adjacent developed lands will be approved. Each lot grading plan must include the following:-

A north arrow shall be shown. All drawings received shall be to scale, Metric 1:200 or 1:250 and drawn in ink. Freehand drawings are not acceptable.
Name of street, address, lot number and plan or concession number, plus sufficient detail to describe the location.
The location of the buildings, existing and/or proposed, including those on adjacent lands.
The location of all downspouts and other drainage discharge points.
The location of all municipal and utility services shall be shown.
Indicate the surface material of all areas.
All elevations should be to Geodetic Datum where possible. If not possible then the point of reference (Temporary Benchmark), which is to be identified, shall be a fixed object in the immediate area.
Existing elevations on the road, ditch, boulevards, curbs, subject lot and adjoining lands. On normal size lots they shall be at 5.0m intervals in a grid pattern including boundaries and on adjoining lands. Sufficient existing grades on adjacent properties must be shown to indicate the drainage pattern.
The existing grade elevations at all lot corners and significant changes in grades along property lines shall be clearly indicated.
Provide floor elevations of the house, garage and the basement.
The front grade of a house will be at least 450mm higher than the centreline of the road
Swales and slopes must be detailed with sufficient information to show the direction of drainage and the amount of slope. Swales will have a minimum grade of 2%.
Indicate the proposed grade elevations at all corners of the house, property lines and particularly at each corner of the lot.
If any retaining wall or other similar structure is proposed it shall be shown complete with top and bottom of wall elevations. All retaining walls to be precast concrete or equivalent (timber retaining walls will not be permitted). If any retaining wall meets or exceeds 1.0m in height, a 1.2m high safety fence will be required on top of the wall. Proof of engineering may also be required on retaining walls over 1.0m in height.
Minimum driveway grade is 2% and shall not exceed a maximum grade of 8%.
Driveway edge is not permitted to cross the projected lot line at the curb.
A 600mm wide strip around the lot perimeter is required to remain undisturbed. The City reserves the right to waive this requirement where conditions are warranted. However, all grades must meet existing on the lot lines. Written permission from the neighbouring homeowners will be required if it is determined that construction will disturb their property or if grading is to be undertaken on the adjacent lands.
Swales shall have a minimum depth of 150mm and a maximum depth of 450mm.
Yard surfaces shall have a minimum slope of 2%.
Drainage flows shall be directed away from all buildings.
The maximum AVERAGE slope of yard surfaces shall be 15%.

The AVERAGE slope shall be measured:

a) from the rear of the house to the rear of the lot.
or
b) from the rear of the house to the centre line of the rear swale.
and
c) from side lot line to side lot line.

The maximum lot surface grade at any location shall be 5% and a slope of 3 parts horizontal to 1 part vertical shall be used to take up the grade differentials in excess of this 5% slope. Where the lot is irregular in shape, the shortest distance calculated in (a), (b) or (c) shall be used. Where the backyard is over 30m in depth, (a) or (b) cannot be applied.

Typical Infill Lot Drawing