Toronto is still figuring out how to deal with controversial 'iceberg homes'

A long-anticipated debate over controversial "iceberg homes" at Toronto City Council never quite materialized last week. 

The item, which was expected to spark extensive discussion, was ultimately deferred after Parkdale—High Park councillor and Planning and Housing Committee chair Gord Perks successfully moved to send it back to staff for further study at council's Feb. 4 meeting. 

Initially, the proposal began as a request to examine the impacts of iceberg homes, or properties where much of the square footage is built below grade, but has since expanded into a much broader conversation about the protection of trees, as well as swimming pools, infill housing, and underground construction. 

"It started out a while back as being about iceberg homes, but has since grown into trees and pools, and stars and fields and rocks and rainbows, and all kinds of other things," Perks said. 

As its name suggests, an iceberg home has most of its living space hidden below ground, and its design has been used historically to work around zoning limits on height and density, allowing homeowners (often in affluent, low-rise neighbourhoods) to add more square footage without building upward. 

City staff have raised concerns about the environmental and neighbourhood impacts of the properties, including the loss of mature trees, disruptions during excavation, and water management issues. 

Despite their limited numbers, iceberg homes are no strangers to controversy in Toronto. Back in 2021, a proposed build in Hoggs Hollow resulted in widespread outrage after multiple mature trees, including a 250-year-old maple, were removed. 

The properties have also gained popularity in London, England, where there are strict height restrictions in historic communities, making building downward a common situation for wealthy homeowners. According to planning documents, proposals for amenities in certain iceberg homes in London have included gyms, Turkish baths, wine cellars, swimming pools, panic rooms, and even artificial beaches. 

Since March 2024, there have been roughly a dozen applications for iceberg homes in Toronto. 

These concerns were outlined in a recommendation report titled "Growing Space for Trees: Protecting and Enhancing the Tree Canopy While Supporting Infill Housing and Addressing Concerns with Iceberg Homes."

Among the proposed changes are limits on how far below ground low-rise residential buildings can extend, including minimum underground setbacks for houses and multiplexes, although apartment buildings would be exempt from these restrictions. 

Given the gravity of the proposals, Perks said council members have raised questions about how the changes might impact multiplex development, swimming pool construction, and apartment buildings with larger below-ground footprints. 

Staff have now been asked to report back with more information, including details on additional approval processes and costs for pool permits, as well as how common deeper-than-wide apartment applications actually are. 

Swimming pools have also joined the discussion, thanks to Toronto's effort to encourage and protect tree growth in residential backyards. This, in turn, has resulted in pushback from the city's pool and hot tub industry, including several written objections to council. 

Industry representatives have expressed concern that the new rules could disqualify pools from being counted as "soft landscaping," which the city defines as "landscaping excluding hard-surfaced areas such as decorative stonework, retaining walls, walkways, or other hard-surfaced landscaped-architectural elements." 

The intent of soft landscaping is to ensure "provision of growing space for a healthy tree canopy and other vegetation," according to the report. 

When the report does finally return, it's also expected to include more details on the proposed changes related to new swimming pool construction.