Garden suites

A Garden Suite is a self-contained Accessory Dwelling Unit with its own kitchen, sleeping and bathroom facilities located in the backyard of a lot behind the main house. A garden suite may be constructed in most residential districts.

Does Parks Canada have an example of what an acceptable design for a Garden Suite in Jasper may look like?

The following garage suite images provide an example of a design consistent with the Town of Jasper Land Use Policy. Garden suites are similar in size and form to garage suites without the requirement for having a parking stall located within the same structure, allowing for additional living spaces.

What are the general requirements for a Garden Suite?

The general requirements for a Garden Suite include:

• Garden suites must be developed to the applicable building code requirements associated with residential buildings.
• The garden suite must be at least 3.0 m from the Primary Building (clear of all projections).
• Cladding (roof and siding) should match the home, unless the home’s cladding is not in conformance with the Jasper Colour Palette or Approved Materials, in which case the garage should conform to the Jasper Colour Palette – Building Exterior Colour and Materials.

What are the specific requirements for a Garden Suite?

Specific requirements for Garden Suites are outlined in Section 31 of the Land Use Policy.

1. Garden Suite Site Coverage (footprint) - maximum of 20% of the Site Area (this calculation includes the combined site coverage of all Accessory Buildings and any Garage Suite on the property).
2. Location
   • Must be located within a Rear or Side Yard
   • A Garden Suite must have a minimum Side Yard and Rear Yard Setback of 1.5 m, unless the following applies:
     
     1. it is built on a common Property Line and may have a minimum interior Side Yard Setback of 0 m;
     2. it is in the Cabin Creek West Multi-Unit Dwelling District (CCWc) and may have a minimum interior Side Yard Setback of 1.2 m.
3. Roof Form
   • Maximum ridge line height: 6.6 m
   • Maximum eave line height: 3.5 m
   • Minimum roof slope: 6:12
   • Dormers shall not be more than: 50% of the building width on either the front or rear elevations; or 75%of the building width on either side elevation;
4. Exterior Entrance
   If located on a Site with back lane access;
• The exterior entrance may not face the back lane;
• Shall have an unobstructed hardened (poured concrete or sidewalk blocks) sidewalk accessible from the front public street to the garden suite entrance, with a maximum distance of 30 m (unless exceedance is approved by the Municipality of Jasper Fire Department), for emergency service access;
• Shall have the civic address of the Garden Suite clearly visible at the front of the Site as viewed from the street.
5. Parking
   • For a Site with back lane access, on-site parking shall be accessed from the back lane;
   • For a Site without back lane access, on-site parking shall be accessed from the street unless it is a corner Site in which it may be accessed by either the front or side street;
   • No additional on-site parking shall be required for a Garden Suite if the Site has a minimum of One (1) required on-site parking stall for each primary dwelling unit, all in accordance with the Land Use Policy, for the Site;

What do I need to submit for a Development Permit for a Garage Suite

1. Parks Canada Development Permit Application - Please submit the signed Development Permit Application (in the Jasper Townsite) (PDF, 168 KB). Include the property address, lessee name, applicant name, and contact information as well as the anticipated cost of the project to ensure the proper authority approves the permit.
2. Garage/Garden Suite Checklist – Please submit the completed Garage/Garden Suite Checklist (PDF, 248 KB). All fields are required to properly review your submission.
3. Site Plan – Please submit a scaled site plan with measurements shown in metres. Your site plan needs to include:
   
   • north arrow and scale
   • lot dimensions and Total Site Area (m²)
   • geodetic elevations of the four corners of the site
   • dimensions and area (m²) of existing and proposed structures (primary building, garage suite, garage, shed, fence, retaining walls, etc.)
   • site Coverage of each structure and total Site Coverage Calculation
   • all setbacks (rear, front and side) from the property line to the Garage Suite Building and distance from Garage Suite to Primary Building
   • existing and proposed required on-site parking spaces demonstrated and dimensioned (minimum 2.7 m width by 6.0 m length each with no obstructions)
4. Architectural plans (in metric and drawn to a scale of not less than 1:100) demonstrating:
   
   • dimensioned floor plans of all proposed development
   • elevation plans from grade indicating geodetic: roof heights, eave heights, main floor height, of all structures
   • sections indicating floor heights and relationship with geodetic grade
   • site section from the front to rear property line, including adjacent streets and lanes
   • roof plan showing slopes and major roof structure

How do I obtain a Building Permit for a Garden Suite?

A Building Permit is required when a proposed development contains life-safety elements covered under the National Building Code – Alberta Edition. Once you have obtained a Development Permit you may begin the process for obtaining a building permit, which is located on the Building Permit webpage.

How do I obtain a Completion Certificate?

Once the project is completed, you may contact jaspercompliance@pc.gc.ca for a final inspection. If it was constructed in accordance with the permits, a Parks Canada Completion Certificate will be issued.

The above required submissions, or any questions regarding the above, may be submitted to the Jasper Development Office at: jasperdevelopment@pc.gc.ca.