Sample Analysis
The analysis leads. The likelihood follows.
A real DATUM report reads like a planner's brief: property summary, then a criterion-by-criterion analysis, and only at the end — once the case has been made — the approval likelihood as a conclusion, not a headline.
Preliminary Site Feasibility Analysis
Criteria analysis
Conclusion
Modelled against 41 comparable applications and the current Official Plan. The one soft spot is parking: reducing the ratio to match the ward's 2024 minor-variance precedent would raise the likelihood to an estimated 86%.
Recommended approval pathway
Deviations are within the range the Committee of Adjustment can approve against the four tests of a minor variance.
- 1Minor variance application
- 2Site plan approval
- 3Building permit
Site envelope
The analyst's read
- The proposed multi-unit residential is a permitted use in R3. No use-based rezoning is required — the file is a variance, not a full application.
- At an FSI of 0.85, density is within the as-of-right envelope; the modest unit count sits comfortably against the zone's permitted 0.90.
- Setbacks and coverage are compliant, and the 3-storey height is well within the zone's envelope — no massing or shadow issues expected.
- No environmental or hazard-land constraints were flagged, which keeps the study list — and the circulation timeline — short.
- Parking is the weak point: 9 spaces provided against roughly 12 required. Without a transit justification this is the proposal's most contested element.
What we'd do next
- Commission a parking justification / TDM study — the neighbouring ward accepted a reduced ratio with one on file in 2024.
- Book a pre-consultation to confirm the study list before spending on the full drawing set.
- Lead the planning rationale with the 8 units of housing supply — it aligns with Whitby's growth targets and the Provincial Planning Statement.
Adding the missing spaces or filing a TDM justification is the single change that moves this file most — it lifts the weakest criterion from "needs attention" toward compliance and de-risks the staff report. Modelled uplift: 78% → 86%.
Illustrative sample. Preliminary estimates are generated from typical Ontario by-law standards and comparable applications; they are not planning opinions or legal advice, and site-specific by-laws govern. A registered planner reviews every engaged file.