Hi,
I am planing to convert my existing garage under the common roof into a habitable area. However, I just talked to a technical officer from the planning office and there is a problem. My garage wall has a 1m setback from the boundary and it is allowed even to have it at the boundary. However, for a habitable area a min setback is 1.5m. So if I convert it, it doesn't comply with a residential code. The guy told me that the only way to find out is to apply for an exception, prepare all drawings ( I will also need a structural engineer) and apply. Then my application either gets approved or rejected. The application will cost me a couple of grands at least. If anyone ever met this kind of problem, could you advice me ? What factors could impact a potential positive/negative decision ?