The City of Pickering is requesting information for Architectural Plans for Detached Additional Dwelling Unit Pre-Approval. The City of Pickering invites all interested parties to submit a written response to this Request for Information (RFI). 

1. Invitation to Respondents

This Request for Information (“RFI”) is issued by The City of Pickering (the “City”) for the purposes of gathering information for the purpose of Architectural Plans for Detached Additional Dwelling Unit Pre-Approval.

Respondents are asked to respond to the City and provide the information requested below.

1. Request for Information Overview

The City of Pickering would like to partner with design professionals to accelerate the approval and construction of detached Additional Dwelling Units throughout the City.

The City of Pickering has recently updated zoning regulations to permit one Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU) in the backyard of most residential properties.  With these new regulations in place, the City would like to partner with design professionals to have building designs of detached ADUs submitted for pre-approval by the City.  All building designs would remain the property of the design professional.  The City would promote the pre-approved designs on the City’s website which would direct the public to the respective design professional if they wish to purchase one of the pre-approved building designs.  The City’s goal is to accelerate the issuance of Building Permits for detached ADUs as one way to address the current housing crisis.

Qualifications: Interested architects, professional engineers, and BCIN qualified designers should provide evidence of their qualifications, including professional licenses, relevant experience in residential design and knowledge of local building codes and regulations. This is required with your submission.

Standardized Details: The submission should include floor plans, elevations, building sections, and detailed drawings and specifications for key components of a detached additional dwelling unit, such as foundations, framing, building envelope, plumbing, and HVAC. 

Compliance: All drawings and specifications shall meet the current amendment of the Ontario Building Code. 

1. Bidding System Registration

All respondents must have a vendor account with the City’s electronic bidding system at: https://pickering.bidsandtenders.ca and must be registered as a plan taker for this opportunity. This will enable the respondent to download the solicitation document, to ask questions, to receive addenda email notifications, download addenda, and submit their information electronically through the bidding system.

1. Communication

It is recommended that respondents attend the Virtual Online Information Session prior to submitting your drawings and licence requirements.

Information Session (Virtual) – October 26, 2023, 3 p.m.

     Register for the information session by contacting Waqas Ahmad,

     wahmad@pickering.ca

Any questions that you may have will be answered at the online information session only. Do not submit any questions to the Email contacts provided prior to the Online meeting.

1. Submission Instructions

Submission Format: Drawings and specifications shall be submitted in a digital PDF format. Drawings shall be stamped with the appropriate professional seal or BCIN qualification, plotted in greyscale, and displayed on either 8.5'' by 11'' or 11'' by 17'' paper size. Submitted drawings shall be emailed to citydev@pickering.ca with the subject line, “Detached Additional Dwelling Unit – Pre-Approval”.

      Submissions by other methods will not be accepted.

     Submission Deadline: December 1, 2023 at 2:00pm EST.