>>>I meant actual basement houses or houses built below ground. Similar in appearances to if you started a house and built the entire basement, but then never finished it (and just plopped a roof on it). It stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer. That is no longer allowed though - I think they stopped allowing basement houses in the mid 80s (or earlier than that).
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>>I really wonder why would that be forbidden. What happened to the freedom of building what you want on your own land? I don't see how such a house would hurt anyone.
>
>You'd be surprised at how building is restricted by things like 'zoning by-laws' and other contrivances.
>A big furor happened here last year. A couple bought a house on a long-established street with a car body shop located 2 or 3 doors down the street. They knew that when they bought because the business had been there for over 25 years.
>Yet the couple pressed the city to have the business closed on the basis that by-laws forbid it. When the by-law was enacted it had "grandfathered" the business, meaning that current owners could continue to operate it but it could not be expanded nor could it be sold to continue as a business. That wasn't good enough for the couple. I think the decision is still pending.
>
>Check out the thread about scared airline passengers having others removed. We have "freedom" as long as we comply with everyone's idea of things.

Jeez Jim. Enough with the paraphrasing. The passenger didn't have anybody removed. He raised a concern. It was the crew/pilot who had them removed.

I do agree with you about the zoning laws though. Too many of them are utter nonsense anyway.