Unless you have eight people living in your
two bedroom bungalow, you can probably take a sigh of relief after reading that
headline. Yes, as alluded to in previous comments made by councillors in recent
months, including ones made in my award-eligible series “Better Know a Ward”,
the horseshoe revisited rules governing shared rental housing at their meeting
last week.
"Guelph is a
wonderfully diverse city and an outstanding place to live," said Guelph’s Executive
Director of Planning, Engineering and Environmental Services, Janet Laird in a
press release. The problem, she says though, is that in recent years shared
rental housing has increased and be concentrated in certain neighbourhoods,
particularly neighbourhoods in the Old University
area and the south end of the city. The effect is that many long-term residents
are moving out, which leaves many neighbourhoods as little more than ghost
towns between the months of April and September.
In a marathon meeting last Tuesday, council
heard from over 20 delegations on the matter, from student representatives to
landlords to neighbourhood groups. One of the most contentious issues was
putting new restrictions on rental properties. In the end, council approved a
new zoning by-law, a new two-unit house with six or more bedrooms must be at
least 100 metres from any other two-unit house, lodging house, group home or
emergency shelter. Additionally, a new lodging house must be at least 100
metres from any other lodging house, two-unit house with six or more bedrooms,
group home or emergency shelter.
So what does that mean? Well it means a new
standard for 20 per cent of the rental units of the city. Councillor Lise
Burcher wanted to make an amendment to make it five or more bedrooms rather
than six, but city staff said that this would impact negatively on 80 per cent
of the rental units in the city, and the proposed amendment was dropped. Still
though, staff recommendations take into account lodging
houses and restricting them to one kitchen, in order to prevent accessory
apartments from being constructed inside them.
Aside from the
simple by-law changes, the city is also working with the University of Guelph on an education and awareness campaign.
Last Saturday, as part of the U of G’s Right Foot Forward event, teams of students, City Staff, University Staff and community
members spent the afternoon knocking on doors in areas with a high number of
rental housing units in order to ensure renters understand the responsibilities
associated with their property. They also received information about waste
sorting and recycling, transit, property maintenance, parking, noise and tips
to keep parties from getting out of hand.
Also this month,
the City will enhance its by-law compliance and enforcement program to increase
compliance with noise and parking by-laws. Residents will see more by-law
compliance and enforcement staff in residential neighbourhoods, and increased service
levels during peak times, according to a city press release. This combined with
“zero tolerance” measures to curb littering, noise, underage drinking, and
public urination means that the city is working harder than ever to attack the
problems that come back every fall with the student population. Will it work?
Well, let’s ask the guy I saw peeing in the alley between Molly Bloom’s and
Scotiabank last Wednesday night. On second though….
Nature
Wins!
To all my
tree-hugger friends out there, here’s a bit of news to make you smile. The
demolition of a large chimney at the Trafalgar Building was called off last week on account of a
rare species of bird called Chimney Swifts taking up residence in the chimney.
The birds were identified as Chimney Swifts by a Canadian Wildlife official who
noted that the bird is known to make nests in certain types of chimneys at
specific times of the year. Demolition in the chimney, which has been redundant
a while anyway, has been postponed indefinitely. I guess it’s a good thing that
the bird wasn’t a Jefferson Salamander. Boom! Be sure to tip your waitresses.
http://guelphpolitico.blogspot.com/
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