HomeMy WebLinkAboutPD-117-82 CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF NEWCASTLE
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
HAMPTON, ONTARIO 1-013 1 JO TEL. (416)263-2231
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REPORT TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
MEETING OF JULY 12, 1982
REPORT NO. : PD-117-82
SUBJECT: PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. 76 TO THE OFFICIAL PLAN
OF THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF DURHAM PLANNING
AREA
RECOMMENDATION:
It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and
Administration Committee recommend to Council the
following:
1 . That Report PD-117-82 be received; and
2. That the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and
Housing be advised that the Town of Newcastle
has no objection to the amendment of the Region
of Durham Official Plan incorporating a policy
with respect to condominiums, and subject to
Official Plan Amendment Application No. 76.
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BACKGROUND:
On February 9, 1977, Durham Regional Council adopted a
number of policies respecting condominiums, one of which
prohibited the conversion of rental units to condominium
tenure in the Region. These policies were not incorporated
into the Regional Official Plan, however.
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Report No: PD-117-82 . . ./2
On December 21 , 1981 , the Council of the Town of Ajax passed
a resolution requesting Regional Council to amend the Ajax
District Plan to incorporate a policy prohibiting the
conversion of any rental housing unless the current rental
vacancy rate for the Town as determined by Canada Mortgage
and Housing (C.M.H.C. ) is 3.0% or greater.
However, at a recent hearing in Cambridge dealing with
proposed condominium conversions, the Ontario Municipal
Board decided that a Council-adopted condominium policy that
is not included in an official plan "does not have the same
weight (since) any policy contained in an Official Plan has
been subject to the scrutiny of the public and others. . ." As
well , the Region of Durham, when reviewing the request from
the Town of Ajax, recognized the Region-wide implications of
condominium conversions, in light of vacancy rates reported
by C.M.H.C. which indicated an acute shortage of rental
accommodation throughout the entire Region. Therefore, on
April 20, 1982, the Regional Planning Committee authorized
Regional staff to initiate an amendment to the Regional
Official Plan dealing with the issue of condominium
conversions.
Verbal comments on the proposed amendment were solicited
from the other municipalities in the Region, including the
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Town of Newcastle; however, no opportunity was provided for
formal comment through Town Council . On May 26, 1982,
Regional Council adopted the following amendment to the
Regional Official Plan:
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Report No: PD-117-82 . . ./3
"The Durham Regional Official Plan is hereby amended by
adding the following policies to Section 2 - Housing:
"2.2.5 In order to ensure an adequate supply of rental
accommodation in the Region, the conversion of
existing residential rental units to condominium
tenure may be permitted only if the following
conditions are satisfied:
a) the rental vacancy rate for the whole of
Durham Region is 3% or higher, as determined
by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
(C.M.H.C. ) or by the Regional Planning
Department in the absence of C.M.H.C.
figures;
b) the rental vacancy rate as determined by
C.M.H.C. or by the Regional Planning
Department in the absence of C.M.H.C. figures
is 3% or higher in the area of application
applied as follows:
i ) Pickering/Ajax;
ii ) Whitby/Oshawa;
iii ) Newcastle; and
iv) Scugog/Uxbridge/Brock.
c) the approval of such conversions to
condominium tenure does not result in the
reduction of the vacancy rates below 3% in
accordance with a) and b) above.
2.2.6 The respective area municipalities shall be
encouraged to develop additional official plan
policies to provide guidelines, criteria and
design standards as a means to assess new
condominium and/or conversion applications.""
This amendment was subsequently forwarded to the Ministry of
Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval . On June 21 ,
1982, the Town of Newcastle received a request from the
Ministry for comments on the amendment. It is as a result
of this request that Town staff is bringing this Report
forward for Council 's consideration.
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COMMENTS:
The conversion of existing rental units to condominium
tenure frequently results in the displacement of tenants due
to their inability to finance ownership or because of their
continued desire to rent. In areas where rental units are
in short supply, condominium conversions can aggrevate the
situation by increasing demand with the displaced tenants
and reducing the existing rental stock. In view of the
present low vacancy rates for rental accommodation
throughout the Region and in the Town of Newcastle, staff
recommends that Council advise the Ministry of Municipal
Affairs and Housing that they have no objection to the
amendment respecting condominium conversions.
Respectfq-U— --�su_bm eed,
T. T. Edwards, M.C.I .P•
Director of Planning
JAS*TTE*mjc
June 30, 1982
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