Homeowners in Peterborough are one step closer to being permitted to add up to two residential units on their properties following endorsement from city council on Tuesday evening.
Sitting as general committee, council endorsed a staff report that recommended amending a zoning bylaw first passed in 2018 that allowed up to one residential suite to double it to two “residential units,” replacing the term “suites.”
The report says the amendment coincides with Ontario’s Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, which was passed last October to encourage more housing builds and boost municipal housing supplies. The bill’s provisions include up to a maximum of three units on a lot — the principal unit and two additional units.
However, some city councillors continue to express concerns over the repercussions of Bill 23.
“I have more questions than answers,” Ward 4 Coun. Gary Baldwin said.
Among his concerns is that Bill 23 prevents regulations on a minimum unit size or requiring more than one parking space per unit.
“So when a homeowner calls one of the councillors with respect to a secondary suite that has issues with respect to parking, do we send those complaints to staff, do we send them to the MPP?” he asked.
Several councillors warned of the impact of limiting parking spaces, noting the city currently faces a shortfall. The city is currently conducting a parking study that is expected to be presented to council this fall.
City staff say nothing is off the table.
“On-street permit parking is one of the potential fixes to some of the issues,” said Caroline Kimble, the city’s policy planning manager.
Ward 4 Coun. Keith Riel says the staff report fails to provide details about potential tax implications, referencing the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.
“Because I think as a city councillor, when they get their tax bill and when they get reassessed — which they are going to be by MPAC — we’re going to get the phone calls.”
Staff say it will be up to the homeowner to investigate any financial impacts of adding an additional unit to their property.
The staff report came just a couple of weeks after the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Home Builders Association said the city and county were far from hitting provincial targets for new home builds. The association said the city requires 930 new homes built every year from 2021 to 2031. The association represents the residential construction industry in the city, county and City of Kawartha Lakes.
And in January, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation released a report that indicated the Peterborough census metropolitan area’s vacancy rate for purpose-built rental apartments was 1.1 per cent in October 2022 — the lowest rate in Ontario.
City staff say Bill 23 provides opportunities but admit the legislation is not a silver bullet to fix all the housing issues.
“This is one of a suite of tools that is available and made available by the province through legislative changes,” said Michael Papadacos, interim infrastructure and planning services commissioner.
“This is by no means presented as a solution that is going to solve the housing crisis.”
The motion for the zoning bylaw amendments will need to be ratified at council’s next meeting on Aug. 14.
— with files from Robert Lothian, Global News Peterborough
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