Council Preview
By John Swartz
Orillia Council meets early Monday November 18 at 12:30 p.m. because they have a Public Meeting on Planning Matters scheduled ahead of the regular meeting at 2 p.m.
The planning meeting is to approve a housing development for the former Mount Slaven school property. Yaseen Nimjee of M5V Westmount Drive Inc. is proposing to build 114 townhouse units on the property.
The staff report for the zoning by-law amendment does not state what the current limitations of the number of units are, as is usually the case, and what changes are necessary for the project. However a few of the people responding to the proposal at public meetings state they understood the current zoning only permits 70 housing units.
The project is proposed to be 6 structures with 18 units in 5 of them and 24 in the last. This will be accomplished by treating the basement of each structure as one unit, the ground floor as another, and the second and third stories as another unit.
The developer is proposing to have 143 parking spaces in the central part of the property, with 29 spaces for visitors, which neighbouring residents say is not enough considering the amount of on street parking available now and in the winter the roadway typically is much narrower because of the banks of snow on boulevards from plowing.
It appears each unit will be sold as condominiums. There will be 54 one-bedroom units, 50 two-bedroom units and 12 three-bedroom units. Unit sizes are 419 to 553 sq. ft.; 655 to 938 sq. ft.; and 1159 sq. ft respectively.
Staff are agreeing to a number of exceptions to zoning regulations, such as greater building height, narrower setbacks, fewer parking spots (171 spaces required according to the by-law as it exists) and permitting a development of this size, which requires a minimum of 120 sq. m. per unit, but is proposed to be constructed at 89 sq. m. per unit.
The developer also wants to remove 24 trees from the property.
A second item is on the agenda. In September council passed amendments of a housekeeping nature to the City’s zoning by-law. They changed requirements for schools, to which the Simcoe County District School Board objected, but heir concerns were not addressed in the September amendment.
Staff told school board representatives they had no problem with making another amendment, but the board appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal anyway. Subsequently the draft of the amendment proposed this week satisfies the school board and they withdrew their appeal.
The zoning by-law generally prohibits putting waste storage areas in front yards; the schools get an exception permitting any yard. Schools also get an exception to include scooters when counting space requirements for bicycle parking. Schools are also getting an exemption from some requirements to provide electric vehicle parking.
Schools also get a pass to provide required parking on the school lot, but can use another property if it is within 150 meters of the school. They also get to locate parking areas anywhere on the school property.
Both the school board and the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board say the parking regulations as the previous amendment demanded are greater than the available space already committed to parking at several schools.
Regular Meeting
There is a deputation on the agenda. Dr. Claudine Cousins, CEO, and Jamie Hall, marketing manager of digital solutions and brand for Empower Simcoe will be informing council of what they do.
Empower Simcoe does what used to be called community living, and is the replacement for institutions like the Huronia Regional Centre. They provide services for all aspects related to intellectual disabilities.
Afterward and when council goes to closed session, they will have two items on their agenda. One is regarding a sale offer in the Horne Business Park. The question rises, who is selling? The City, or is someone selling land back to the City?
The next item is a settlement offer. There used to be a time when there was some kind of vague description about an item on the closed agenda, but of late, noting. What does a settlement offer pertain to? Will we ever know?
Climate Change
When council returns to face the cameras, they have a lengthy report from staff which is essentially an update of the City’s progress adapting to climate change. Staff will inform about which steps have been taken, which are in progress and the status of same, and what is next on the climate agenda.
The motion is to receive, which typically means take no action, and to hear updates on actions taken, in progress, or imminent would normally require to action by council.
But, contained in the motion to receive is an acceptance of the Climate Change Policy.
The policy is perhaps the shortest, at one page, to be include in the policy manual, in contrast to the subject matter being perhaps the biggest area of concern facing the City.
In short, and quoting in entirety, “City staff shall integrate climate conscious decision-making, principles and evaluations into business processes and practices,” is the policy.
It also has provision for review annually.
Essentially, the policy is direction to staff to consider how climate change mitigation can be incorporated into projects and work staff does. This would visibly apply to its fleet and construction projects, but also applies to all actions by staff.
Speaking of the fleet, staff say 10% of light duty vehicles are electric, which means little without a reference to the number of those in the fleet. One more was added to the fleet in the 2024 fiscal year, with two more and a zamboni have been ordered.
They also say in 2024 council authorized spending $1.7 million for 6 capital projects specifically designed for energy consumption reduction.
Staff has also started a study to identify all buildings in the City which are suitable for rooftop solar energy generation. They are also looking at parking lots for suitability.
They also report the city earned an A for adaptation and an A- for planning from the Carbon Disclosure Project. The CDP is a global non-profit, which reported in 2022 it received $69.3 million of funding, mostly through Philanthropic grants, then governments, fees, sales of data, and memberships.
The CDP functions as a self disclosing data collection point (their top of the page tag line is – You can’t manage what you don’t measure), sharing information and best practices, and most importantly, helping coordinate purchasing for municipalities, states, regions and companies.
The report reveals the city is moving on several fronts at once, to many to list in this space.
Parks
Council asked staff to report on changing the fee charged to developers for parkland creation from an exemption (regulated by the province) for the first three units of a housing development, to four. The City used to charge for each unit until the province changed the rules.
Staff recommend receiving the report, or, to not make changes. They say the City is already losing revenue which should be used to make new parks and it wouldn’t be a good idea to lose more.
Downtown Tomorrow
The City has been working on an update to the Downtown Tomorrow Plan, which they began at the 10-year anniversary of the original plan. Staff have the final report to update the plan and at 154 pages there’s a lot to wade through.
Council is being asked to endorse in principal the update outlined in a schedule attached to the report.
To review the milestones, the changes to the vision emerging from public input, would run to book length, so we’ll skip to the schedule (which is 80 pages itself), particularly the 15 things to do in the next two years. They are:
- Identify and inventory properties to buy or sell to encourage development.
- Update the Official Plan to permit higher density housing in the southern portion of the downtown core.
- Increase funding for the Community Improvement Plan and create tax assistance for developers of brown fields.
- Attract Lakehead and Georgian College students to the downtown.
- Expand the Farmers’ Market.
- Continue discussions with Rama First Nation for collaborative opportunities.
- Coordinate and extend shopping hours.
- Create for demonstration improvements to walkways/lanes from the streets to parking lots.
- Widen sidewalks on West Street.
- Plant more trees.
- Study ways to expand the Waterfront Centre (Port of Orillia).
- Develop and create sports courts.
- Develop a plan for the Rexton property.
- Develop a four season tourism strategy.
- Work with Metrolinx to have a pilot GO Bus service to downtown.
The Rest Of The Agenda
Council has a piece or correspondence referred to them from the Couchiching OPP Detachment Board, which asks for three priorities for the 2025 local action plan.
The item on the agenda does not have a motion attached, but has three bullet points listed as blank.
Whether it is expected council will come up with three items on the fly, or it will be sent to staff and then council committee for careful consideration is not clear.
There are no motions of any kind on the agenda, leaving by-laws to approve to finish up.
Of note in the by-laws is one to extend the tax exemption for Hillcrest Lodge. Recall the lodge ran into problems with their banker regarding their facility because ownership of the building and land was in question. It appears a favourable resolution is soon to be determined, which in turn would give MPAC a reason to reclassify the property and make exemption permanent. The by-law extends the City’s exemption for 6 months from January 1, 2025.
Council meetings are open to the public or can be watched on the City’s Youtube channel.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia; Images Supplied)
