Mapleton council will consider a rezoning application that would allow an accessory apartment in a semi-detached residence.
At its Feb. 7 meeting, council deferred a decision on the rezoning application from Richard, Mark and Sue Robinson for a property at 75 Dales Drive in Drayton.
Citing concerns about excessive intensification and potential impact on water and wastewater systems, council deferred the application until the township’s water and wastewater capacity limitations have been addressed.
The applicants wish to construct an accessory apartment within the basement of the existing semi-detached residential dwelling on the property.
The property is zoned R2 Residential which does not currently permit accessory apartments.
However, the county Official Plan was recently amended to allow a second unit within semi-detached dwellings and current provincial policy indicates a preference for allowing this type of development where possible.
In a letter received by council at its March 14 meeting, Richard Robinson addressed a number of the concerns.
“This application is for a one bedroom apartment so it won’t be a large family moving in,” the letter states.
“Likely a single person which would likely be employed locally and therefore the dwelling number wouldn’t be any more than an average family dwelling in a home.
“I will be living in the home above with my children and will want a respectful dweller in this apartment. I think this will also help with the lack of apartment dwelling in this area, where there isn’t much to choose from in this town. The driveway will easily park four cars so parking is not an issue here,” the letter states.
County manager of planning and environment Mark Van Patter provided council with a draft zoning amendment for consideration.
“While I support the rezoning, I do have a concern about the lack of sewer capacity in Drayton,” said Van Patter.
“Therefore, I am proposing that the rezoned property have a holding ‘H’ symbol affixed to it. When council is satisfied that adequate services are present, the symbol can be removed.”
Councillor Marlene Ottens said, “We have to be realistic; a single person living in a house renting a basement apartment to another single person is going to have less effect (on water and wastewater capacity) than a larger family.
“It’s a tricky issue. It’s not black and white (that) the a renter automatically doubles everything.”
Though the Robinsons indicated they intend to live in one of the units, councillor Dennis Craven noted a provision in an earlier draft amending bylaw requiring the owner of the unit to live in one of the apartments was not in the latest version.
“That restriction was placed in to address some of their neighbours’ concerns and then it was removed,” Craven pointed out.
“Does that mean if the owner didn’t live in either the upper or lower unit then it could be a rental unit on both levels?”
“Yes, potentially that could absolutely happen. That could happen everywhere now,” explained county senior planner Linda Redmond.
“By putting restrictions on who can live where, it would become very hard to enforce. I’m not sure how you would be able to enforce such a rule.”
Council passed a resolution directing staff to present a bylaw approving the rezoning, subject to an application for removal of the holding provision, at the next meeting.
Only Craven opposed (councillor Michael Martin was absent for the meeting).
