Short Term Rentals Discussion Put On Hold By Craig

The issue of Short Term Rentals (STR) won’t seem to go away and accounted for a substantial portion of the discussions at North Frontenac Council’s regular meeting May 19 in Plevna. In fact, the topic occupied two items on the agenda.

First up was a delegation from Bruce Moore, president of the North Frontenac Lake Alliance, an organization representing 14 lake associations in North Frontenac and 1,940 waterfront property owners.

Moore told Council there were three area of concern for his organization — septic inspections, STRs and lake carrying capacities.

Dep. Mayor John Inglis suggested putting septics on the next agenda but Mayor Gerry Lichty said: “we have a strategic planning exercise coming up and I think we should go through that before putting anything on the agenda.” those that are the changes in rules around lot creation in lands that are designated as “Prime Agricultural Areas”, is the most significant.

That prompted a response from Moore.

“I’m seeing having to go back to our membership and telling them the matter of two topics has been put on hold until you prioritize your strategic directions,” Moore said.

“We’re not saying we’re not moving forward, just putting our strategic planning first,” said Lichty.

“These changes will have implications in South Frontenac, and Frontenac Islands, as they are the only two townships within the county that contain prime agricultural areas,” he said.

Prime Ag lands are lands that have soils ranked Class 1, 2, or 3 on the Canada Lands Inventory.

Under the current PPS, it is not permitted to create new residential lots on prime agricultural lands, but the new PPS allows for the creation of up to 3 new lots if certain conditions are met.

Aside from a concern over effectively removing parcels, albeit small ones, of prime land from agricultural use, Kurylovich said that some of the terms in the new PPS are not well enough defined for local planners to understand its implications in their own jurisdictions.

“I’m concerned about jumping into a bylaw that could be expensive to enforce,” said Inglis.

However, even though Moore’s time was up, that wasn’t the end of the STR discussion. Later in the meeting, Coun. Roy Huetl had requested discussion on the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Association April Elert, specifically the adoption of an STR bylaw by the City of Kawartha Lakes and the rejection of an STR bylaw by Seguin Township.

“I’ve talked to the OPP and to them, STRs are not an issue,” said Lichty. “We’ve had one confidential complaint last year.”

Still, Huetl wanted to “revitalize” the committee that had been looking at STRs.

“The committee’s not disbanded, it’s just on hold,” said Inglis.

CAO Corey Klatt said that he and Treasurer Kelly Watkins had been in contact with Central Frontenac Township regarding a joint policy.

Coun. Stephanie Regent said that part of the problem seems to be a requirement to put complaints in writing.

“A lot of people are complaining to me but there is a large gap with people putting that in writing,” she said.

“Is it STRs?” said Coun. Fred Fowler.

“For example,” he said, “the new PPS talks about properties that are “adjacent to lands under agricultural use’ which seemed clear at first, but when we looked further, we realise that we do not know exactly what they mean, either by “adjacent” or “agriculture”. We will be asking for clarification in order to understand the implications of those provisions in the act.”

The second concern raised was over restrictions to residential use of lands defined as “employment lands” a land designation that is included in the new South Frontenac Official Plan, which is slated to be adopted this coming fall.

“Again here, the provisions in the new PPS are intended for an urban industrial location, which is not what would apply in a place like South Frontenac,” Kurylovich said.

One other aspect of the new PPS that may not have major implications for Frontenac County in particular, but does reveal a lot about the focus of the entire provincial housing initiative, is a new definition of ‘affordable housing.’

This was noted by North Frontenac Mayor

“On any long weekend you’re going to have people partying and enforcement of that is difficult.”

“I had a meeting with the Reeve of Addington Highlands (Henry Hogg) and we agreed we should go slow and get it right,” said Lichty. “(And) it’s got to fit in with whatever else we have on our plate.”

Council directed Klatt to contact the three other Townships (Central, South and Addington Highlands) to see where they’re at.

“We should also look into the price of noise meters,” Lichty said. “One of our operators has one and if it goes off, the property manager calls the renters and says ‘you’re too loud.’ If it goes off again, he calls and says ‘you’re gone.’”

Astronomy Park

Council approved 2023 grants including $1,000 to the North Frontenac Amateur Astronomy Club to help fund construction of a second observatory and additional eyepieces for the telescopes.

Coun. Wayne Good opposed the grant arguing that it wasn’t right to spend taxpayers money on things that are used by people from outside the Township.

Coun. Fred Fowler countered that the Dark Skies facility was a “Township as-

Gerry Lichty.

“It seems like the new definition of ‘affordable’ is just that housing is less expensive than other houses in a neighborhood. So, where there are a bunch of million-dollar homes, a house worth $800,000 is now considered ‘affordable housing’” said Lichty.

Kurylovich agreed with Lichty’s interpretation.

“PPS 2023 removes references to ‘affordable housing’ and ‘housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income households. Instead, it appears that the PPS will now be more in-line with other regulations that speak to market value of a unit rather than income of the occupant,” he said.

Another change in PPS 2023, which may be relevant to the issued raised earlier in the meeting by CAO Pender, is that ‘Natural Heritage Features’ which are defined in the current PPS, are absent from PPS 2023. All that remains is a paragraph saying that the section regarding Natural Heritage Features

Bakay

set.”

Other grants went to the Land O’ Lakes Lions Club ($1,000) to assist with the cost of 2023 Santa Claus Parade, $1,000 to Clarendon Central Public School Parent Council for student transportation to excursions, $1,000 to North Frontenac Historical Society and Archives to assist with preservation projects, $1,000 to the Back Roads Studio Tour to advertise and promote the 2023 tour, $987.39 to the North Frontenac Fitness Group for the purchase o exercise equipment and Council approved the Historical Society’s request to install signs at the Dempsey, Ompah and Plevna/Ardoch Cemeteries and directed the public works department to have them installed this year.

Astronomy Park Sign

Council approved a logo design for the North Frontenac Astronomy Park with the words “A Dark Sky Experience and a couple sitting on the group and looking up and pointing at a field of stars.

However, Coun. Stephanie Regent requested a minor alteration, which was granted.

“I’m a little stuck on the finger pointing,” she said. “It doesn’t look like a first finger to me.” ■ is “under review”.

In his report on another new provincial initiative, Bill 97, the Helping Home Buyers, Protecting Tenants Ac, Kurylovich said the new Bill is similarly more oriented to urban than rural development issues, but it has some implications in Frontenac County as well.

One, that the planning department suggests the county should support, is the return of site plan control as a planning tool for developments with under 10 dwelling units. These controls were eliminated when Bill 23 came in last fall, but appear to be returning under Bill 97.

On the other hand, the new bill says that changes to the timelines for approvals, which have been a challenge for planning departments, will be implemented very soon, on July 1st of this year.

Bill 97 gives the Ministry of Housing and

5.

6. Roll No. 10 29 080 090 02650 0000; South Frontenac; PIN 36147-0239 (LT); File No. 21-46; Minimum Tender Amount: $12,172.69

7. Roll No. 10 29 040 020 06025 0000; Lavender Lane; PIN 36279-1279 (LT); File No. 21-48; Minimum Tender Amount: $4,900.59

8. Roll No. 10 29 060 020 07252 0000; South Frontenac; PIN 36294-0027 (LT); File No. 21-52; Minimum Tender Amount: $5,805.19

Except as follows, the municipality makes no representation regarding the title to, availability of road access, or any other matters relating to the lands to be sold. Responsibility for ascertaining these matters rests with the potential purchasers. This sale is governed by the Municipal Act, 2001 and the Municipal Tax Sales Rules made under that Act. A full copy of the tax sale advertisement and further information about this matter is available on line at www.OntarioTaxSales.ca or taxsale@ southfrontenac.net or you may contact Jesse Collins, Acting Deputy Treasurer, The Corporation of South Frontenac, 4432 George Street, Box 100, Sydenham ON K0H 2T0, Phone: 613-376-3027 ext. 2347, Email: dt@southfrontenac.net.