Green Mobility

GREEN

MOBILITY

A partnership between a cleantech company and a condo developer brings e-car sharing to multi-residential parking garages.

Kite's business model attempts to remove combustion engine cars from the road.

Residents of a freshly built mid-rise in the Annex neighbourhood of Toronto have a fleet of electric vehicles waiting for them to use, whether that’s for a trip around town, a weekend getaway to the cottage or visiting family out-of-province.

The amenity, which rolled out this year at the nine-storey Bianca Condos on Dupont Street, arrives on the heels of more ambitious green standards and net zero targets to drive down community-wide emissions in the city.

Developer Tridel partnered with Canadianbased cleantech company Kite Mobility, which is first-to-market with the sustainable transportation model that allows residents to book EVs through a mobile app. So far, the company has provided two Tesla model 3’s, one Nissan Leaf, and eight e-bikes for designated parking spaces. If the condo becomes more occupied and demand ramps up, there’s a system in place to add extra vehicles.

“What we’re after is tackling two of the largest problems with respect to carbon in the city: the buildings themselves and personal transportation,” says Kite’s Founder Scott Macwilliam. As he explains, it’s a twofold solution. Users have a convenient and less expensive way to access transportation options. They’re not paying for maintenance, insurance or gas, but rather a pay-as-you-go model or through a monthly subscription of around $400, which figures lower than the estimated $1000 that car-owners spend on average.

On the developer side, the amenity bodes well with Toronto recently abolishing the minimum requirement for standard parking spaces in new developments. Those spaces are getting pricer to build. According to AltusGroup's 2021 Canadian Construction Cost Guide, the estimated cost of constructing a parking space in Toronto is $48,000 to $160,000. Meanwhile, the expensive housing market is making car ownership unattainable for incoming buyers.

Macwilliam says his company can eliminate about 10 cars in a building for every one of its car shares. “Sometimes, developers can remove an entire level of parking, along with the associated carbon creation,” he says. As a result, those construction costs, which have been escalating over the past two years, are obliterated and the building ultimately comes to market at greater speed.

In Vancouver, where EV uptake is higher, developer Canderal is currently removing a whole parking level of 450 spots in a new building through a Kite partnership. “The biggest concern is why would people purchase or rent in a building without a parking spot,” Macwilliam acknowledges. “This is a bit of a step change.” So much so that the developer is offering those residents access to the mobility sharing model at no cost for 24 months.

That hasn’t yet happened in Ontario, but overall, Macwilliam finds sustainability is becoming a top priority among developers across the country, with many more approaching him and new installations starting in Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver and Montreal.

Tridel is first to kickstart the model in a Toronto condo. Graeme Armster, director of innovation and sustainability at Tridel, sees

it as a helpful way to curb emissions as the city aims for new carbon targets, while giving owners access to green mobility options amid the higher cost of living.

“A lot of people want to drive electric vehicles but there are supply chain issues where they want to buy them but they can’t get their hands on one,” he says during a recent launch event at Bianca. “People also spend a lot of money to own a vehicle that maybe just sits there half the time.”

With the expectation to build more parking than what the market demands now removed, Armster foresees more developers latching onto solutions like Kite, especially against the backdrop of a low-carbon economy shift.

“I don’t think we’re at a point where we’d completely eliminate parking, but we’re probably not going to increase parking either,” he says. “You come out to a building like this, where maybe 40 to 50 per cent of the building has access to parking spots. The other 50 per cent are looking for ways to get around, and if they can do so in a convenient manner that’s also good for the environment, then why not.”

Sustainability isn’t a new thing for Tridel. “We’ve been doing it since 2003 when the company realized it could align development interests with environmental concerns,” he adds. “As we continue along, we don’t just stop; we think of how we can continue to build this momentum around sustainability, especially as the world is fixing on addressing issues around climate change.”

“We like to try a solution out first; touch, feel and get feedback from our customers,” he adds. “If the feedback is all good, which it has been so far, then we really start looking at how we’re going to roll it out strategically to other developments and that’s the next step.”

Users simply book their chosen EV then hold their phone up to the car to gain access. In that respect, it’s also a tech-based solution that aligns with smart technologies throughout the building— something Armster sees all demographics getting excited about.

The technology, and the idea of making it simple, is what Kite is seeking to perfect as it evolves the product, which launched at two towers in Laval, Montreal, last year. “We’ve made many iterations and tweaks based on user feedback,” says Macwilliam. “We’ve all rented a car before or taken an Uber or Lyft and there’s a lot of room to enhance the user experience

From top to bottom: Kite Mobility and Tridel came together for the launch at Bianca condos in October; the midrise building was designed by Teeple Architects and II BY IV Design.

there. If our users have an issue, they’ll actually connect to a live person who will help them right away versus completely digital. There are little cues we’ve taken from the industry that we’re trying to elevate that digital experience.” 1

Freehold and lot line condos: WHICH INSURANCE DO YOU NEED?

It’s a common scenario: a homebuyer purchases what appears to be a regular townhome only to be told it classifi es as a “freehold condominium.” This can be a confusing descriptor, but it technically holds true. The term “freehold” is frequently used as a marketing strategy to suggest purchasers are getting more than they would ordinarily receive when buying a unit, such as a front or back yard. That being said, a more accurate term for these types of condominiums would be a “lot line” condominium where the owner’s unit includes not just the building but also a portion of the land surrounding it.

Regardless of the marketing terms used to describe your condo unit, when you are setting up your personal insurance you should be most concerned if your condo is classifi ed as a standard registration and what is indicated in your condominium’s unique standard unit description.

It is important to note that the most common kind of condo registration in the province of Ontario is a standard registration. If a condominium is not described as a “Common Element Condominium” or a Vacant Land Condominium” within the registered name of your condominium, then it is highly likely it is a standard registration condo.

WHO INSURES A FREEHOLD?

Freehold or lot line condos carry unique maintenance obligations, and this is where confusion over insurance can set in. Specifi cally, freehold or lot line condo declarations often hold owners more responsible for the ongoing repair and maintenance of lot elements (e.g., roof, building envelope, driveway, trees, etc.).

Reading this, owners then might assume that they need insurance to cover any sudden or accidental damage that occurs on their lot, but that is often not the case. In truth, the Condominium Act of Ontario states that if a condominium is a “standard registration condominium,” then the condominium corporation is required to insure the common elements and the units, but not any improvements to the units. That includes the actual homes and any other common corporation property such as curbs, roadways, and light standards. Moreover, condominium corporations must insure a basic level of fi nishes within each home, as described by the condominium’s standard unit bylaw. As such, it is critical to pay attention to your corporation’s standard unit bylaw to understand what materials and fi nishes are considered part of a standard unit, and thus insured by the condo. Anything over and above those standard fi nishes and materials need to be

insured by the owner under a condo unit owner policy and are commonly referred to as betterments or improvements.

THE RIGHT POLICY

One question we get from owners of freehold or lot line condos is “What kind of insurance do I need?” The answer is that you should not be purchasing a standard home insurance policy, but rather a condominium unit owners’ insurance policy. This requires bringing a copy of your standard unit bylaw to your insurance broker and understanding what’s covered.

Overall, anything inside your unit that is not described in the standard unit bylaw is your responsibility to insure. As such, you should be sure to include the replacement value of any of those fi nishes or features (over and above what is listed in the bylaw) within your own betterments limit of insurance in your unit owners’ insurance policy.

To review, condominium unit owners are responsible for the following: • Personal Property: such as furniture, clothing, appliances, electronics, any moveable property within the unit, all personal effects stored in lockers, etc. • Improvements or Betterments: such as moldings, lighting, fl ooring, upgraded cabinetry, and anything over-and-above what is described in the standard unit bylaw. • Additional Costs to Live Elsewhere: if your unit is so badly damaged that you cannot occupy it until repairs are complete. • Personal Liability: condo owners are legally liable for any bodily injury or property damage arising out of their personal activities as a unit owner and from the ownership of your individual property. • Charge Back of Corporation Deductible: unit owners may be responsible for the deductible under the Corporation’s

Insurance Policy if the corporation has a bylaw that dictates this, or if the owner’s act or omission results in damage to any property the corporation is responsible for insuring. • Loss Assessment Coverage: if there is a major property or liability event that results in a shortfall in your condominium corporation insurance, you may be personally assessed as a unit owner. • Additional Unit Owner Protection: a unit owner policy should contain additional contingent protection to cover grey areas between the condo’s insurance and your own. • Special Limits and Extensions of Coverage: there may be other special limits of coverage required for jewelry, bicycles, sewer backup, and other exposures that may exist.

Your condo’s standard unit bylaw, like many others, may also indicate that the unit owner must insure all of their fl oor coverings. If this is the case, be sure to include the replacement cost of all fl oors above the sub-fl oor within your betterments limit of your own policy as well.

AVOID MISMATCHED POLICIES

If you purchase a regular homeowners policy to insure your property in a standard registration condo, you are making a big mistake. Not only will you have double coverage for a lot of the property that your condo already insures, but you could also be paying up to four times what you would for a condo unit owner’s policy. Additionally, you will be missing key elements of coverage that you need, based on exposures you have as a condominium unit owner.

IT PAYS TO GET ADVICE

The insurance requirements for a condo unit owner can be complex depending on the unit owner’s needs and their specifi c condominium bylaws. That’s why we strongly recommend working with an insurance broker that understands the complexities of condominium insurance and can recommend the right protection for you.