Huntsville Planning Council approves Official Plan amendments

To increase the number of multiple-residential and rental housing units in the community, Huntsville Planning Council approved amendments to the Official Plan (OP) and the Community Planning Permit bylaw at its July 16 meeting.

The policy changes were raised through the municipality’s Housing Action Plan. Kirstin Maxwell, Huntsville Director of Planning Services, gave councillors a synopsis of the changes proposed.

OP amendments

• The OP amendments would require a mix of housing types in each phase of a new subdivision development, instead of just encouraging such a mix.
• An affordable housing target would be included for all new residential development of ten or more units.
• The Town shall require a minimum of 25% of all new ground-related housing in each application of 10 or more units to be constructed to accommodate future secondary residential dwelling units through such measures as sufficient window sizes, plumbing, rough-in, fire/sound separation, and other base construction requirements as specified in the Ontario Building Code.
• The introduction of policies that would allow residential uses in the Muskoka Commerce Park area, the regional commercial designation as well as the Port Sydney community business areas.
• Restrict the conversion of multiple residential buildings to condominiums.

Community Planning Permit amendments

• Changes include a provision to permit two secondary residential units within a detached structure on rural and rural residential lots.
• Provision to reduce parking requirements from 1.25 spaces to one space per unit for residential rentals and to 0.75 spaces per unit for affordable rentals.
• Provision for fourplexes on lots within the Urban Residential Low precinct.
• Removed the provision that allows short-term rental accommodation as a permitted accessory use in the Urban Residential Low precinct.
• Added accessory residential uses for the Regional Commercial precinct.
• Added a fourplex as an additional permitted use in the Community Mixed Use precinct. (Port Sydney, Novar and Utterson).
• Added an accessory residential use for up to four units in the Port Sydney Employment precinct.
• Included accessory residential uses in the Muskoka Commerce Park Employment precinct.
• Included a reference for parking reductions for affordable or rental development in the list of conditions of approval, or provisional approval, section of the Community Planning Permit bylaw.

“Great work. I’m really glad to see this come forward, especially with the reduction of parking, especially for apartments, etc., so I think that’s great. Good for us,” said Huntsville Deputy Mayor Dan Armour.

Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock echoed Armour’s comment. “So this is really great to see,” she said.

The changes were approved.

You can find the staff report HERE.

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