Two Orr Lake neighbours share the same situation yet have completely different takes on that experience.
One owns a cottage at 3 Cedar Lane and rents it out as a short-term rental (STR), which she says contributes to the local economy.
“It provides local jobs, customers to local businesses, lots of cleaners to maintain the property and trades,” Ann Fan told Springwater Township council on Wednesday night.
She was speaking virtually during a mandatory public meeting for the consideration of an Official Plan amendment and zoning bylaw amendment for STRs in the township.
Meanwhile, Fan's neighbour at 7 Cedar Lane has a differing perspective.
“People tend to arrive, back their car up, open the back up, taking their coolers, their beer cases, their pop cases and a lot of them don’t leave for the weekend,” said Nora Dixon, a senior and Fan’s Orr Lake neighbour, who appeared in person at council.
“I think that’s in part, because they (Fan) provide so many recreational activities for them they don’t need to leave. They can stay there and have a whale of a time," Dixon added. “Do they really contribute to the local economy?”
While Dixon says she has excellent relations with her neighbour — “we really have no complaints about them or the unit as a whole” — she thought it was important that council see both sides of the issue.
Orr Lake is located just a few minutes outside of Elmvale.
Dixon’s was the only voice to oppose STRs at this week's meeting.
Currently, according to Deborah-Ann Liske, a planner with the township, land-use planning documents do not define short-term rentals and do not list it as a permitted use within residential zones. As the township considers regulating them, it needed to update the township land use planning documents.
“Following the direction from the township’s solicitor in spring of this year, and direction received from council in July, staff have drafted the necessary amendments to the township’s Official Plan and zoning bylaw, which is the subject of tonight’s public meeting,” Liske said.
Liske noted these are draft documents, which were the topic of discussion at Wednesday's public meeting, and no staff recommendation has been provided at this time.
The township initiated an amendment to the Official Plan to provide guiding policies for the consideration of short-term rentals that would be implemented through the township’s zoning bylaw and also administered through an STR licensing program.
“The draft zoning bylaw amendment proposes to provide a definition of a short-term rental accommodation and permit such accommodations as a secondary use within all zones that permit a residential dwelling unit, a seasonal dwelling unit and an additional residential unit,” Liske said.
That definition would include that a short-term rental accommodation must be secondary to the established main residential use.
“This inclusion in the definition ensures that short-term rentals are not primary use, as such use would be more in line with a definition of a commercial accommodation,” Liske said. “This means that a dwelling unit cannot be rented out on a short-term basis more than it is used as a primary dwelling, therefore the long-term residential component of the property is still maintained.”
The terminology 'secondary’ was added into the definition based on the township solicitor’s advice that the municipality provide a clear distinction in the proposed definition of when the use becomes a commercial accommodation.
The draft bylaw amendment proposes a minimum parking requirement — one space per bedroom that is rented — and limits short-term accommodations to no more than 28 consecutive calendar days.
The bylaw amendment, as drafted, would permit STR accommodations in all residential zones within Springwater.
The township’s planning staff will now review all comments, provide possible revisions to the drafted policies, and provide a recommendation to council at a later date.
