Barrie’s east end is a mix of the old and the new, the good and the bad, when it comes to housing.
Clare Riepma, Barrie’s Ward 1 councillor, has seen it all since first elected in 2018.
A city planner by profession, Riepma says the east end has a great variety of housing types that, during the years, have blended well into the area’s stable neighbourhoods and that work well for a wide variety of people.
“While the east end consists of mostly single-family homes, there are quite a number of small, three-storey apartment buildings and townhouse blocks scattered throughout,” he said. “Primarily along Blake Street, we have a few apartment buildings that are six and eight storeys.”
But Barrie is a growing, changing city and its east end has not escaped that change.
Riepma notes older homes are being updated, enlarged and modernized. Second and third suites are being added.
“Many homes in the college area are now used for student housing, which has significantly impacted that neighbourhood,” he said.
And dense development is also part of that change.
The Shoreview is an 11-storey rental apartment tower at 37 Johnson St., right behind Imperial Towers, which is also 11 storeys and is nearing completion.
But this development also illustrates the resistance to change in Barrie’s east end.
In September 2017, city council supported area residents and unanimously turned down a proposal to develop this residential tower, rejecting both the Official Plan and zoning-bylaw amendments being sought by Starlight Developments.
At the time, the Barrie East End Household Association submitted a petition with more than 400 signatures from people against the proposal.
But a little more than two years later, following an appeal of city council’s decision, the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT), formerly the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), ruled the project was consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement on land-use planning, conforms to the Greater Golden Horseshoe Growth Plan and adheres to the city's Official Plan. It was therefore approved in October 2019.
“Communities are ever-evolving to meet the needs of residents,” Riepma said. “Change in established historic neighbourhoods is always challenging because they are very stable and new construction is disruptive.
"Generally, a lot of work has been done to ensure that new growth fits into the existing neighbourhood," he added.
But neighbours contested Starlight’s request for a temporary noise-bylaw exemption for the new highrise apartment project, which would have allowed construction noise until 8 p.m. instead of 5 p.m., once a week until June 1 last year.
And challenges remain in Barrie’s east end.
“People need accommodation that is appropriate for them at their stage in life. In this regard, we have failed our Georgian College students badly,” Riepma said. “Far too many of them live in overcrowded homes designed for single-family use. A lot of good family homes would come available if student appropriate housing were available on or near campus.
“At the same time, we have also failed our seniors, many of whom live in homes that are larger than they need, but there are few bungalow townhouses available in the area,” he added. “As well, we are seeing homes being converted to Air BnBs, which further reduces our housing stock and causes issues in a neighbourhood.”
Getting a handle of rental housing stock has also been a challenge in the east end.
In February 223, council shelved a rental housing bylaw for at least a year, as a motion to have staff prepare the bylaw was deferred until the second quarter of 2024.
Riepma had proposed Barrie’s rental housing bylaw extend licensing to all homes used for rental purposes, where the landlord does not live on the premises, and with a provision requiring a local property management company to manage the licensed rental.
“We have not progressed with a bylaw to license rentals where the owner does not live on the premises,” he said. “However, that is something that could be considered again by council in the near future.”
Barrie has a rental licensing system, but only for boarding, lodging and rooming houses (BLRs) where more than four unrelated people live.
This wasn’t council's first attempt at better regulating rental housing in Barrie.
In the fall of 2021, council had a plan to amend the business licensing bylaw to allow a three-year pilot project requiring absentee landlords — those who don’t live at their property — to obtain a business licence before renting out a single-family home, a semi-detached home or a townhouse unless the owner lives on the premise.
The pilot project would have happened in the Ward 1 area bounded by Duckworth Street, Steel Street, Penetanguishene Road and the city limits on the north side of Georgian Drive beginning Jan. 1, 2022.
But council rejected the plan, replacing it with a proposal for city-wide, proactive enforcement of yard maintenance, parking and property standards. The plan included hiring four bylaw enforcement officers.
“We are supposed to get a report from staff on how the change to pro-active enforcement on property standards worked out,” Riepma said. “I expect that report in the near future.”
