The Quinte West Planning Advisory Committee discussed zoning bylaws at Thursday night’s meeting. Photo by Megan Pounder, QNet News
By Megan Pounder [1]
TRENTON – A homeowner’s additions to his property were the main topic of discussion at Thursday night’s Quinte West planning advisory committee meeting.
The property is located on Trentside Lane in Frankford. According to Quinte West planner Linda Bui, neighbours complained that the owner had built additions to his house that were too close to their property line and thus would have a negative effect on their ability to sell.
A report by municipal staff says that since the owner purchased the property seven years ago there have been several additions without any permits.
Building inspectors went to the site several times and determined that the owner had built – without a permit – a six-foot by 29-foot living-space addition, a 12-foot by 16-foot bedroom addition, a seven-foot by 15-foot attached shed, and a raised deck about 10 feet by two feet, the report says. The homeowner was told that all of the additions will require building permits and will need to comply with the Ontario Building Code [2].
Coun. Al DeWitt said that, because someone complained about ir, the property owner will have to comply with building codes and permits.
“Now the (homeowner) has recognized that all of the additions have to be brought up and meet building code, (he) has to retroactively pay for the building permits to fix it,” he said.
He will also have to seek a rezoning so the property meets standards set by the Ontario Planning Act [3], DeWitt said.
Planning committee members unanimously approved a minor variance application [4] allowing the homeowner to keep his additions as long as they meet building and planning permits.
Quinte West Coun. Al DeWitt says the property owner now has to meet building codes and permits. Photo by Megan Pounder, QNet News
“So now (this) will be inspected into code. They have a new zoning on their property that allows them to be within 1.2 metres of their property line,” DeWitt said. The standard zoning is 2.5 metres.
The planning committee’s approval is just one step in the process.
“Now this will be moved forward to go to council on March 6. Council ultimately decides to pass the bylaw,” Bui said.
She explained the two-step process: “The planning advisory committee is just kind of what you’d say is a preliminary filter – so they pretty much will filter out whether they want to approve it or not, and it goes to council.”
This is followed by what Bui called a “last day of appeal,” where anyone can object to the application if they choose to do so.
“It is a public application, so whether or not staff support it, anybody can apply for a zoning-bylaw amendment, that’s up to their discretion if they want to move forward.”