This month’s Committee of Adjustment meeting will hopefully not be the marathon that April’s was; there are significantly fewer than a dozen different applications to dispatch. The committee will hear a couple of applications that will look at some building expansions, and then they will hear from staff about the approved changes to the Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw and the Provincially approved changes to the Official Plan.
NOTE #1: This meeting will hybrid in format, available on the City of Guelph live stream, but you can also appear in-person at the council chambers in 1 Carden Street.
NOTE #2: If you would like to delegate on one of these matters, or submit a written comment, you have until Wednesday May 10 at noon to get in touch with committee staff at cofa [at] guelph.ca, or by calling 519-822-1260 extension 2524.
NOTE #3: The meeting begins at 4 pm.
Vice-Chair Election – Member Meads resigned from the committee before last month’s meeting, and it created not just another general vacancy, but a hole in the executive. So before anything else at this meeting, the Committee of Adjustment has to choose a new vice-chair.
A-28/23 107 Ontario Street – The property owner is looking to add an addition on the second storey, which will require reduced setbacks for existing sheds, greenhouse and deck. The cover letter to the committee does note that the owners are willing to move any structures that can be moved, and they apparently have the blessing of their neighbours.
A-29/23 70 Lyon Avenue – This homeowner is also looking to add a second storey, but there’s an increased level of difficulty because they need variances to permit reduced front yard setback for proposed second storey addition to existing residential dwelling and increased exterior stairs projection into front yard. Heritage planning staff have also apparently been engaged about maintaining the character of the property.
A-30/23 77 Metcalfe Street – The addition here is on the detached garage. Work on this expansion requires a variance to permit reduced side yard setbacks.
B-6/23 B-7/23 64 and 68 Queen Street – Something unusual for this application: Consent to create sanitary servicing easement. For those who may not know, an easement is “the right to cross or otherwise use another’s land for a specified purpose.” This is a matter of right of use not ownership, and in this instance the easement has to do with a utility. The easement will allow 72 Queen Street to access the sewer lines.
Comprehensive Zoning By-Law and Official Plan Amendment 80 Update – Abby Watts, Project Manager for the Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw Review, will go through the variety of changes to the zoning bylaw that were approved by city council last month. The presentation is included in the meeting package, but those slides don’t mention the OPA 80 decision by the Ontario government, which will also be discussed that week at the city council planning meeting.
Member Vacancy Update – As mentioned above, there is another vacancy on the Committee of the Adjustment.
Ontario Land Tribunal Appeal: 201 Elmira Road South (Minor Variance File A-19/23) – Last month, the committee refused to approve a couple of minor variances for this in-progress development in the west end. That developer has now taken their appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal and the meeting package includes their notice of appeal. It’s unlikely any further action from the committee will be made at this time.
Guelph Politico 