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City shouldn’t have allowed park demolition: consultant (AUR warTTt we Der me or Barre should have stopped the de Mokbwon of hommes in the Burton Av enue Motile Home Park. a key wit Rees at an Ontario Murmcipal Board hearing this week testified SHS Consulting partner Eodward Starr told OMB hearing chairper- gon Sylvia Sutheriand the city com Gevencd te own Graft affordablic housing strategy. as well as Sirmooc County's and Ontario's. as tt grammed permusson for townhouses and a 20- @nit apartrnent tuikding to replace the long-tirne trailer park “They will not be as affordable @s the cxiting (mobile hore) units. Which were very low rem.” said Starr. — noted trailer site leases ranged am $300 to $700 per month a bevel affordable to those on incomes bs low as $12,000 per year based on a CMHC guideline of shelter costing 30 per cem of houschold income | However, local rents average $908 per month for a one-bedroom Spartment and $1.048 for a two- bedroom apartment. Townhouse fents are even higher, at $1.100 for & two-bedroom. home and $1.214 for a three-bedroom Property owners Dino Meichior and Joseph Vellinga gave trailer Dark tenants a year. ending July 31. to move. Many have left Meichior and Vellinga iitially Offered cach family $35,000 to help With moving cxpenses. then sweet- @ned the deal by adding $1.500 if they moved their trailers by May 31 Today. 23 trailers remain — Bown from 99 — on the 4. 1-hect- @re site “Of the units still remaining. “There ere few, if ary, options for these people in Berrie That's the major impect of this developmert.” Fawoard Stor hey re an cxisting supply (of al fordabic housing) and to replace them would require significant government subsidy.” Starr sand. suggesting a development charge credit of $31.788 per trailer the property owners will receive be imvested to create a rent-subsidy program or to make the 20-unit building more affordabic Starr also told the OMB that rem -geared-to- income housing wait times average four years for seniors like those who ve been liv mg im the trailer park “There are few. if any, options for these people in Barric. That's the major impact of this developmen.” But lan Rowe, counsel for Mel- chior and Vellinga. got Starr to admit there are other options for trailer park residents. many of whom have already moved “If | had nowhere to go bat the strect. I'd not leave carly. | wouldn't leave to go onto the street.” said Rowe. highlighting the number of residents who've teft their trailers behind. “They didn't have to get out until July 31° Starr acknowledged trailer park residents could have moved into a bachelor apartment. which ren for an average of $701/month. ora small basemem apartment. which could cost $749/month a EP 2 Tine Morgan te vielting « friend who lves in the trater park She wees out walting thew dog Emne Ther are still more then ae Goren traters Hat heven't been rernowed STAN HOWE FRCOTO OMB hearing giving park residents a say LALIIE WATT mariierncor Corn Burton Avenue Mobile Home Park residents will get to have their say at an Ontario Municipal Board hearing Thursday Even before the hearing began Tuesday. the large crowd pushed it inte the city's council chambers. a significant upgrade from the as- signed mecting room About a dozen park residents amd several neighbours jomed other community members in the hearing that's projected to last four days and tackle the issue of wheth- er or not demolishing the trailers adversely wnpacts the city’s al- fordable housing supply. Park owners Dino Meichior and Joseph Vellinga initially turned to the quas:-juchcial planning author- NAPOLEON ———— nd ity because they felt the city failed to iseue a tirmcly decision on their rezoning and subdivision appli cation that would cnable them to construct 99 townhouses and a 20- unit apartment building on the 4.1- hectare (10-acre) site Proposed last September. the de- velopers would be able to carry out their plan without the need for re- zoning. cxcept for a small piece of commercial on Burton Avenuc. The townhouses and apartment building are allowed in the RM2 zone Residents urged the city to not approve the small zoning change and the draft plan of subdivision Council approved the rezoning and draft plan, but according to the developers’ lawyer. lan Rowe. no formal notice was issucd nor a bylaw enacted. “Enpersence fhe difleserce experience mur: ll - ?. “We asked them to do mt and they declined.” Kowe said. add- ing he did not know why there was no follow-through on the April 25 counct! decision The city has hired a tawyer to sit through the four-day hearing and planning director Stephen Naylor said the city does not intend to play an active role in the hearing “If counci! had passed a bylaw. then i would have likely resulted im the applicant withdrawing their appeal and then forced anyone who objected to the bylaw to then file their own appeal.” he said “Since there was an appeal and an OMB process ongoing. it seemed to make sense to go this route and ensure that the resiicnts had an opportunity to voice their concerns.” / ovrwy eas e1eNy Oe ra