ELORA – In the face of a housing crisis, the province has determined that every municipality in the province should allow homeowners to add up to two additional residential units (ARUs) to their property.
With that direction in their back pockets, council decided at its Nov. 10 meeting to update its zoning bylaw amendment to allow it here.
Managing director of planning and development Brett Salmon explained that while Centre Wellington had a long-standing provision to permit a second unit inside a detached house, the province expanded those provisions in 2019 to allow two ARUs on a property.
Wellington County updated its Official Plan through OPA 112 to be compliant.
In 2022 “the province went a step further and now requires municipalities to permit a total of three residential units per lot where full municipal sewer and water services exist, which can include up to three attached units, or two attached units and one detached unit,” Salmon wrote in his report.
Again, Wellington County updated its official plan through OPA 123, which was recently approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Salmon said because of that the township doesn’t need an official plan amendment, just a zoning bylaw amendment. And because of the provincial planning statement certain aspects of the township’s previous bylaw are no longer permitted.
“For example, our 2022 bylaw specified that site plan approval applies to detached ARUs, but this is now prohibited by the Planning Act. Site plan approval cannot be applied to a site with fewer than 10 dwelling units,” Salmon wrote.
The only change the township can make to the bylaw is that there must be an unobstructed walkway to the ARU.
Councillor Lisa MacDonald noted she’s heard from residents who don’t like having an ARU next door.
“We are required to facilitate it,” Salmon said. “We are supposed to make it easy.”
Salmon included a guide to ARUs written by the Brant County for its residents to understand ARUs and suggested Centre Wellington could provide a similar guide for interested homeowners.
Council approved the motion.
