Guelph-Eramosa council has endorsed the condominium application for the Rockwood Mews.
The development will contain 21 stacked townhouse-style units and three buildings, explained township planning associate Kelsey Lang at the April 18 council meeting. The condo will be located at 301 Joliffe Ave. with one access point to the road.
Though it’s the county that makes the final decision about condominium approvals the township was asked to submit comments surrounding the application.
Last June the township removed a holding provision and the site plan was approved and registered on title in September. Because the township was unsure if a condo agreement would be brought forward many of the conditions that would normally be in the condo agreement were included in the site plan agreement, Lang explained. The result is fewer conditions in the condo agreement than the township would normally include.
“So this application was circulated internally. Miller Thompson’s only comment was that the township should be reviewing the declaration for the condominium,” Lang said. “Burnside and our chief building official had no comments as those items had already been included in that site plan agreement.”
Mayor Chris White said he’s “skittish” about getting involved in condo corporations or being responsible for any aspect because he doesn’t want to be in a position where the corporation can blame the township in the future.
“We’re not taking responsibility for any of the items in the declaration, it’s more to make sure that they’re not setting forth any rules that would break our bylaws,” Lang said.
Councillor Corey Woods asked about the condo’s street lights.
“That’s one of the things that bugged me about the previous condo that we just signed off on,” he said. “We couldn’t force, they built the lights but they wouldn’t energize them. Is it in this one that they have to energize them?”
Lang clarified that the new condo’s street lights must be energized before people can move into the units.
Councillor Mark Bouwmeester was concerned about the limited parking in the subdivision.
“Do we have the ability to put a sign up and have the condo developer pay for that?” he asked. “That says whatever we think it should say basically.”
Lang explained that the developer pays for all the signs and there will be signs up in all the no-parking zones. She also said the rules and regulations of the development will be included in the condominium declaration that all new home owners will receive.
Bouwmeester said his concern was that people would park illegally.
“Well then we tag them,” White said. “Either you can park or you can’t. If they park in a fire thing we’ll tag them, probably tow them I’d think, eventually in that circumstance.”
He also said there’s a few safeguards in place to ensure that homeowners are set when they purchase one of the units.
“One, you’ve got the site plan where all of this is laid out, and then you’ve got the declaration, which goes with the package,” he said.
Council is sending a copy of the endorsement to Wellington County.
