Innisfil Council repealed Bylaw 104-20 on Wednesday night – the Interim Control By-law that froze all building and development on lands on the south side of Innisfil Beach Road, from Lakelands to 25 Sideroad, pending their rezoning to mixed use (MU3) Downtown Commercial.
The Interim Control Bylaw (ICB) was first passed on May 8, 2019 after the town updated its Official Plan. The OPA redesignated not only the lands on Innisfil Beach Road, but also five waterfront properties on Lakelands, as Mixed Use Commercial.
The plan envisioned redevelopment of the properties, to introduce buildings of two to four storeys, with commercial/retail on the ground floor and residential above.
Lakelands property owners were shocked, protesting claiming that the town failed to notify them that their properties had been redesignated.
Then, in the middle of the public meetings and debate, the COVID 19 pandemic hit.
The initial ICB was set to expire in May 2020, but the pandemic and emergency measures put in place by the province resulted in an extension of the bylaw to Aug.13.
Innisfil Council met on Aug. 12, to vote on a recommendation of staff, that the rezoning proceed for all of the designated lands, including the five waterfront homes on Lakelands.
Council, after extensive debate, rejected the recommendation.
Instead, they voted to remove the five homes from the ICB, and extend the bylaw until May 2021 to allow for further consideration of the impact on the remaining properties impacted by the rezoning.
However, the issue returned to council on Nov. 25, when council approved the rezoning to MU3 of the properties on the south side of Innisfil Beach Road between Lakelands and 25 Sideroad, two properties on 25 SR, one on Emily’s Place, one on Hastings, and three homes on the west side (non-waterfront) of Lakelands.
The rezoning made the ICB unnecessary, and once the appeals period for the new bylaw ended Dec. 22, 2020, council was advised to repeal Bylaw 104-20.
“From my perspective, I agree with the staff report to repeal this,” said Coun. Donna Orsatti on Wednesday night. “Residents have wanted to get on with their life.”
With the bylaw repealed, homeowners and developers can now apply for building permits for the properties, “in accordance with the new zoning provisions.”
That means that while decks and other small changes are permitted, no expansion of gross floor area of a residence will be considered, without an application to the Committee of Adjustment. Those applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Orsatti wanted to know when the process to remove the five waterfront homes would be completed, changing their designation in the Official Plan back to residential and waterfront, “to tidy up those loose ends so we can inform residents it’s all been handled.”
Manager of Planning Mary Nordstrom advised that there would be two opportunities to carry out the “housekeeping” adjustments and redesignate: the next update to the Official Plan, or the Commercial Land Needs Study planned for 2022, “whichever comes sooner.”
Council unanimously voted to repeal the Interim Control Bylaw.
