CENTRE WELLINGTON — Parking remains a key concern for councillors as they mull over what the township's future short-term rental bylaw will look like.
Council approved recommendations from a draft short-term rental (STR) bylaw report to create the future bylaw at a Centre Wellington council meeting Monday afternoon, councillors remained unsure whether the parking requirements built into the current draft are enough to make a dent in the parking problem, particularly in Elora.
Of the approximately 150 to 200 STRs currently in Centre Wellington, staff said many cannot meet the suggested requirements, particularly on-site parking. The existing draft bylaw currently proposes one parking space per room or per two people in permitted occupancy.
Since the tourism zones where many STRs are already established have "little opportunity" for new parking requirements, staff suggested grandfathering existing STRs in heritage overlay zones that can't meet the parking requirements.
This was a concern for Coun. Bronwynne Wilton, who questioned how allowing more short-term rentals within a zone with limited parking wouldn't add to the problem.
Municipal clerk Kerri O'Kane said most of the existing STRs "will not be able to provide any parking" and the thought process is they want to add exceptions for those currently operating "so we don't lose them because of that restriction."
"I would still argue that the heritage overlay zone is not an appropriate template to use ... because we could just have spillover problems into the rest of the urban communities," said Wilton. "So I'm just cautious and nervous about just saying the existing ones can continue as they are because I think the existing ones are part of the problem."
Sharing Wilton's concerns about parking, Coun. Jennifer Adams suggested the bylaw could address the issue if it restricts the maximum number of bedrooms and the number of occupants permitted per bedroom. She also said all STRs should have a parking plan, existing or not.
The draft bylaw currently proposes a maximum occupancy limit of two people per bedroom.
"I don't feel like any of us are trying to put too much regulation on good business owners here. I think it's like we're trying to deal with those issues where we're having these whole house parties in residential areas and things like that," said Adams. "So maybe ... (this) would be a good way to get rid of those big issues we're seeing that are really causing our community some pain."
Coun. Barb Evoy was also concerned about how far away an owner can live from their STR. Wilton suggested all STAs be "owner-occupied" or with an additional residential unit on the property.
Staff have recommended STR owners have a residence on the property or live within one kilometre.
"If we continue the path we're on now, we could have our entire downtown core filled with ghost houses, which I don't think any of us really want," said Wilton.
While understanding of the previous points, Coun. Denis Craddock pointed out some existing STRs operate above commercial spaces and could never be longterm rentals because they don't have a kitchenette.
"If we're too restrictive, we will perhaps kill (the STR) industry," said O'Kane. "(The bylaw) is about finding the balance and I think that's what we've tried to do."
The next draft of the STR bylaw will return to the Economic Prosperity and Growth Advisory Committee (EPGAC) before coming to council in February or early March.
It was previously referred to the EPGAC who, "by a narrow majority," recommended council approve creating a STR licensing bylaw based on the report recommendations. Three members declared pecuniary interests because they own STRs.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
