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Fwd: Update: Short-term Rental Policy and Affordable Housing Commission

by lavellcampbell

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Neighbours Speak Up <neighboursspeakup(a)gmail.com> Date: Sun, Mar 7, 2021 at 8:58 PM Subject: Update: Short-term Rental Policy and Affordable Housing Commission To: Hi everyone, I am attaching a Submission we have made to the Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission, concerning short-term rental regulation. The intent of our Submission is to remind the Commission of the importance of protecting long-term housing from commercial short-term rental activity. In addition, given the make-up of the Commission, we want to emphasize our interest in seeing regulation move forward. As we move into Spring and Summer we will likely see a return to travel and demand for STRs. As you will see, we are also recommending that individuals on the Commission, who own and manage residential properties, make a commitment that their own properties be used only for long-term tenancy. The submission also provides a summary of where regulation work stands at present. Much progress will depend on the implementation of the HRM plans that were approved in September 30,2020. That work involves liaison and possible amendment to parts of the Provincial legislation. I understand that work has begun on the HRM process and we are expected to see an implementation report to Council in late Spring or Summer. The Affordable Housing Commission was established by the Province of Nova Scotia to make recommendations that will support greater supply and access to affordable housing. Recommendations will inform provincial housing policy and financial commitments made under the National Housing Strategy. The Commission was announced by then Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Chuck Porter, on November 25, 2020, and launched its public outreach on January 25, 2021. The Commission is co-chaired by Catherine Berliner, former Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and Dr. Ren Thomas, Assistant Professor of Planning, Dalhousie University. The remaining 15 Commission members include representatives and experts in co-operative housing, housing advocacy, indigenous community housing, public servants familiar with housing needs and planning and 5 CEOs of the major residential and investment housing managers and developers in the Province. You can see details on their website , linked below. The Commission is looking for input on 'affordable housing'. If you have concerns and ideas you would like to share please do. As you will see on their site , there are many ways to communicate with the Commission. https://nsaffordablehousingcommission.ca Thanks as always for your support and feedback. Please note you may have to click 'download' to bring up the attached document. Bill Stewart for Neighbours Speak Up -- You are receiving this email because you have expressed interest in being updated regarding the short-term rental issue. If you do not wish to receive further messages please let us know.

3 years, 2 months

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Friend looking for a one-bedroom apartment

by Martha Radice

Hi folks, My friend and former roommate Brad is looking for a one-bedroom apartment/flat in the neighborhood, available now/Feb. 1st/whenever. If anyone knows of anything, please let him know at bradmilligan(a)hotmail.com. Having lived with Brad for over a year, I can wholeheartedly recommend him as a person to entrust your dwelling to! Cheers, Martha Northwood Terrace

3 years, 3 months

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Public meeting re the development behind the NSLC and CycleSmith

by Ron Skibbens

Ni neighbours, On the walk home last night we saw a notice announcing a public meeting about the development on Maynard street right behind the NSLC and Cycle Smith. I know this is just outside our BNRA boundaries, but some neighbours might be interested, and I bet a few of us head over there for bikes or bottles every so often! Ron [cid:image003.jpg@01D6CEE8.ED277950] Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10

3 years, 5 months

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"Virtual Walk Stops" for Centre Plan consultation - Landmark Buildings & shall I continue?

by Katherine Kitching

Hi all, Since our Centre Plan community walks had to be cancelled due to covid, the non-profit I work with (Walk n Roll Hfx) is now working on virtual walk stops-by-email (and facebook) instead. Not as fun, but hopefully better than nothing :) I'm including the first walk stop here. I was thinking to send each stop out to this (BNRA) list - we'll probably do 2-3 a week for the month of December, and after that the consultation period for the Centre Plan is over! However if you think that'll to be too much, please let me know. If hear back from you folks that you don't want me to send each stop to the BNRA list, I can send you our e-newsletter sign-up link instead. Anyhow here's the first stop on our virtual walking tour :) We welcome you to submit photos and/or ideas for future "stops"! *Walk nâ€™ Roll Centre Plan Virtual Walks Stop #1: Landmark Buildings* Hello!Todayâ€™s virtual walk stop concerns: LANDMARK BUILDINGS This photo was submitted by Kat.Itâ€™s of the United Memorial Church on Young St in the north end. Did you know that under the draft Centre Plan Package B, it is designated a *Landmark Building*? Read on to find out what this means.... United Memorial Church.jpg * * * * * What is a Landmark Building?* There are many treasured institutional buildings in Halifax that are not registered heritage properties. The Centre Planâ€™s Landmark Buildings designation aims to give property owners incentives to preserve significant buildings within an â€œinstitutionalâ€ zone, outside of the heritage system. _Examples of Landmark Buildings on the draft list_: - The Maritime Conservatory (Chebucto & St. Matthias - Halifax) - St. Thomas Aquinas Church (Oxford & Jubilee - Halifax) - St. Andrewâ€™s Church (near Brightwood golf course - Dartmouth) - St. James (Alderney and Portland â€“ Dartmouth). *How does the Landmark Building designation incentivize preservation?* In the past, if property owners of institutional buildings wanted to redevelop, they'd have to apply for a re-zoning or plan amendment.Once re-zoned, the original building could be torn down and replaced with commercial/residential. This process is somewhat onerous. Under the draft Centre Plan, owners of buildings designated as â€œLandmark Buildingsâ€ can be granted permission to add commercial and/or residential uses to the building /without/ having to apply re-zoning, as long as they keep the original building envelope intact. In short: if the buildingâ€™s exterior is preserved, more flexibility of use is permitted on the inside, making it easier and more appealing for property owners to preserve and renovate. /Note 1: Most Landmark Buildings are zoned â€œInstitutionalâ€ in the Plan (churches, schools, etc). This tool is not being applied to private commercial or residential buildings since it wouldnâ€™t add any additional preservation incentives./ /Note 2: The Landmark Building designation does not guarantee a building will be preserved â€“ it simply provides incentives to the property owner.Heritage Designation is still considered the strongest preservation tool./ *WHAT DO YOU THINK?DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?* -Do you want to know if a property is included on the Landmark Buildings list?Ask us! -Do you have suggestions for additional properties to include? -Do you have ideas for how the wording of this draft bylaw could be improved? *__* *WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE DRAFT PLAN SAY?* Click here <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vzC-9FUIdzRTM7uUM0tWopogeXNu8-X1MKAbiHN…> to see the draft text & comment. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vzC-9FUIdzRTM7uUM0tWopogeXNu8-X1MKAbiHN… *HOW CAN I SEE ALL THE PROPOSED LANDMARK BUILDINGS?* The proposed Landmark Buildings are shown on a map that forms part of the draft bylaw. You can browse a PDF of the map here <https://www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/1041/widgets/5965/documents/28201>. https://www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/1041/widgets/5965/documents/28201 If youâ€™re wondering about a specific building, you can also email us at centreplanwalks(a)gmail.com. *More info from the Centre Plan folks:* Landmark Building Fact Sheet <https://www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/1041/widgets/5965/documents/28134> (PDF) https://www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/1041/widgets/5965/documents/28134

3 years, 5 months

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Fwd: Freshwater brook exposed

by lavellcampbell

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Peggy Cameron <p.cameron(a)ns.sympatico.ca> Date: Sat, Dec 5, 2020 at 2:16 PM Subject: Freshwater brook exposed To: Please circulate, Stephen Archibald has a nice new blog on Freshwater Brook uncovered linked to here. Wouldnâ€™t it be exciting to daylight this stream instead of burying it under an 8-storey parking garage? We need to let nature help take care of us not continue the abuse!! Please like, share and comment! - https://www.facebook.com/pg/halifaxcommon/posts/

3 years, 5 months

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office/studio space available for rent on Bloomfield

by Hillary L

Hi All! This is my first time sending an email to this list, but I live on Bloomfield and know many of you from the neighbourhood! I have a south facing room with a skylight in the house I'm renting and I'm hoping to find an artist/professional/student (whomever!) who might be interested in renting it for an office or studio space. The kijiji ad is here: https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1538787960 I'm asking $350, everything in, and am open to negotiating for the right person. Happy to send along more information for anyone who is interested. Thanks! Hillary

3 years, 5 months

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Fwd: Canada to Tax Airbnb and other Digital Services

by lavellcampbell

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Neighbours Speak Up <neighboursspeakup(a)gmail.com> Date: Thu, Dec 3, 2020 at 12:27 PM Subject: Canada to Tax Airbnb and other Digital Services To: Hi everyone, As some of you may have seen, the Fall Financial Statement by the Government of Canada includes provisions that will tax a number of foreign digital services, such as Airbnb. This is intended to level the playing field with other businesses in the tourist accommodation area and, in my view, is a recognition that regulation is needed in this sector of the economy. I've copied the specific section of the Statement related to Short-term Rentals and provided links to the full section on Taxation of Digital Services and an article in The Toronto Star commenting on the potential impact. Bill Stewart for Neighbours Speak Up 4.8.1.3 Fair Taxation of Short-Term Accommodation through Digital Platforms Increasingly, individual property owners are renting out their residences, or other residential property, through digital platforms for short-term periods. Property owners may not be aware of the relevant GST/HST requirements with respect to these rentals. Additionally, the platforms that facilitate these rentals are not responsible for accounting for the GST/HST on these rentals under current rules. These factors result in the GST/HST not being applied consistently and putting more traditional Canadian accommodation providers, such as hotels, at a comparative disadvantage. The growing popularity of the sector has also led to an increasing number of homes and properties being re-purposed from long-term into short-term rental accommodation. While data on short-term accommodation is limited, a 2019 study estimated that more than 30,000 housing units in Canada were frequently being used for this purpose. For people living in Canadaâ€™s largest cities, the limited supply of long-term housing has made it more difficult to afford a home. - To improve GST/HST compliance, and to ensure fairness across the accommodation sector, the government proposes to apply the GST/HST to all platform-based short-term rental accommodation supplied in Canada. Under this proposal, the GST/HST will be required to be collected and remitted â€“ by either the property owner, or the digital accommodation platform â€“ on short-term accommodation that is supplied in Canada through a digital accommodation platform. These changes are proposed to be effective July 1, 2021, which will provide time for the government to consult stakeholders on the proposed changes and for stakeholders to comply with these proposals. It is estimated that the proposed measure will increase federal revenues by $360 million over 5 years, starting in 2021-22. As referenced in Chapter 3, the government is also investing in affordable housing. https://www.thestar.com/business/2020/11/30/ottawa-to-impose-fair-share-of-… https://www.budget.gc.ca/fes-eea/2020/report-rapport/chap4-en.html#48-A-Fai… -- You are receiving this email because you have expressed interest in being updated regarding the short-term rental issue. If you do not wish to receive further messages please let us know.

3 years, 5 months

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Update on lot behind NSLC and Cyclesmith

by Katherine Kitching

Hi all, in one of the "Centre Plan Walks" we did last month (alas now postponed/cancelled due to COVID uptick), Jane asked if we knew what was to become of the lot behind the NSLC (and Cyclesmith) off of Agricola. I asked around and here is what I learned. (as always, this is just my best understanding but should not be taken as the gospel, I am just a layperson who is interested in this stuff!) First off, that property is governed under the new Centre Plan rules for Package A which were approved in 2019. In that designation, it is zoned Corridor - Corridor heights vary from area-to-area, but in this particular area the height limit is 20 metres. Â (Generally you can assume about 3m per storey). The proponent has submitted a "pre-application" which is being reviewed by HRM If the proposal moves forward, then it will require a "Level 3 site plan approval process" which means there will be a public meeting at some point. In addition, the proponent must show to HRM planners how the development meets all the detailed design requirements outlined in the Centre Plan. There are way too many design requirements to outline here but they cover everything from building size and shape, to relationship of the building to the public sidewalk, to the types of materials that the building can be "clad" with, etc. In short, the building will be carefully scrutinized to ensure it complies with all the good design principles that were included in the Centre Plan. Will be interesting to see what people think of the results! So to be clear, there is no official information about this proposal being released to the public right now since it is in the pre-application phase (i.e. no official application has been made), but someone posted this on Twitter the other day- which may give an idea of what the proponent is hoping to build. To be clear: this is in no way approved or even officially submitted - just a picture that somebody is circulating around! https://twitter.com/HalifaxReTales/status/1333543867149377546 Kat K

3 years, 5 months

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FW: Bloomfield Walk notes

by Rexanne and/or Ron

Hi Neighbours, Here are Katâ€™s and HRM staffâ€™s notes from the latest walk Kat organized to help inform us about the development of the Centre Plan, especially as it affects our neighbourhood. See comments from Councillor Smith about the Bloomfield Centre near the end. Thanks so much to Kat for her efforts on our behalf. Ron Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: Katherine Kitching Sent: December 2, 2020 4:21 PM Cc: Rexanne and/or Ron Skibbens Subject: Fwd: Bloomfield Walk notes Hi all, here are the notes that I have from our walk a couple of weeks ago, along with follow-up from Brandon, the planner who joined us. Feel free to share with others who may be interested. Please write me back if you have further questions we can get the planners to answer for you.. or if you have further comments/feedback to share with the planners. First half of December is the critical window to have your feedback considered! BLOOMFIELD WALK NOTES SUNDAY NOV 21 Concern voiced about potential Heritage Neighbourhood designation for Bloomfield n'hood: - It would be important for restrictions not to be too strict. Old houses require a lot of maintenance and owners need the flexibility to be able to do this maintenance in a cost-effective way. As far as I recall, everything else discussed was Q&A. Please correct me if you have other feedback to add. Here are the questions, answered by Brandon! Â 1. Attached garage requirements in the ER zonesÂ (what sort of garages are permitted in our neighbourhood?) The proposed Centre Plan - Package B by-law includes 3 requirements related to attached garages for the 3 ER zones. The first requirement (Section 153(1) states that any garage door facing the front or flanking lot line shall not project any closer to the streetline than the wall of the main dwelling. The second requirement (153(2)) limits the number of garage doors facing the front lot line for a low-density dwelling use to one door and to a width of nor more than 50% of the width of the dwelling to a maximum of 3 metres. The third requirement (153(3)) limits the number of garage doors facing a flanking lot line for a low-density dwelling use to two doors and a maximum width of 50% of the dwelling up to 6 metres. There are separate and detailed requirements for detached garages in the by-law as they are accessory structures. Â DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS/FEEDBACK ON THE ABOVE? 2. Urban Farm use (pertaining to the currently vacant lot on Northwood we stopped at) Urban Farm use is defined as an urban agriculture use, including a community garden, undertaken by a property owner, a community organization, or a commercial operator. Urban Agriculture use is defined as the use of a structure or land for: (a) the keeping of bees as an accessory use; (b) the keeping of egg-laying hens as an accessory use; or (c) the breeding, planting, cultivation, or harvesting of plants, such as vegetables, fruits, herbs, sprouts, ornamental plants, and flowers. These two definitions mean that the vacant lot we stopped at could be used as an Urban Farm but without a principal use on the lot like a dwelling the owner could not do (a) bees, or (b) hens alone as they are accessory uses. The lot could be used for (c) the breeding, planting, cultivation, or harvesting of plants, such as vegetables, fruits, herbs, sprouts, ornamental plants, and flowers. Â DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS/FEEDBACK ON THE ABOVE? 3. Bloomfield site Update Â Councillor Smith recently provided a detailed summary and history of the Bloomfield site and process. At the end of the timeline you can see that Council has moved to conditionally accept the RFP, as per the Disposal policy. Importantly, conditions were attached to the sale of the site or incorporated into policy for the site as we discussed on our walk yesterday. In 2017, Council directed staff to explore incorporating the following principles of the Bloomfield Master Plan concept: â€¢ 10,000 square feet of commercial market space, targeted to creative industry â€¢ 20,000 square feet of affordable community and cultural space â€¢ 20 percent of the site as open space â€¢ Explore incorporating affordable housing, as a condition of sale, consistent with policy direction to be set out in the Centre Plan. Â Councillor Smithâ€™s summary can be found here: https://lindellsmithhfx.ca/2020/10/13/bloomfield-sale-statement/ The minutes from the Regional Council meeting where these priorities were set can be found here: https://www.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-cou… Â Thanks again for the great walk yesterday. Please let me know if there are further questions or comments from the residents who joined us or if you have any more yourself. Â Regards, Â BRANDON UMPHERVILLE PLANNER I COMMUNITY POLICY PROGRAM | REGIONAL PLANNING PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT Â T. 902 240 5128 halifax.ca Â

3 years, 5 months

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Fwd: Update on lot behind NSLC and Cyclesmith

by Ron Skibbens

From: Ron Skibbens <SkibbensPhillips(a)ns.sympatico.ca> > Date: December 2, 2020 at 6:03:02 PM AST > To: Katherine Kitching <kat(a)outdooractive.ca> > Subject: Re: [Bnranews] Update on lot behind NSLC and Cyclesmith > > ï»¿This was posted on that site a couple days ago. Ron > > > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Dec 2, 2020, at 4:46 PM, Katherine Kitching <kat(a)outdooractive.ca> wrote: >> >> ï»¿Hi all, in one of the "Centre Plan Walks" we did last month (alas now postponed/cancelled due to COVID uptick), Jane asked if we knew what was to become of the lot behind the NSLC (and Cyclesmith) off of Agricola. >> >> I asked around and here is what I learned. >> (as always, this is just my best understanding but should not be taken as the gospel, I am just a layperson who is interested in this stuff!) >> >> First off, that property is governed under the new Centre Plan rules for Package A which were approved in 2019. >> In that designation, it is zoned Corridor - Corridor heights vary from area-to-area, but in this particular area the height limit is 20 metres. >> (Generally you can assume about 3m per storey). >> >> The proponent has submitted a "pre-application" which is being reviewed by HRM >> If the proposal moves forward, then it will require a "Level 3 site plan approval process" which means there will be a public meeting at some point. >> In addition, the proponent must show to HRM planners how the development meets all the detailed design requirements outlined in the Centre Plan. >> There are way too many design requirements to outline here but they cover everything from building size and shape, to relationship of the building to the public sidewalk, to the types of materials that the building can be "clad" with, etc. >> In short, the building will be carefully scrutinized to ensure it complies with all the good design principles that were included in the Centre Plan. >> Will be interesting to see what people think of the results! >> >> So to be clear, there is no official information about this proposal being released to the public right now since it is in the pre-application phase (i.e. no official application has been made), but someone posted this on Twitter the other day- which may give an idea of what the proponent is hoping to build. >> To be clear: this is in no way approved or even officially submitted - just a picture that somebody is circulating around! >> >> https://twitter.com/HalifaxReTales/status/1333543867149377546 >> >> Kat K >> _______________________________________________ >> Bnranews mailing list -- bnranews(a)chebucto.ns.ca >> To unsubscribe send an email to bnranews-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca

3 years, 5 months

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