Most people wanting to register their shortterm rental (STR) properties in Dysart et al will receive approval in 2025, with the municipality pondering changes to its official plan that could impact licensing requirements in the STR bylaw it passed last year.
In a Feb. 25 report, bylaw officer Hailey Cole said the township had approved 80 applications by the middle of last month, with 33 pending. Of those, five didn’t comply with Dysart’s zoning bylaw, 16 had Ontario Building Code violations, and 12 required updated paperwork.
Currently, Dysart’s zoning bylaw doesn’t allow for properties with structures within the water setback, including saunas, sheds, gazebos, and hot tubs. To qualify, owners have been told they must first remove the structure. Some members of council, notably mayor Murray Fearrey, have spoken of the need to adjust that ruling.
Cole suggested a temporary solution – granting licenses on the provision illegal structures not be used and removed by Sept. 1. She noted some owners had complained they can’t remove anything until after the snow has melted. Coun. Pat Casey said he’d heard from owners who felt they’d miss out on bookings for the upcoming season if they had to wait until after structures were removed to get their licence.
Council approved conditional licences for these properties, valid for one year from the date received. Cole said the arrangement includes an allowance for bylaw staff to carry out random inspections to ensure structures are not being used. Any violation will void the licence.
Property owners will be eligible for one conditional licence. Cole said they’re only being offered to those with zoning violations – properties with Ontario Building Code infractions do not qualify. Upon expiry, owners will have to apply for a new STR licence.
She estimated Dysart has received applications for approximately half of the active STRs in the municipality.
With council considering changes to its official plan to allow for structures to be located closer to the water setback, and for things like renting out secondary dwelling units as STRs, Cole said those would require updates to Dysart’s official plan.
“Staff have encountered several properties that wish to rent individual rooms within an owner-occupied dwelling. This falls under the definition of a bed and breakfast in the zoning bylaw, which is allowed in most urban residential and rural residential zones, but not in waterfront residential,” she said.
Casey said he wanted to see that changed. “I don’t think we should restrict that.”
Cole said staff will move ahead with enforcement measures for owners advertising without an STR licence in late March.
Consultation planned
Director of planning, Jeff Iles, has been working on updates to Dysart’s official plan and zoning bylaw for months. At a meeting in December, council directed Iles to investigate allowing any one of a gazebo, shed, or sauna on a waterfront with a threemetre setback. The current setbacks are 20 or 30 metres.
To be approved, Iles is proposing that applicants own their shoreline or be required to purchase it from the township, saying “there are roughly 9,000 waterfront properties… adding 9,000 new structures to municipal property comes with significant liability concerns.”
Neither Casey, nor deputy mayor Walt McKechnie, were in favour of that recommendation.
“To buy a shoreline you’re pushing $20,000… I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to alleviate liability, but could we do a licence of occupation… to make it more palatable for someone just looking to build a shed,” Casey said.
Licences of occupation are often used to allow residents to install water-related infrastructure on a municipal shore road allowance.
Iles said he would investigate. Other proposed changes include: adding permission for one roof structure overlooking a waterfront; gazebos and saunas over 10 sq. metres will require a building permit; a two-metre vegetation buffer surrounding structures to protect the ribbon of life.
A public meeting will be scheduled for after the Victoria Day long weekend, with Iles and council saying it’s important that residents be offered the chance to weigh in.
“This is just a starting point for us – we need to listen to what the public has to say, present what we have, and if we feel we need to change it after the public opinion comes in, we’ll do that,” said coun. Barry Boice.
