BUILDING DURHAM

The Ontario Home Builders' Association (OHBA) is aware that there are specific trades within residential construction who were in a strike position beginning on Monday, May 2, as several collective agreements have expired this past weekend.  As of yesterday, the following trades are in a legal position to strike:

• Residential Framing (LiUNA 183)
• High Rise Forming (LiUNA 183, 1059 and IUOE 793)
• Tile - high and low rise (LiUNA 183)
• Railings (LiUNA 183)
• Self Levelling (LiUNA 183)
• ICI Operating Engineers Provincial Agreement (IUOE local 793) - this agreement is used in residential for activities including excavation, concrete pumps, etc.
• Hardwood and Carpet - There is no pattern agreement, but LiUNA 183 has declared a strike for some contractors.

Members should review the following notice from Tarion concerning these strikes and potential impacts on construction schedules.  Also, you can find resources from Tarion here, including:

• Q&A on strikes, unavoidable delay & critical dates
• General information sheet

Please note that all builders must give the first notice indicating that they are experiencing an unavoidable delay within 20 days of being impacted by the unavoidable delay.  For clarity, this is not 20 days from the start of the strike, but 20 days from when the strike impacts your site.

OHBA is working closely with Tarion and OHBA's partner associations to monitor the situation and identify potential impacts to the operations of members, and updates will be shared accordingly.

In the early release of Report: Envision Durham - Growth Management Study Land Need Assessment - Staff Recommendation on Land Need Scenarios, staff at the Region of Durham have recommended that the Community Area Land Need Scenario 4 be endorsed.

Scenario 4 includes:

• an intensification rate of 50%;
• an overall Designated Greenfield Area density target of 60 people and jobs per hectare by 2051; 
• a unit mix consisting of 28% low density units, 28% medium density units, 41% high density units, and 3% secondary units;
• an additional Community Area urban land need of 950 hectares (2,348 acres).

This report is being brought to the May 3 Planning and Economic Development Committee meeting.  The meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m.

The Town of Whitby has endorsed Scenario 3 for the Region of Durham's Land Needs Assessment.  At the April 11, 2022 Council meeting, carried report PDP 23-22, with the following amendment:

"That the Built Boundary, which was established in 2006, be expanded/adjusted proportionate to any greenfield expansion to ensure that intensification within the Built Boundary is reasonable and respectful to the historic areas and mature neighbourhoods within the existing Built Boundary."

At the April 25, 2022 Planning & Development Committee meeting, Clarington councilliors passed staff report PDS-021-22, which recommends Scenario 2 for the Region of Durham's Land Needs Assessment.

In the report, the comments and recommendations from staff also included:

• Staff encourages the Region to release the population forecast, as well as unit mix and intensification and DGA density targets for Clarington and the other municipalities before selecting a land use scenario for the whole Region. This would allow the Municipality to appropriately assess the implications of the Scenario for our municipality.
• If the forecasts are not released before selecting a Scenario, staff supports existing Scenario #2 for Clarington. Staff support a modified Scenario #2 for the Region as a whole. Setting the intensification rate at 50% with the understanding that some of the lower tier municipalities like Clarington, could be assigned a lower level of intensification (35-40%) which is in line with existing Scenario 2.
• Staff also request that any land use scenario selected by the Region allow for flexible implementation at the local level. In the case of Clarington, once we have the final Regional forecast for the Municipality, local staff require the ability to distribute the population and employment forecasts among Courtice, Bowmanville, Newcastle, Orono, and the rural areas, a unique case in the Region.
• Staff recommend that specific urban boundary expansions, including a determination of the total land need, not be considered until after there is agreement between the municipalities and the Region on the population and employment forecasts, housing unit mix and the intensification ratio.
• The chosen Land Needs Scenario will also impact the Community Services Department. Thus, to best respond to the increase in expected population, Clarington’s Community Services Department will seek funding approval for the completion of a comprehensive Community Services Strategic Plan as part of the 2023 Budget cycle. This Strategic Plan will take into consideration any new population growth/demographics, will update trends in recreation and leisure future needs, and will re-assess what additional indoor facilities will be needed, all with a planning view out to 2051.

This report will be going to council for approval on Monday, May 2, 2022.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing will be hosting an information on the More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022 on Friday, April 29 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  

The information session is open to all members.  The session will begin with introductory remarks, followed by a presentation on Bill 109, discussion and wrap up.

Register Here.

At the March 23, 2022 Regional Council meeting, council voted in favour of authorizing staff to undertake a comprehensive review and passage of a new Regional residential and non-residential development charge bylaw.

Details can be found in Report 2022-F-9.

Contained in the report are the schedule of dates for the Region of Durham DC Review, which are as follows:

In March, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) announced that they would be delaying the implementation of the Excess Soil Requirements initiative through  ERO #019-5203.

In response, OHBA submitted correspondence to the province.

If you have any related questions or require clarification, please reach out to OHBA Director of Planning Policy and Advocacy, Larry Kotseff.

At the April 11, 2022 Oshawa Development Services Committee meeting, members of the committee passed report DS-22-83: City Comments on Proposed Amendments to the Planning Act Under Bill 109, the "More Homes For Everyone Act, 2022", and the Province's Proposed Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator Guideline (All Wards) as part of the consent agenda.  As it was passed as part of the consent agenda, there was no discussion on the report.

Report DS-22-83 contains staff comments on the proposed provincial legislation.

At the April 11 Oshawa Development Services Committee meeting, report DS-22-76 Durham Region's Municipal Comprehensive Review: City Comments on the Region of Durham's Growth Management Study - Alternative Land Need Scenarios was pulled for discussion.

Committee voted to suspend the rules to hear a delegation from Michael May, P.Eng., General Manager of Delta Urban, who was speaking on behalf of the Columbus Landowners' Group.  May also submitted correspondence in addition to his delegation, which advocated for a revised "Option 2."

This option would include the "much needed affordable middle," and included:

Housing Unit Mix of new units:

• Low - 34%
• Medium - 41%
• High - 25%
• Secondary units: 0%

Intensification Rate: 50%

Designated Greenfield Area Density: 57 people and jobs per hectare

New Community Are Land Need: 2,600 hectares (6,425 acres)

Councillor Chapman put forward the following motion:

"That pursuant to Report DS-22-76 dated April 6, 2022 City Council will endorse scenario 2A as submitted by the Columbus Developers Group as Item DS-22-90 as the City's recommended scenario on the Alternative Land Need Scenarios Report prepared by the Region of Durham as part of Envision Durham, the Municipal Comprehensive Review of the Durham Region Official Plan."

This motion passed, and the recommendation will be brought to council at the April 25, 2022 council meeting.

The Town of Whitby is currently undergoing a Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw Review Update and have just released their Phase II Reports.

The Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw Review will occur in 4 major phases and to date the Town have concluded Phase I and are nearing the completion of Phase II:

• Phase 1 - Background Investigation
• Phase 2 - Analysis and Strategic Directions
• Phase 3 - Prepare First Draft of Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw
• Phase 4 - Prepare Final Draft of Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw

The following reports have now been released:

• Administrative Report Phase II
• General Provisions Report Phase II
• Phase II Commercial Zones Report
• Phase II Definitions Report
• Phase II Employment Report
• Phase II Mixed Zones Report
• Phase II Other Zones Report
• Phase II Parking Provisions Report
• Phase II Residential Zones Report
• Structure Report Phase II

More information on the project can be found on the In the Zone website.

Comments on this phase are due May 26.  If you have any comments or concerns, please contact Stacey.