BUILDING DURHAM

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The Region of Durham is considering a Regionally-initiated application to amend the Regional Official Plan to implement policies that support transit-oriented development within Protected Major Transit Station Areas across Durham Region.

The proposed amendment provides land use policies and delineation areas where there policies would apply, for "Protected Major Transit Station Areas" generally surrounding the existing Pickering, Ajax and Whitby GO Transit Stations, and the proposed station locations at Thornton's Corners (Oshawa), Central Oshawa (Ritson), Courtice and Bowmanville along the GO East Extension.

Once adopted by Regional Council, the amendment will be submitted to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval under Section 16(6) of the Planning Act, RSO 1990.

Please review the early release report Proposed Regional Official Plan Amendment - Policies and Delineations for Protected Major Transit Station Areas (ROPA 2021-003) released Friday, July 30.

In addition, you are invited to participate in the following virtual events:

Public Open House - August 24, 2021 - 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

The purposed of the Public Open House is to deliver a staff presentation and provide the public with the opportunity to ask questions, and to discuss the proposed Amendment and provide comments and information to staff.

To register for the Public Open House, please click here to complete the registration form.  Upon registration, you will receive an email with further information.

Statutory Public Meeting - September 7, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.

The purpose of the Public Meeting is to provide interested parties with the opportunity to provide Durham's Planning & Economic Development Committee comments and provide additional information relative to the amendment.

Any person may view the Statutory Public Meeting via live streaming and make submissions concerning the proposed Amendment.

Click here to view the live stream.

Written Submissions: submit your written correspondence and questions to clerks@durham.ca by 12:00 PM on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 quoting the file number. Comments will be considered by Council prior to a decision on the matter.

Delegations: If you wish to make a delegation before Committee, please submit your request in writing to delegations@durham.ca by 12:00 PM, on Monday, September 6, 2021. Members of the public who register in advance of the meeting will be provided with the details to delegate electronically.

Please Note:

If in person attendance is required, arrangements must be made by emailing clerks@durham.ca prior to the meeting date to discuss the accommodation.

Comments or questions? An information report outlining the details of the proposed official plan amendment and about your appeal rights may be obtained from the Durham Region Planning Division. Contact Colleen Goodchild, Manager of Policy Planning and Special Studies at 905-668-4113 ext. 2580, or at colleen.goodchild@durham.ca.

If you wish to be notified of subsequent meetings or of the decision of Regional Council on the proposed Official Plan Amendment, you must email Colleen Goodchild at colleen.goodchild@durham.ca or submit a written request to the Commissioner of Planning and Economic Development at the following address:

605 Rossland Road East, Box 623, Whitby, Ontario, L1N 6A3

Please include your address, telephone number, email address and the Regional file number.

Personal information from those who make either oral or written submissions on the application is collected by the Region of Durham under the authority of the Planning Act and will become part of the public record.

The Ontario Home Builders' Association's (OHBA) partner, Training Ontario, is looking to expand their Education Advisory Committee (EAC) in Ontario.  More information and an application is available here.

You can also contact Keith Kristalovich, director of Training Ontario for more information.

The Ministry of Transportation has released a discussion paper on the proposed Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) Transportation Plan.

The Ontario Home Builders' Association (OHBA) has arranged for the Ministry to provide a one hour information and Q&A session on Tuesday, August 17th from 8:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

To register and attend this event, please click here.

The Town of Whitby has sent a letter to developers working in the town in regards to dust, mud and noise.

At the June 21, 2021 council meeting, Whitby council directed staff to review possible opportunities to improve the current situation with excessive dust, mud tracking and noise, within active construction sites.

The Town is asking for developers' help, and would like developers to investigate and voluntarily mitigate the following matters:

• Dust - explore a more robust and proactive dust control program, including hydro seeding/stabilization of areas and stockpiles, which will be left exposed and subject to soil erosion for a lengthy period of time.  Adding additional dust control measures based on weather forecasts.
• Mud tracking - explore a more robust and proactive road sweeping and cleaning program.
• Noise - whereas Ontario Reg. 131/20 (effective until October 7, 2021) allows for construction between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., seven days a week, a voluntary suspension of construction activity on Sundays shall be considered.  Moreover, contemplation of equipping construction trucks with white-noise (low level noise) back-up alarms/beepers would significantly reduce the excessive noise issue.

Any correspondence on this matter can be directed to Peter Angelo, Director of Engineering Services/Public Works at angelop@whitby.ca or 905-430-4918.

In response to changes to the Planning Act, and as part of Clarington's Affordable Housing Toolkit, municipal staff are drafting Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendments.  These amendments will increase permissions for Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs), also known as secondary suites, in-law suites, basement apartments, and in-house apartments.

Subject to certain conditions, one ADU will be permitted within a house, and another ADU will be permitted within a detached accessory structure (such as a garage) on the same property.

These ADUs will be allowed in urban and rural areas, with some limitations for properties within the Oak Ridges Moraine.

A Statutory Public Meeting will take place on September 13, 2021, with more details to follow.

If you would like to be kept informed about this project and receive notice of the upcoming meeting, please contact Mark Jull at mjull@clarington.net or 905-623-3379 ext. 2426, or Carlos Salazar at csalazar@clarington.net or 905-623-3379 ext. 2409.

RNC Builder and HVAC communication - Revised Enbridge Inspection Documents.pdf

Each year, CHBA produces Economic Impact Fact Sheets that report on the significant economic impacts of the residential construction industry across Canada at the national, provincial and community levels. The new home construction home and renovation industries are crucial to the Canadian economy at large and in every single community, creating jobs at the local level that help our communities thrive. The fact sheets reflect estimated economic impacts of residential activity for the past year based on Statistics Canada and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) data.

As of last year, CHBA is also pleased to present our annual publication: Residential Construction in Canada – Economic Performance Review 2020 with 2021 Insights. This report provides a holistic overview of the housing market and the significant economic impacts of the residential construction industry in Canada. The report leverages published government data from a variety of sources, with more analysis, explanations, and graphs.

The report also includes our annual Economic Impact Fact Sheets which highlight the importance of the residential construction industry within Canada’s economy and in each community across the country.

These are the highlights from Durham Region:

The total economic impacts of residential construction (new home building, renovation and repair):

• 19,688 jobs - on and off-site jobs - one of the largest employers
• $1.3 billion in wages - dollars that show up in purchases across the entire local economy
• $2.3 billion in investment - built investment value is the largest single wealth-builder for many families.

The economic impacts of new home construction:

• 4,211 starts - new housing starts are key to economic growth in our community
• 10,086 jobs - on and off-site jobs - a major source of employment
• $663.9 million in wages - dollars that show up in purchases across the entire local economy
• $1.2 billion in investment - maintains and improves the largest single wealth-builder for most families.

The economic impacts of home renovation and repair:

• 9,602 jobs - a major source of employment in the community
• $633.3 million in wages - dollars that show up in purchases across the entire local economy
• $1 billion in investment - maintains and improves the largest single wealth-builder for many families.

The economic impacts have been calculated by Will Dunning Inc. Economic Research and estimates are based on 2020 data from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Statistics Canada.

In October, the Durham Region Home Builders' Association will be hosting their Annual General Meeting and electing their board of directors for the 2021-2023 term. 

The following positions are available for election:

• Five (5) Builder/Renovator directors
• Two (2) Trade Contractor directors
• Two (2) Supplier directors
• Three (3) Professional directors

Elected directors will serve a two year term.

DRHBA's top priority is advocacy work for the building industry as a whole.  We also provide networking opportunities and great events for our members.  We are looking for individuals who are willing to share their time, knowledge and experience to further the interests of the building community.  We believe that each director brings a unique skill set and perspective to the table.

Directors will be required to attend four board meetings per year (November, February, May and September), and will be asked to join one of our committees.  We ask that you share your time and expertise, whether that means managing a GR file, speaking at a public meeting or helping to plan one of our gala events. 

As a director, you will be representing the Durham Region Home Builders' Association.  You will be expected to attend most of our events, including member events, seminars, the Awards of Excellence, President's Ball and golf tournament.

Being on the Durham Region Home Builders' Association's board of directors is a great way to help shape the industry, steer the direction of the Association, network, get more involved and stay informed on what's going on in the building world.

If you are interested in becoming a director, please forward your nomination form to Stacey at s.hawkins@drhba.com by Wednesday, August 11, 2021.  All forms will be forwarded to the nominations committee for review.  If there are more qualified applicants than positions available, an election will be held at the Annual General Meeting in October.  Qualified candidates are encouraged to provide a bio and photograph to be published in September's news bulletin.

If you have any questions, please contact Stacey at 905-579-8080 ext. 2 or s.hawkins@drhba.com.

Download nomination form.

The City of Oshawa is currently undergoing an update to their development charges (DCs) to address the Fire Master Plan and Community Risk Assessment, Growth Related Operations Facility Needs Assessment, and a change to the treatment of self-storage facilities from Industrial to Commercial by definition.

The 2021 Development Charges Update Study, completed by Watson & Associates, indicates that this update would result in an increase of $481 for single detached homes, from the current $25,509 to $25,990.

The statutory public meeting is scheduled for September.  The updated DC Bylaw would be brought to council in October or November, and would go into effect in either December 2021 or January 2022.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Stacey.