Municipal staff will be reviewing a zoning by-law on housing regulations in Chatham-Kent.
Chatham Councillor Michael Bondy brought forward a motion Monday night, asking for the bylaw on boarding houses, rooming houses, and single detached dwellings to be reviewed and clarified.
The motion was spurred by complaints Bondy received regarding local residences.
Bondy's motion passed 13-1. However, the vote didn't really matter. When the motion was brought to the floor, Bruce McAllister, director of planning services, approached the podium saying it would be reviewed regardless of council's vote.
"We are in the process of reviewing our zoning bylaw, it's something that hasn't been reviewed since it was passed in 2009," says McAllister. "When we changed the official plan a couple of years ago the next step is now to review the zoning bylaw to make sure it's updated to reflect current policy."
The review will go over definitions to the above concerns addressed by Bondy, but will also clarify the definition of what student housing is.
"I think we need to look at everything," says McAllister. "The zoning is one part, but we also need to review whether or not licensing makes sense, and whether or not there's other aspects of it that make sense for this type of housing."
