– Council had voted on February 13th in favour of conducting a lake-wide survey of property owners re: issues surrounding the Gross Floor Area (GFA) and Oversized Buildings on Six Mile Lake.

– Due to costs and time lines for an independent consultant to conduct such a survey, TGB revoked their earlier decision on March 13th and have cancelled their survey.

– Members of the Board of the SMLCA and SMLRA met with Laurie Kennard, CAO of the TGB and Jamie Robinson of MHBC (interim consultant in the planning dept.) on March 14th in Port Severn.

– An overview by Jamie included: – The Official Plan (OP) is a policy document that sets the direction for Council and criteria as to how to permit development in TGB. The critical issue is to find a balance of nature and heritage while permitting development. Typically an OP is reviewed every 10 years so the OP for our lake which was ratified in 2014 would be due in 2024. Zoning by-laws set the actual law and specific rules. It must be updated within 3 years of an OP and it can be amended. Currently the GFA is the same calculation as 1991 Zoning by-law.

– Each group outlined concerns with respect to the issues including: Preservation of the lake’s natural beauty, visual impact of oversized cottages, definitions of minor or major variances and the process by which one is completed, costs and ambiguity in decisions by Planning and the Committee of Adjustment (COA), timelines associated with variance applications and the need to educate property owners on the planning/building application process.

– Both groups believe that a survey of cottage owners about the definition of GFA and acceptable limits on building size is the only fair way to proceed. Costs must be kept to a minimum and free software online that is acceptable to both groups will be considered.

Next steps: Future meetings with SMLCA, SMLRA, and Jamie Robinson will try to agree on a software provider, determine the best method of delivery and timing of the survey and develop key questions for a survey. We will utilize the expertise of Jamie at the TGB to assist us in the process. Jamie will also prepare a report (likely in time for Council Meeting on April 10th), concerning interpretation of definitions and criteria to guide COA applications with respect to GFA.

We will keep our members informed as to the progress on a regular basis.