A tweak was made to the recently enacted shoreline alteration interim control bylaw in Tiny Township during last night’s council meeting, in response to concerns from people and businesses impacted by the effort to curb beach encroachment along Georgian Bay.
Township planning consultant Jamie Robinson of MHBC Planning provided the background for the benefit of council and attendees.
“That bylaw was passed (last week) and it was fairly large in scope,” explained Robinson, “and it was passed on a precautionary basis to ensure and restrict development in proximity to the high-water mark."
Members of council were concerned during the bylaw discussion that terminology around structures such as retaining walls, fences, boathouses, and other forms of landscaping wouldn’t be properly addressed in the writing, and sought to have them added.
Robinson informed council that since the bylaw was passed, members of the public and business owners working on or along the shoreline had contacted the municipality regarding potential improvements and possible reductions in scope.
“That’s really what this amendment to the interim control bylaw does ... it really reduces the reaching scope of the original bylaw that was passed,” said Robinson. “Effectively, the intent of the modifications is that the interim control bylaw will not apply to single-detached dwellings; it would not apply to additions to single-detached dwellings or accessory buildings.
“It would still continue to apply to boathouses, fences and retaining walls within 30 metres of the high water mark. But other accessory buildings or structures that are more than 15 metres from that 178-metre contour, they would be accepted,” he added.
Instances of residential properties in the greenland (GL) zone and municipal infrastructure in the open space one (OS1) zone were also identified as a component to be addressed.
Mayor Dave Evans praised the amendment as a good clarification to the structure element.
“I’ve had a number of phone calls as well, and we certainly don’t want to stop people and businesses in Tiny from working,” stated Evans. “At the same time, maintaining the purpose and integrity of the original bylaw which was to stop beach encroachments, and to give us time to come up with our all-encompassing bylaw early in 2024.”
Controversy over beach encroachments flared up again with residents when recent residential activity along the sandy shoreline near Balm Beach, within the 178-metre high water contour, prompted action from the municipality as had been requested for several years.
Robinson informed residents in the meeting that only one notice would be issued through the Planning Act requirements instead of two – the bylaw and its amendment – and that residents should receive the notice through delivery with it being posted on the township website and its communications channel Tiny Connect.
The shoreline development interim control bylaw and report can be found in the agenda page located on the Tiny Township website.
Archives of council meetings are available to view on Tiny Township’s YouTube channel.
