(Photo of 270 Fay Court, before and after fire)
After a local house burnt down in a fire, the owners are looking to rebuild.
The house would go up at 270 Fay Court, which falls under the mature neighbourhood study. In October 2020, Town Council enacted an Official Plan amendment, Zoning By-law amendment, and Interim Control By-law to protect the Town’s mature neighbourhoods and character areas. The owners are now looking for an exception to the Interim Control By-Law to build their two-storey home.
An issue with the proposed height was raised by Councillor for Ward 2 John Challinor. He expressed concern about what the height and increased size in the new dwelling could mean for privacy for neighbours, among other issues.
The report from Monday’s Council meeting displayed the statistics for the previous home, as well as the proposed new home. Those numbers were previously included in this article, but have been removed due to the homeowners stating directly to myFM News that they were incorrect. Read the report here for all statistics relating to the proposal.
Any Minor Variance Application submitted would go through a review process, which involves further evaluation, and a decision by what is called the Committee of Adjustment.
At the meeting, a representative for the homeowners, Kurtis Van Keulen, says privacy concerns shouldn’t be an issue with the two-storey building.
However, Van Keulen does stress that he’s always willing to listen to feedback and adapt.
Councillor Challinor asked Van Keulen about the look of the new house. With Fay Court being in a suburb where the homes were built in the 1970’s, a more modern home would stand out to a certain degree. He wanted to know if the homeowners would keep that in mind when constructing the home. Van Keulen says they’re hoping to blend in as best as they can.
During the Items for Consideration portion of the meeting, Councillor Challinor asked Town Staff to contemplate issues such as height, sun and shade, rear yard privacy, and building materials as part of the report that is to be given to the Committee of Adjustment. He says that keeping these issues in check can help eliminate certain types of homes, architecture and scale that are unwelcome to mature neighbourhoods in Milton.
Commissioner of Development Services with the Town of Milton, Barb Koopmans, said in response to Councillor Challinor’s request that the process is still early; however, the matters will be looked into by the Committee.
The motion was passed by Town Council on Monday, March 22nd.
Read the report on the item, which includes in-depth details, as well as floor plans and renderings provided by the homeowners.
You can watch the Town Council meeting here.
