On February 14, 2019, I brought forward a motion to planning committee, directing staff to initiate a Zoning Bylaw Amendment to remove ‘Rooming House’ from the list of uses permitted at 975 Woodroffe Ave. I am pleased to report that I was successful in gaining the support of my colleagues, and this motion was passed unanimously.
While the City does not have a legal mechanism to reduce the number of occupants at this location, I feel that it is important that the people living at 975 Woodroffe have a shared responsibility for their units as a whole, and not just be individually responsible for only their bedrooms, as they would in a rooming house.
This rezoning will make it clear that the City does not support a rooming house at this location.
Going forward, staff will commence the rezoning process, and this will take a few months to complete. Members of the community should expect to see a sign posted at the property, information posted to the website, and neighbours in the immediate area will also receive notice by mail. Residents will have an opportunity to provide comments to the file lead, through contact information provided through all of these channels.