The City of Cambridge wants to have more control over what gets demolished as infill development proposals take aim at existing residential properties across the city.
A demolition control bylaw requires property owners to maintain a residential building until plans for a replacement development are in place.
The move would prevent the premature vacancy of properties and loss of housing stock.
Without any controls in place between 2018 and 2024, the city lost 107 homes to demolitions without any controls in place to ensure new homes were built to replace them.
That rapid loss of housing stock has prompted city staff to recommend reinstating a demolition control bylaw that would give staff 30 days to approve or refuse a demolition permit application.
Current demolition permit applications give the city only 10 days to review before staff must approve or refuse. If staff refuses a demolition permit, it is subject to appeal.
The primary benefit of this extended time frame is it allows council to issue a notice of intention to designate the building under the Heritage Act, if they wish.
Once this notice is issued, any demolition permit or demolition control permit must be refused; and any demolition control permit already issued is voided.
The introduction of a demolition control bylaw does not change the process or requirements to demolish a heritage building in any one of these categories.
The only difference is that for a building containing dwelling units, a demolition control permit would be required from the chief planner under the Planning Act, rather than a demolition permit from the chief building official.
Between 2010 and 2018, the city had a demolition control bylaw in effect. During that time, a total of 40 residential properties were demolished with a demolition control permit. Replacement development plans for those properties were required before the demolition permit was issued.
The city repealed its demolition control bylaw in 2018, leading to seven years where development increased and more residential properties were demolished.
Some exemptions to demolition control would be included in the reinstated bylaw. They include demolitions that are necessary to complete a capital works project approved by the city and/or regional council, buildings converted to a non residential use, buildings found to be unsafe, buildings irreparably damaged by fire and buildings that must come down to allow for environmental site remediation.
Buildings under those categories would need a demolition permit through the Ontario Building Code.
Council will consider the recommendation next week.
