Wawa Municipal Council's considering some local law changes to allow short-term accommodations.
As short-term rentals - like AirBnB - are technically illegal in the community because they're not currently recognized by the zoning by-law, Council held a special meeting under the Planning Act last night, to discuss proposed amendments to the Official Plan and the zoning by-law that would permit short-term accommodations in residential zones, recognizing they've already been here for decades.
There would be a number of restrictions, including requiring short-term accommodations be licensed - that system would be worked out after these amendments are confirmed - while limiting it to dwelling units - or parts of them - used to provide temporary accommodation for no more than 29 days, with a limit of 3 per dwelling - the rental would need to be secondary to its residential purpose, could not be in a garage or shed, and would need to meet fire and building codes, plus have one parking space per bedroom or sleep area.
Hotels, commercial RV parks, and bed and breakfasts would not be covered, though the latter would also be defined under the amendments - since B&Bs currently are not - requiring them to be part of the owner's residence.
Questions were raised about the licensing, related fees - like the Municipal Accommodation Tax being explored by the Municipality - and "auditing" to ensure they meet the standards, as well as whether a cap would be placed on the number allowed in town - at this point, no - and concerns were raised about whether this could worsen Wawa's housing shortage and whether neighbours could have any "say" in allowing the rentals.
Mayor Melanie Pilon and CAO/Clerk Maury O'Neill did assure a multi-pronged approach is being taken to address housing - Pilon noted the Municipality's "ambitious" housing pledge - pointing to an item discussed later that night, to apply for funding for a water main project that could assist with building new housing in areas such as "Churchill Phase 5".