City Council meeting overview package for May 12, 2025

Peterborough, ON - City Council will consider the following items during its General Committee meeting in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 500 George St. N., starting at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 12, 2025:

• Amending the zoning for 922 Fairbairn St. to allow an additional residential unit, which would be above a proposed attached garage addition, serviced by a private septic system and municipal water service;
• Amending the zoning for 112 Hospital Dr. to allow two dwelling units and a clinic in the existing dwelling;
• Amending the zoning for 1628 Sherbrooke St. to establish a commercial zoning district that would allow a small-scale office or small-scale veterinary office without boarding, kennel facilities or outdoor dog run;
• Various changes to the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan to expand the area of the City that is eligible for the Plan's programs, revise the municipal incentive program, remove outdated programs under the program, and incorporate legislative changes related to Development Charge exemptions;
• A presentation from the Economic Development Division on the Physician Recruitment Pilot Project;
• Establishing a budget of $554,592 net HST, funded from the water reserve over 2025 and 2026, to replace the existing watermain across the Trent Canal from Armour Road to Maniece Avenue; and
• Implementing automated speed enforcement in selected designated Safety Zones and/or Community Safety Zones in Peterborough with four speed enforcement cameras in 2025/2026 for an initial two-year period.

Items endorsed by General Committee will proceed to the regular Council meeting on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 to be considered for final approval.

To speak as a registered delegation at a Council meeting, individuals must register no later than 11 a.m. on the day of the meeting. To register, complete the online application at peterborough.ca/delegation, or phone 705-742-7777 ext. 1820.

The meeting is livestreamed at peterborough.ca/WatchCouncil. Agendas and recordings of meetings are posted at peterborough.ca/agendas.

Before the public portion of the meeting, Council will hold a closed session beginning at 4:30 p.m. to consider five items as permitted under the Municipal Act, 2001. The relevant Municipal Act sections for each item are as follows:

• Section 239(2)(k) A position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board - Agreement
• Section 239(2)(e) Litigation or potential litigation and 239(2)(f) advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose - Litigation
• Section 239(2)(e) Litigation or potential litigation and 239(2)(f) advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose - Litigation
• Section 239(2)(e) Litigation or potential litigation and Section 239(2)(f) advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege - Litigation 
• Section 239(2)(f) Advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose - Legislation

Zoning - 112 Hospital Dr.

Council will consider amending the zoning for 112 Hospital Dr. to allow two dwelling units and a clinic in the existing dwelling.

The property would be rezoned from R.1, 1m, 2m – Residential District to SP.241-372 – Commercial District.

The existing building is a single-detached dwelling with a home-based business that is an optometry clinic.

The clinic will be operated by two physicians currently operating out of the Turnbull Medical Building as part of the Peterborough Family Health Team. To better serve their growing roster of patients, they are seeking a clinic space of their own.

The application does not propose any new buildings or structures, nor is an increase in the footprint of the existing building proposed. A modest increase to the existing parking area is proposed to allow for the conversion of two standard parking spaces into accessible parking spaces.

Zoning - 1628 Sherbrooke St.

Council will consider amending the zoning for 1628 Sherbrooke St. to establish a commercial zoning district that would allow a small-scale office or small-scale veterinary office without boarding, kennel facilities or outdoor dog run.

Due to the proximity of the property to residential uses, the veterinary office will exclude boarding, kennel facilities or an outdoor dog-run.

The property is located on the north side of Sherbrooke Street, between Denure Drive and Hywood Road. It currently supports a single-detached dwelling on private services. The dwelling was constructed in 1960, prior to the lands being annexed by the City. 

The applicant operates Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital, which is presently located in the commercial plaza across the street from the subject property. They are looking to expand their operations to accommodate the demand for services.

The proposal is to construct a single-storey veterinary office with a floor area of approximately 350 square metres.

Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan

Council will consider various changes to the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan (AHCIP) to expand the area of the City that is eligible for the Plan's programs, revise the municipal incentive program, remove outdated programs under the program, and incorporate legislative changes related to Development Charge exemptions.

The City adopted the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan 2011 (AHCIP) to provide financial incentives for affordable housing development. Since its adoption, periodic updates have been made to ensure its continued effectiveness.

The current AHCIP has helped create affordable housing, but it has limitations in meeting the scale of demand, simplifying incentives, and encouraging larger-scale private-sector investment. Rebate and refund programs have proven insufficient in motivating investment in affordable housing projects.  Modernizing the AHCIP to reflect this reality is essential to attract new development and effectively address the housing crisis.

The AHCIP has been modernized to provide stronger financial incentives and streamline support for private and not-for-profit developers.

To better include the Strategic Growth Areas in the Official Plan, staff recommend an amendment to align the AHCIP project area with the Municipal Boundary/Settlement Area as designated in the City’s Official Plan Schedule 'A'. This amendment clarifies the applicability of the incentive programs across Strategic Growth Areas, ensuring consistent implementation and broader access to financial incentives for affordable housing development.

The Municipal Incentive Program and the Development Charges Grant Program have been replaced with a per-unit incentive model. To allocate Housing Accelerator Funding and encourage affordable development, the amended Municipal Incentive Program will provide up to $80,000 per unit to cover a developer’s applicable municipal fees and/or eligible project costs. 

To clarify the Municipal Housing Facility By-Law Designation, the amended AHCIP will describe the eligibility process for a 10-year property tax exemption for units dedicated to addressing the housing needs addressed by Council approved priorities.

Despite an increase in vacancy rates from 1% to 3.3% between October 2023 and October 2024, Peterborough remains in a housing crisis due to persistent affordability challenges. Rents continue to rise, with the average two-bedroom apartment increasing by 6.7% to $1,506, making housing unattainable for many low- and moderate-income households. The RGI waitlist still exceeds 1,900 applicants, and most vacant units are market-rate, not affordable housing. Without targeted incentives, new developments are unlikely to address affordability gaps, leaving vulnerable residents at risk. 

Watermain replacement

Council will consider establishing a budget of $554,592 net HST, funded from the water reserve over 2025 and 2026, to replace the existing watermain across the Trent Canal from Armour Road to Maniece Avenue.

Parks Canada is dewatering a portion of the Trent Canal to complete shoreline restoration, and this activity presents an opportunity to replace a watermain crossing the canal from Armour Road to Maniece Avenue using conventional replacement methods.

The existing watermain is approaching the end of its useful life, and the opportunity to replace the pipe under the Parks Canada project will save substantial costs due to the planned dewatering of the Trent Canal.

The existing watermain crossing the Trent Canal between Armour Road and Maniece Avenue is a 300mm diameter Cast Iron pipe installed in 1953. There are minimal water crossings for pipes in the City due to the cost and complexity of installation, as such existing water crossings are considered to be highly important for water system flow and redundancy. Due to the age of this pipe, replacement is ideal to continue to provide adequate reliability and function.

Parks Canada anticipates tendering the project in the Summer of 2025 with construction beginning in the Fall of 2025 and ending in 2026. 

Water services for customers will be maintained during the project to replace the existing watermain.

Automated speed enforcement

Council will consider implementing automated speed enforcement in selected designated Safety Zones and/or Community Safety Zones in Peterborough with four speed enforcement cameras in 2025/2026 for an initial two-year period.

Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) is a technology-enabled enforcement tool that is comprised of a camera and a speed measurement device to enforce the maximum posted rate of speed by capturing photographs of vehicles exceeding the maximum posted speed. In Ontario, ASE cameras are strategically positioned in School Zones (SZs) and Community Safety Zones (CSZs) to promote and improve community traffic and pedestrian safety. Offences captured by ASE systems are reviewed and certified by Provincial Offences Officers and issued to the vehicle’s registered owner. This enforcement tool aims to reduce the excessive speed of vehicles as well as complement existing educational, engineered, and other speed reduction measures.

Review of research studies on the effectiveness of ASE programs, published by Ontario municipalities, shows ASE to be an effective tool for reducing a driver’s speed and for improving community safety. The municipalities in the review included the City of Ottawa, the City of Guelph, and the City of Toronto. 

Staff proposes a phased deployment securing four (4) cameras in 2025/2026 for an initial two-year period. This approach will allow staff to validate site selection, compliance rate, camera rotation logistics, cost/revenue, and provide the opportunity to evaluate the program to inform future program expansion.

It is important to note that Ministry of Transportation Ontario has the final decision-making power for allowing a municipality to operate an ASE program. This decision is ultimately based on necessity and a demonstrated need for that municipality to reduce traffic or speeding incidents within its jurisdiction.

In June 2023, Council approved a City-wide speed limit reduction in school areas and the implementation of Community Safety Zones (CSZs) at 30 elementary and secondary schools within its jurisdiction. Results of a post-implementation vehicle speed and compliance study revealed a reduction in the operating speed by an average of 6.5 km/h. However, the current average operating speed is 11.5 km/h above the 40km/h posted speed.

The cost of implementing an Automated Speed Enforcement program in school areas and Community Safety Zones will cost approximately $489,000, funds for which are available in the uncommitted balance of the approved 2025 Capital Budget for Red Light Camera – Automated Speed Enforcement.