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Defining ‘residential’ in Mono

March 6, 2020   ·   0 Comments

I have been privileged to be a homeowner since 1963.  Having  married into a builder’s family with my late husband, Bob Small, whose family originally came from the Shelburne area, I was constantly made aware by him of the value of keeping my home and property up to present-day market values.  Thus, when new neighbours moved into the property next door in Mono several years ago with a different vision as to how they would keep their property, I realized that it would be in my best interests to familiarize myself with the Property Standard Bylaws of Mono.  

I live in a neighbourhood of 10 long, narrow 10-acre lots, with houses on either side of the road, thus we all live in close proximity to our neighbours.  However, when this new neighbour’s concept of using their 10 acres was for collecting used cars, some without wheels, trucks without doors, broken-down wrecks of vehicles which, by November 2017 collectively reached 19, I found that I could do nothing about it.  

You see, Mono’s present Property Standard Bylaws only require that all vehicles be licensed on properties in Mono, to which the neighbours knowingly complied.  Now, according to Mono`s present Property Standard Bylaws there is nothing stopping me from lining my laneway with 50 broken-down vehicles as long as I license them all.  My neighbours, who would surely complain about the mess I’d created, could do nothing about it at all.     

Oddly enough, I’ve always considered that I lived in a rural residential area.  So, I recently wrote to Mono Council asking if they would define the term residential and what it means to Mono.  The Mayor kindly responded in due course.  Her remarks are in italics, mine in brackets:      

“Our zoning bylaws generally define residential areas as those areas within the suburban and hamlet residential zones, one-half acre more or less.” 

She continued, “… however, I do not see 10 acres in the rural area as being a residential lot”.  

Then, what is it?  It’s not a commercial lot.  It’s generally not designated for agriculture being too small in size, so how does Mono see 10 acres of land with a single family dwelling on it. Please define it.

“Many of these lots are utilized as hobby farms and home occupation uses, similar to your B&B”

So, how many ‘hobby farms’ are there in Mono?  I would be happy to canvas the many rural residential homes on the sideroads and lines of Mono to determine just how many properties are actually hobby farms and what are single family dwellings alone.   As to “home occupation uses”, which the Mayor refers to, whether people live in subdivisions or along the sideroads and lines of Mono, “home occupation uses” are not at all relevant to the Zoning Bylaws as long as homeowners are not in breach of the Property Standard Bylaws with the use of their property.  Again, this point is confusing to me. Maybe I’m easily confused!).  

“Property standards bylaws provide the minimum standards for properties in the municipality, and from a Council’s perspective we must ensure that properties do not create a potential health, fire or accident hazard to the residents of the municipality”.  

As to having 19 or even 10 used vehicles parked on grass or a dirt laneway over a number of years, the possibility of a potential environmental issue due to metal contamination or possible fluid leakage into the substrate of the soil upon which these vehicles are stored may be a consideration but not to Mono apparently. And as to the “minimum standards for properties in the municipality” is this not short-changing property owners and taxpayers.  Providing maximum standards should be Mono’s first consideration).

I appreciated Mayor Ryan responding to me but I’m afraid that I know now why the Property Standard Bylaws of Mono dismayed me.  They are not keeping up with the times, nor are they representative of the type of residential properties we have presently in Mono or all that entails in protecting them. Seems all I’m getting for my taxpayer’s money is really great road service.  I can’t say enough good things about the roads department in Mono.

Sandra Small Proudfoot

Mono resident

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