Request To Amend Zoning Bylaw Came To Late

The trailer in question

An impassioned plea by Lakeshore Drive resident Barbara Gill to city councillors Tuesday night came too late

Gill gave a disjointed civics lesson to council as she pleaded for them to amend a zoning bylaw to her property that would keep her mother’s trailer where it currently sits.

Gill read various legal examples (some that no longer apply) from different levels of government to support her request to maintain the secondary dwelling, but Mayor Victor Fedeli informed the women that council chambers were no longer a forum for her to make her case.

"Your lack of regard for the municipal bylaws has caused you to be charged, and unfortunately, we are now not able discuss this matter further.”

Fedeli went on sighting that not only did Gill move the trailer onto her property without seeking approval, but then made further upgrades to the structure after she was informed that the second dwelling was illegal.

She explained that the whole issue unfolded so quickly that she had no idea she had done anything wrong.

“When she (mother) got down here she seen an ad for a mobile unit and put an offer in and purchased it outright. It just went on like that,” explains Gill.

“Ignorance is no excuse for the law, I did not realise when she was going to buy it, we were just going to put it on the property,” says Gill.

“When we did, I phoned and asked if we could do that, zoning said no it was a trailer so I went to building, building said it’s factory made it’s a module and it can be put on a foundation. So I went back to zoning and it went back and forth, so it gave me another month to look into it, then they said no.”

Gill acknowledged the issue has progressed to the point of the charges, but contends she shouldn’t be in the position having the communications that she’s had with the departments.

“I’ve been in talking to them all the time and I’ve kept every documentation,” she states.

Now faced with the legal battles and very few options Gill says she may just have to sell her property and find somewhere that can accommodate both her mother’s trailer as well as a dwelling for Gill.

“I don’t know what to do now, we’re going to have to think about that.”

Both parties will be in court on August 18th.