Save Our North Oshawa Communities

We the undersigned

Petition the City of Oshawa to:

1. deny the rezoning of the property previously designated for an elementary school as requested by Country Gate Homes,
2. purchase the property from Country Gate Homes as green space to act as a buffer to the increased density of the Simcoe Street corridor
3. enforce the EXISTING R1 Zoning and Residential Licensing Bylaws in our communities.

Reasoning:

Country Gate Homes (developer) is proposing to develop the property in our residential neighborhood that was designated to be a school in the Cedar Valley Community.

As the new University, UOIT, unfolded, the University AND the City of Oshawa did not do the due diligence to ensure adequate student housing for the students that were to enroll.

As a result, absentee landlords (investors) swopped in and purchased many of our residential homes and turned them into student lodging houses, ignoring the bylaws of the City of Oshawa.

As more homes were converted to lodging houses, families moved out and the city showed little interest in reversing the trend, the school board decided that a school was not needed.

Country Gate Homes, the current owner of the property, has decided to maximize their revenue opportunity. Instead of developing the property in the same manner as the rest of the neighborhood and build up to 26 single family homes on that property, they have OPTED TO PROPOSE 8 APARTMENT BUILDINGS SPECIFICALLY TO BE MARKETED TO STUDENTS.

Their plan would add 95 MORE LODGING UNITS to the over 175 lodging houses currently in our residential (R1) community.

Their plan would ADD A MINIMUM OF 445 STUDENTS into our residential (R1) community.

To do this, they must CHANGE THE OFFICIAL LAND USE PLAN for the area and REQUEST A REZONING of the property, which they are in the process of doing.
We having been waging a battle for 3 years to return the neighborhoods to single family homes and now have had City Council state that the neighborhoods would be returned to single family homes and have directed staff to enforce the R1 zoning bylaw (June 2009 Council Meeting). We have worked with the city to build a plan for student purpose housing in areas outside of residential neighborhoods. There will be no shortage of student housing. We encourage Country Gate Homes to create their village in an area that is appropriately zoned for student housing.

This current proposal from Country Gate Homes is in direct conflict with the direction City Council has publicly stated. This petition asks city council, not only to turn down the request for rezoning and purchase the property as green space to act as a buffer for the increased density that will occur on Simcoe Street corridor, but to also fulfill your direction of enforcing the R1 zoning and residential licensing bylaws and bring all of these lodging homes into compliance.

Why are we signing this petition?

1. If we live in North Oshawa, it is to save our communities and return them to single family homes.

2. If we do not live in North Oshawa, it is a reminder that the mayor and city council of Oshawa can change our living environment just as easily as they are attempting to change North Oshawas.

3. It is a reminder to those living around the Civic Center in Oshawa that Trent University and the City of Oshawa has announced a campus there and we are next to have a lodging house next door unless something is done now.

4. We are all sending a clear message to the Mayor and City council do the job you were elected to do support the residents of the city of Oshawa.