Page 11 - GBC English Fall 2019
P. 11

Many municipalities have a comprehensive zoning bylaw that divides the municipality into different land use zones, with detailed maps. The bylaw speci es the permitted uses (e.g. commercial or resi- dential) and the required standards (e.g. building size and location) in each zone. Some rural municipalities may have a free-standing zoning bylaw that covers only a speci c property that an owner proposes to develop.
If you want to use or develop your golf course in a way that is not allowed by the zoning bylaw, you may apply for a zoning change, also known as a zoning bylaw amendment or a rezoning. Council can consider a change only if the new use is allowed by the of cial plan.8
Before you set out to apply for rezoning, you should talk to your municipal planning staff to determine if your application can be made and for advice and information. If you are able to apply for a rezoning, you must complete an application form which requires information iden- ti ed by the Minister and the municipality.
GOLF COURSE CONVERSIONS
Golf course redevelopment, also known as golf course conversion is a real estate niche, in which investors purchase a golf course and subdivide the golf course into individual plots of lands. They then resell the plots of land for builders, or build on the plots then resell it to residential home buyers. This process is usually done with the assistance of a real estate broker. The main challenge of this niche is the dif culties that investors face in requesting a variance from cities.
A variance is a deviation from the set of rules a municipality applies to land use and land development, typically a zoning ordinance, build- ing code or municipal code. The manner in which variances are employed can differ greatly depending on the municipality. A variance may also be known as a standards variance, referring to the development standards contained in code. A variance is often granted by a Board or Committee of adjustment.
A variance is an administrative exception to land use regulations. The use and application of variances can differ considerably throughout the great number of municipalities nationwide that regulate land use on this model.
“If you want to use
or develop your golf course in a way that
is not allowed by the zoning bylaw, you may apply for a zoning change, also known as a zoning bylaw amendment or a rezoning.“
CANADIAN GOLF’S CHANGING LANDSCAPE
Over the past few years, there has been a change in the Canadian golf landscape due to the correction of property values. In May 2017, The Country Club, formerly known as the Board of Trade Golf Club, in Woodbridge, ON, was sold to a group which will develop a portion of the 45-hole facility into homes.
According to documents, about 95 of the 290 acres are situat- ed on property that can be devel- oped.9 The remaining area sits in  ood plain and will remain as green space. With housing prices at an all-time high, even building on just a third of the entire parcel of land makes economic sense.
The Country Club joins a list of courses that includes high-pro le York Downs, Copper Creek and Glen Abbey, all of which are in various stages of being turned into homes. The demand for housing in a rapidly growing Greater Toronto Area has made golf courses attractive to developers looking for land.10
Consequently, the highest and best use of the land may now be something other than a golf course. A number of established courses have, at the very least, considered the possibility of selling their golf course, and are investigating the sell-off of parcels of unused land on their property.
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