Lane Association Members Concerned about Commercial Development
Miners Lake is one of the smaller lakes in South Frontenac, located in between 13 Island Lakes and Canoe Lake, and members of the small lane association that maintains the lane they use to access summer cottages on the lake are concerned about a proposed new dwelling on the lake.
James Rettie, who said he has the backing of 19 of the 22 members of the Miners Lake Lane Association, claimed that a proposed new build at 469 Miner Lake Lane is not consistent with the rest of the dwellings on the lane. The properties are zoned as waterfront residential. In a presentation to South Frontenac Council last week, Rettie said that the marketing by Enhabit.ca, the company behind the proposed development, makes it clear that the intended use of the building is commercial, and that it is best captured in commercial zoning.
Therefore, he said that the township should not issue a building permit to Enhabit for the new build, but should require them to apply for a zoning bylaw amendment. That process would provide the neighbouring property owners with notice and an opportunity to express their concerns. It would provide for potential impacts on the lake ecosystem to be assessed.
As part of his presentation, Rettie provided a screen capture from the Enhabit.ca website, with pictures of “Miners Lodge” which is described in the following way: “7 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, sleeps 20 in a modern 3 story design featuring a 3rd story Muskoka room overlooking the lake and a 1,000 square foot multi use loft for retreats, off-sites, or a play room.”
It also includes a “fully equipped kitchen with a butler’s pantry, chef's kitchen, 2 fridges, 2 dishwashers, It is located on a 2.5 acre lot, ...“
Enhabit.ca is a South Frontenac based vacation property company with two other locations nearby to this new one, one on Canoe Lake and the other on 13 Island Lake.
It prompts Frontenac County as an escape from urban life
“Enhabit is a collection of custom designed lakeside retreats in Frontenac County, Ontario. Each property is unique and designed to offer an elevated escape into nature for gatherings of friends and family.
“We believe modern life has quietly pulled us away from the things that ground us: nature, stillness, and real time with the people we care about. Enhabit is our quiet rebellion. Our spaces invite you to slow down, breathe deep, and rediscover mornings on the water, evenings by the fire, and time under the stars.”
“This is not a residential dwelling that is occasionally being used as a rental property,” Rettie said, “it is a commercial use.”
He also provided Council with an account of a 2021 ruling by the Ontario Land Tribunal, based on a property in Oro Medonte, that provided a set of criteria for distinguishing between different short term rental properties to determine which ones are primarily residential and which are truly commercial enterprises, and based on the screen shot in the presentation, Rettie said this property needs to be rezoned before a building permit is issued.
Rettie said that his presentation had been endorsed by 19 of the 22 members of the Miner Lake Lane Association.
There was no response to the presentation from Council, but Mayor Vandewal said that Staff would consider the submission and will let the lane association members know what action they are planning to take on the matter.
