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WAl'lzlll (X ) CHRONIClfi - Wednesday. llet’ertilier 26 20 l 2 ' I! O O C Tenants worried converswn of rental apartment to condos WI" leave them cold Bil JAMES Mason ' going to support them moving for- __ (.‘hmnldc Sta/I ward with the conversion,” said Laura Dowel], the city planner who Tnants of an Auburn Drive has been working on the Auburn rental apartment are worried Drive apartment conversion appli- about the potential impact a cation. She said so few conversions proposed condominium conversion go through partially because of the by the building's owner might have high costs associated with upgrad‘ on them. , ing the building to city and region- Auburn (ireen Limited has alstandards. applied to the city and the region I Notably. under current official to have the eight-storey. 63-unii ' or plan policies. 75 per cent of ten- apartment located at 237 Auburn ;. y '3‘? ' ants must agree to the conversion Dr. convened to a condominium ' _ . ‘ ‘ . .. ‘s‘ .4” or agree to purchase a unit. A sur- and city council approved the draft ' ' ' ' ' vey circulated by the building plan on Nov. 5. owner in 2011 saw only 27 “A lot of the people in the build- a 3... returned surveys (43 per cent) indi- ing are concerned.” said Harvey 5 ' M - cating the tenants were in favour of Belleleuille who moved to the . ' ‘ theconversion. apartment three years ago after .1 , a.” The other 57 per cent either did selling hi? home in KilChenei- . 4.} l WW: 4‘}. ' 3 ' ‘ . for?“ a?“ »-_y~..~s.‘-g-; not agree with the conversion or He said a lot of uncertainty is .6 - .w i t ' g t ., gr: fits; . did not reply. A similar survey was . circulating around the building's We i t g l n C,“ ”A?” ‘6'; 2 circulated earlier this year, but tenants about their rights and ”aa‘ 1‘ ) . r ~ . '» .,-‘ ' . " “than 1‘? in”: Bellefeuille simply stuck it in a whether or not they would be u N «‘1'; l .1. If 5,, My ,, tibia??? T; ‘3” f it; drawer. forced out of their apartment if the "“ f"iff§y$.:¢:rggct;.fi {35‘ was ,1. “3’ ‘\ ‘ ‘i’tvié Dowell said current tenants condo conversion were to prtx‘eed. . Eli’s”? "* “My "7'5'3.T3‘qi:::t.3t; ~' ,' ‘ 7 a: ..;:i::’§:i71‘:it-ivf should actually see a net benefil‘if Currently all 63 apartments in " , f1” .. 3 ’ " .. - ""311" . - ‘ " ' ' ' "7‘ . the conversion is approved. the building, each with two bed- ' : ' “if they see any change. it will rooms, are occupied. " '3 ‘ " “ be an improvement to the building Bellefeuille lives on the ground Auburn Green Limited has applied to have its rental apartment at 237 Auburn Dr. converted to a condominium, and the site as a whole.“ she said. floor and relies on a motorized and some tenants are worried the conversion will bring with it higher rent and condo fees, or worse. Concerns about the city losing scooter for mobility following a “Six-5004mm low-income housing also do not stroke earlier this year. lie said sew will he transferred to them through said, adding her company held a along to the Region, the final apply to this apartment because it eral other people in the building increases in rent or condo fees public information meeting on the approval authority for the conver- does not qualify. The average rent are also handicapped and he's once the conversion is complete. conversion in November. but no sion. in this building is Sl.210 per more worried about them than or worse. they will be forced out of one attended. The last conversion successfully month. well above the city's low- himself. their apartments altogether once This is Kinglsey Management's registered at the land registry ofiice income threshold of $889 for two- “l'm concerned for people like the units are sold. first condo conversion. and the occurred almost three years ago. in bedroom dwellings, based on me who are handicapped. There 'lhc conversion will have virtu- company owns five rental apart» January 20l0. K. Canadian Mortgage and Housing are several cancer patients (living ally no impact on residents. merits in the region. To gain city and regional Corporation rental market data for in the building) and they don't according to the executive assis» According to a staff report we approval for a conversion. building the area. need the stress.” Bellefeuille. a for- tant of Kingsley Management. the pared before councillors voted on owners must meet a strict set of " if the conversion goes through mer rental apartment superintend- company that owns the building. the conversion last month. current criteria from both. A building and the building owner has six years to em. said. “And there are a lot of ”There is nothing that would renters will be protected under the site audit must be provided to the register the condo with the land seniors living on a very fixed affect them whatsoever," said Faye 2006 Residential Tenancies Act. city's building department as well registry office, otherwise the appli- incomc.‘ Patterson. “It is not our intention which was updated this year. and as a reserve fund study, cun’ent to cation may be withdrawn by devel- lri a condominium. each unit to sell the units at this point.” existing tenants cannot be evicted within 12 months of the registra- opment services. The owner has and the associated parking space is The company is currently can from the unit they cunently occu- tion date. the final say over whether or not individually owned and main- structing a second building on the py. Any fire code violations or nec» they complete the registration. taint-d. while the condominium site that will be classified asoondo~ The act also ensures residents essary repairs must be rectified, as Ultimately, the city also sees no corporation is responsible for all minium apartments. and Patterson have first right of refusal to pur< well as other conditions such as direct benefit from the conversion. common elements like landscap- said the conversion of the apart- chase the unit they occupy. landscaping improvements or said Dowel]. ing. sidewalks or roads merit. built in 2003. is being done Condo conversions are rare in other interior improvements such “We’re not thinking necessarily Residents are worried repairs simply for ease of paperwork and Waterloo. Since 2008 council has as noise walls, before the conver- in the corporate interest. we're they say are currently being administration. supported just six applications. sion is approved. thinking in the public interest. deferred by the rental company ”It wasa business decision." she and that support is then passed "lf they can't do that we're not That's my job." : a '4 i v . ' 111' £07,535 [mar-MDIDN‘TENDaDu.21u£J Waterloo Ill. l I!“ so...s.mssrvsaoxma mygfiabc‘wcdmw Paintings“: ltd. ‘ 2012 “we . . some maritime/mu...» , 5] 9.746.277] .‘ ,, m 0% PURCHASE WWO. to 84 months mo "on“ Drive a, m Expressway o ' . . CASH CREDITS on m ' up It: 7500. My, www.f°rb.‘aufo.com ‘ .JI'I D {In ‘ .’ ‘ 5 “any 0 ~ . 1' '1. . * .,2/13 “I! POI.“ TRADITION-DONE "I! 100M400” WAY ‘ _:‘ ”ram: 0 l. rm I“: 1". 7"" ': r“: . a “H "W. Will. I I [)(I Y‘()l/ /)/J/l/l F’