The features that home buyers look for reflect the changing realities of the world we live in.  As the average age of the population rises, so does the demand for one storey homes.  With environmental issues reaching our collective consciousness, so does the demand for “green” features increase.

I spent some time this morning reading various reports and studies to find out the trends home builders and renovators might want to pay particular attention to.  What I found was not surprising at all.  Buyers are placing increased importance on:

•  Open concept floor plans
•  One level living
•  Main floor master bedrooms
•  Universal design
•  Energy Efficiency

Recently, the Ontario Association of Home Builders held their meetings in Collingwood and some of the newer trends they identified were:
 
 - McMansions are being traded for better quality homes
 - People want to age-in-place and are looking for homes that are easily adapted for accessibility
 - People are expanding their living into the outdoors with a greater demand for 3-season living spaces such as covered patios and  porches, sunrooms

They also specifically noted that buyers are demanding greater energy efficiency in their homes and are willing to pay for it to a certain point.  Some of the features they are looking at include:

*  Homes that are pre-wired to be solar ready
*  New products and building techniques that will address the fact that homes built under the new building code in 2012 will be more air tight
*  Kill switches to easily turn off appliances using phantom energy
*  Home automation systems for multi-media
*  A movement away from stucco to things like stone and hardiboard
*  Kitchens with walk-in pantries, solid surface countertops, specific task lighting and energy efficient appliances.

If you are buying a new home, it’s a good idea to incorporate as many of these elements as possible because they are likely to become the norm when you one day face resale of your property.  For people renovating their homes, it’s also a good idea to consider these trends both for resale and for efficient and healthy home operation.  Remember, the cost of operating your home (heat, hydro, water) are the second  price tag of ownership.

If you own a commercial building or operate a business in Ontario, you should make yourself well aware of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). 

Chris recently attended a seminar on the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Regulation 2009, which is one of five parts of the being implemented between now and 2025 and, here is her report.

According to the workshop’s facilitator, the purpose of the AODA is as follows:

“Recognizing the history of discrimination against persons with disabilities in Ontario, the purpose of this Act is to benefit all Ontarians by,
a) Developing, implementing and enforcing accessibility standards in order to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises on or before January 1, 2025
b) Providing for the involvement of persons with disabilities, of the Government of Ontario and of representatives of industries and of various sectors of the economy in the development of accessibility standards.”

She told us that the AODA Vision is:

“An accessible Ontario by 2025:
? Fundamental, comprehensive change to ensure accessible buildings, communications, services and employment for people with disabilities
? Facilitate full participation of all Ontarians in Ontario’s community and economic life
? Inform and change attitudes, values and behaviour towards accessibility
? Essential to quality of life and strong economy for all Ontarians
? An investment that makes good economic sense”
Specifically, this regulation deals with Customer Service. 

The speaker made it clear that we can have the best team of customer servers in the business, but if someone with an accessibility issue can’t get in, there’s a problem.  What this act aims to do over the next several years, is put all community members on a level playing field.  Fundamentally, the act will ensure access to buildings, communications, services and employment for people with disabilities.

The accessibility standard has five parts:
? Customer Service
? Information and Communications
? The Built Environment
? Employment
? Transportation.
 
As of January 1, 2008, if a business has one or more employee, it must comply.  If the organization is designated in the standard as ‘public sector,’ then they must comply by January 1, 2010.  If it is a private business, not-for-profit, or other service provider, with at least one employee in Ontario, compliance is required by January 1, 2012.

This will affect everyone! 

The act requires ‘reasonable accommodation’ which doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone who owns a business will have to go out and completely retrofit their place of business. 

There are 11 requirements for the customer service regulation:

1. Establish policies, practices and procedures to provide goods and services to people with disabilities.  If a business already has policy and procedures, insert proper language with no exclusions.)
2. Use reasonable efforts to ensure policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the core principals of independence, dignity, integrity and equality of opportunity (ie. look at your mission statement:  is it inclusionary?)
3. Set policy so that people can use their own assistive devices to access your goods and use your services; and set policy about any other measures your company or organization may offer (ie. services, assistive devices or other methods to enable the disabled person to access your goods and/or services.)
4. Communicate with the disabled person in a manner that takes into account his/her disability.  (This may well require training!)
5. Allow people with disabilities to use guide dogs/service animals in those areas of the premises you own or operate open to the public, unless the animal is excluded by law; or use other measures to provide services to the person with disabilities.
6. Permit people with disabilities who use a support person to bring that person with them while accessing goods or services in premises open to the public (ie. interpreter.)
7. Where admission fees are charged, provide notice ahead of time of what admission, if any, will be charged for a support person (ie. discount?  free?)
8. Provide notice when facilities or services that people with disabilities rely on to access or use when goods or services are temporarily disrupted (ie. YMCA Collingwood is under construction.)
9. Train staff, volunteers and contractors and any other people who interact with the public or other third parties who act of your behalf on a number of topics outlined in the customer service standard. 
10. Train staff, volunteers, and contractors, etc. who are involved in developing your policies, practices and procedures on the provision of goods and services on a number of topics as outlined in customer service standard.
11. Establish a process for people to provide feedback on how to provide great services to people with disabilities and how you will respond to feedback and take action on complaints.  Make info about your feedback process readily available to the public.  (Put it on your website!!)

 Finally, if you have 20 employees or more, you must:

1. Document all your policies, practices and procedures for providing accessible customer service.  Meet other document requirements set out in the standard.

2. Notify clientele/customers that documents required under the customer service standard are available upon request.

3. If you are giving the customer service standard documents to a person with a disability, provide the information in a format that takes into account the person’s disability.

The last week has been heavy with learning as I’ve attended a number of meetings and seminars. 

One featured a speaker from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) who spent a couple of hours educating a room full of REALTORS® about the property valuation process and governing legislation.  Another meeting featured Don Mathieson, the Mayor of Stratford as the guest speaker.  He was outstanding and inspiring as he told the story of how his community attracted a university through a public-private sector partnership of astounding cooperation and potential.  But it was the last meeting that really, really got me excited.

Robert Voigt is a Community Planner with the Town of Collingwood and he’s been charged with the task of developing Urban Design Standards for the community.  Before you gloss over, let me tell you that his work is of huge importance to your life.

I think that one of the things citizens of Collingwood and the Georgian Triangle struggle with is the growth pressures that arrived about a decade ago.  Our communities are growing and changing before our very eyes.  How we move about town, what we see, how we feel and our sense of place have all changed or been challenged.  As politicians changed, so did the directions of growth depending on the feelings of a majority of those 9 people sitting around the council table.  It would appear that is about to change.

Today, the town has committed to developing Urban Design Standards, not guidelines, that will become by-laws governing the future form of development in Collingwood.  At the same time, Collingwood has an existing Official Plan, a Strategic Plan,  a Sustainable Community Plan and soon a complete community plan to begin integrating all of these elements into a better decision making model and process.   If you have some time, it really is interesting to read through these links and they give great insight into the direction the town and area are heading.

But back to Robert and his project.  In his presentation, he said dozens of things that made my heart sing.  As the original chairperson of Collingwood’s Vision 2020 committee, I have a deeply felt interest in the way we will evolve and Robert’s work is a direct reflection of what people expressed during the visioning process almost a decade ago.  He talked about things like the height of buildings, the width of streets and the things make a town auto dependent verus pedestrian friendly.  With a few strokes of his pen, he took real examples of buildings in Collingwood that could be altered with small changes that would make huge differences.  He talked about intersections, trees, transit and public art.  He “de-layered” the town through a series of maps showing different aspects of the town.  One was waterways.  Did you know there are 16 points in this town where we cross water?  I had no idea.

So here’s my thought.  Go and read through the strategic plan, sustainability plan and complete community plan.  I promise it won’t take more than 20-30 minutes.  Then go to Robert’s blog and read through his posts.  I’ll bet you won’t be able to stop and it will get your heart beating as you begin to see his ideas and concepts in a very real and applicable way.  You’ll be glimpsing our near future.

Quick – when you think of Elora, Fergus or Niagara-on-the-lake, what do you see in your mind’s eye?  I think most people would agree that they see quaint old towns built on a foundation of heritage buildings and planning.  Take it further and think of places like England, Greece, Rome or Havana and you see living examples of the past that define the very values of the people who live there.  They just don’t make them like they used to, do they?

Closer to home, we have the Village at Blue where the built form of Intrawests development is a re-creation of Olde Ontario.  They know it sells.  But closer still, Collingwood is the real thing.  A true 19th century main street and a community dotted with buildings that harken back to ships captains, loggers and the railway.

Today, the town is becoming well known for its constant battles to protect that heritage.  The pressures of growth and development are often seen to be at odds with the desire for preserving the built form of our past.  Indeed, this very pull of two views became a cornerstone issue in the last election and it sure to be again in the next.  At very least, what Collingwood does have as of February 2009 is an official Heritage District protected by the Ontario Heritage Act of 2005.  Or is it?

In Ontario, planning decisions can be appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB)  which has often been accused in the past of not being very transparent or accountable in their decision making.  Although the current McGuinty government promised planning reforms to provide clearer direction on planning matters, they have, in my opinion, failed to bring about any meaningful changes.  A recent situation is a strong case in point and a wake-up call for heritage proponents right here at home.

Like Collingwood, the town of Port Dalhousie which is now part of St. Catherines, Ontario has a heritage district in their downtown core.  The village dates back to 1826 and today has a charming mid-to-late 19th century canal village streetscape.  In 2003, the town voted overwhelmingly to establish a Heritage District.  When the plan was approved, the OMB said, “ Board finds that : “..the process followed by the City has been a full public process and all requirements of the Province have been complied with.” and  “… the designation of the subject area as a Heritage Conservation District represents good planning.”

Just months later in the spring of 2004, developer PDVC came forward with a plan that included among other things, a 33 storey high condo tower despite the fact that both the city’s zoning by-law and heritage guidelines limited development to a maximum of 3 storeys.  (Sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it?) The plan was later amended calling for a 20 storey condo tower among other things.   A group called PROUD  opposed the plan  and over the last 6 years, waged a costly battle to preserve their heritage district.

During a 71 day OMB hearing, the developer argued that the Heritage District guidelines of that community did not spell out height limitations.  They furthered argued that the economic benefits to be brought about by the development would serve to protect Port Dalhousie’s heritage in the long term.  On the flip side, heritage experts argued that of course the heritage plan would never contemplate 20 storeys and further, the zoning by-law prohibited development beyond three storeys.  They further stated that a claim of economic benefit was neither proven nor, was it is the jurisdiction of the OMB who was only to consider planning matters and not economics.

In the end, the OMB rendered what many consider to be a shocking decision by allowing the developers application.  Yes, for the first time in the history of the OMB, they agreed that a 20 storey condo tower was suitable in a low-rise heritage district and that it represented good planning.  The Ontario Ministry responsible for the Heritage Act and Provincial Policy Statement on heritage was nowhere to be found in the hearing.  They took no role in defending the very laws they had written.

No matter what side of the issue you may fall on, surely you can see the glaringly obvious facts here.  A 20 (or 17 or 10 or 8 ) storey building does not belong in a heritage district.  I don’t care what the economic justifications are.  If the laws are designed to protect the heritage of a few blocks here and there, then for land’s sake, do it. 

I can’t help but wonder how strong the HCD plan is in Collingwood.  Is it now vulnerable to this type of inappropriate development?

No, they don’t make them like they used to.  No, there is no such thing as “new heritage’ as a former Mayor of Collingwood once claimed.  In our relative infancy as a nation, Canada has a long way to go before it learns the lessons of the importance AND economic  value of preserving our heritage.  Based on this recent OMB decision, you can bet that in Ontario today, the government hasn’t learned that either.

I was so excited after reading a news release about the old Tremont Hotel building,  that it was hard to get to sleep.

As I mentioned in a previous post on the subject, the Tremont building has sat neglected and abandoned since the town purchased it several years ago with the intention of tearing it down for parking.  Since the building is located in the Heritage District and is considered to be an exceptional heritage asset, it would have been a horrible shame.  Thankfully, the current council stopped to reconsider that decision and ultimately put out a request for proposals to the public.

On Monday night, council accepted a proposal from Richard and Anke Lex.  Rick is a developer and also the current president of the local chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario  and a noted heritage proponent within the community.   Anke is an artist specializing in gorgeous maiolica pottery.  The combination of their skills are a perfect fit for a plan that is an exciting model of combined heritage preservation and environmental sustainability.

According to the media release, “The project involves the preservation, restoration and revitalization of an important designated building in the Collingwood Heritage Conservation District and its adaptive reuse to provide commercial opportunities and live/work space for the creative sector.  The building will incorporate sustainable and environmental measures along with heritage preservation.  Some of the green energy components that the building will feature include solar PV and solar thermal as well as grey water recycling and heat recovery.”  I think the concept of live/work units is a fantastic approach that is sure to garner significant interest.

For the town, this plan may also solve the other problem residents have expressed about the lack of parking for the new library being built next door.  The Lex’s have confirmed that their plan allows the Town of Collingwood to retain over three quarters of the property for parking.  The Lex’s state that work is to commence this summer and that it will include restoration of the building’s 1889 façade. 

This is a wonderful example of an adaptive reuse of a heritage building that will have new life in a sustainable fashion.  Instead of becoming landfill, this landmark building is now destined toill become a jewel in the downtown core.

On another note, here’s an article from the local Enterprise Bulletin newspaper quoting the thoughts of yours truly on current market conditions.

Despite the fact that Collingwood is surely one of the prettiest towns in the province, the folks living in Olde Towne  would likely tell you that their view to the west is anything but pretty.

On the north side sits an empty lot and an abandoned, boarded up old rooming house.  On the south sits the neglected Tremont Hotel and the construction site for the new library. In the distance you see an auto body shop and overhead, a jumble of utility wires.  There is hardly anything redeeming in site.

There is however,  a new movement underway and this sad little corner downtown may soon become one of the more admired corners of our fair town.

First, the new library and municipal building is well underway now.  After an agonizing public delay and process, the new building will have a design that is sympathetic and in concert with the 19th century heritage stylings of our historic downtown.  Blending old and new, this fabulous library will earn the coveted Gold Level, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
 
The Tremont was also the subject of much debate and discourse.  In recent years, this municipally owned building was falling deeper into disrepair (we call that demolition by neglect) while heritage enthusiasts pleaded for its survival.  Today, it is rumoured that the town has entered into an agreement with a private interest to restore the building into a mixed commercial-residential complex.  If so, it would be a perfect example of creative and adaptive reuse of  a building that preserves a cultural heritage asset and brings new life and function into its purpose.

Generally speaking, it seems that one or two new developments in an area spurs interest in improving other properties nearby.  Given the scale of these two large redevelopments at St. Paul and Simcoe, I think the folks in Olde Towne may have a much better view ahead.

Nothing fires up debate in Collingwood better than a plan to tear down a heritage building.  Every time the issue arises, entrenched camps form with flaring tempers, passionate appeals and political hand wringing.  There have often been lines drawn in the sand:  tear it down or, fix it and leave it.  Neither seems right to me.

In the last few years, the issue has come up over and over again as the town struggles with the impact of enormous growth pressures.   Many of the properties are public assets such as old schools and the question of maintenance, restoration falls to municipal shoulders.
Some people look at an old building and see an unsafe, derelict and ugly structure that is better torn down and replaced by something more modern and functional.  Others see a piece of our cultural heritage that tells the story of our people and our town.  Both sides can agree that when it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

One such property under threat at present is the old Connaught school on Napier Street which is also known as the Contact Centre or Collingwood Fitness Centre.  This town owned structure is one of the last turn-of-the-century institutional buildings left and it features architecture that is never duplicated today.  But it’s more than that.  If the walls could talk, it would peal with the laughter of children who arrived by horse and buggy rather than by bus.  It would speak of foreboding teachers who comforted and protected children during two world wars and the great depression.

As a town owned fitness centre, this building has deteriorated due to a lack of maintenance and likely from the effects of humidity related to the indoor therapeutic pool.  It has not been remotely self-sufficient and is heavily subsidized by tax dollars for the relatively few people who make use of the facility.  On the other hand, it is an important public asset and there is a plan under foot to replace it with a more modern facility in a different location.  Bu then what happens to the building?

The Collingwood heritage committee is looking at developing a statement of cultural heritage value for the property; potentially a first step in having it designated as a heritage site.  I can see the battle lines being drawn already.

I am firmly on the side of protecting our heritage assets and believe that there are ways to satisfy all parties.  Creative adaptive re-uses can be found for our heritage buildings that preserve and renew the structures at the same time giving them new life and new use.  Let’s hope everyone is starting to think about options for this building; not drawing firm lines in the sand.

We often talk about our desire to “go green” but outside of replacing fluorescent light bulbs and using organic garbage bins, I’m not sure some people really have been able to translate their desires into concrete action.  I’ve been thinking about this a great deal lately as we try to develop our own green plan here in our home.

A few weeks ago, it was a real treat for me to visit my clients, Dr and Dr Vecchio at their Inner Harmony Chiropractic Clinic and to see a green commitment in action.  You may recall from earlier posts  that Dave and Melissa have a special touch when it comes to renovating and, they’ve done it once again.

When they bought this building last year, it had been home to a lovely older couple for many, many years.  The Vecchio’s could envision modifying the property into a live/work space with a longer term view of an exclusively commercial space.  They brought in Paulette Clement who has a master’s degree and many years of experience in the area of Feng Shui as well as a professional design background.  I have to say it was fascinating to hear her thoughts and really in hindsight, they were spot on.

Since then, the Vecchio’s have done a marvellous renovation that has been 90% green.  Here are some examples of what they did:

•  Purchased materials from the Habitat for Humanity Restore in order to recycle and reuse wherever possible.  They found things like tiles, wood, mirrors and old doors that could be put to reuse
• All paints and finishes are low VOC including the floor stain which is a non-toxic, water-based formulation made by SamaN.
•  I found the unique, textured  finish on the reception area walls of particular interest.  Made from American clay, it comes in a powder from eco Inhabit in Meaford.
• Most windows were replaced with Energy Star approved windows
• They used natural slate in the entry and bathrooms while the old existing hardwood floors were refinished with low VOC, water-based stain.
• The unique reception area bench was made with wood reclaimed from an old park bench and old doors!
• A half wall made of natural stone product separates the waiting area from the clinical area allowing light and air to flow freely through-out
• The reception desk was reused from another business
• All of the original wood trim was salvaged

“Meet” Melissa in this quick 1 minute video:

Our daily lives are dramatically impacted by the liveability of the community we live in.  Access to  transit, our civic spaces, community amenities and the form of new development around us impact us the way building heights, trees and sidewalks more obviously do.

The Town of Collingwood is undertaking the development of  Urban Design Standards.  Not guidelines but, actual and enforceable standards.   They will direct the way new commercial, industrial, and multi-unit development will look and function in Collingwood.

According to a presentation made to council in December, the purpose of the Project is to develop urban design standards that will:

1. direct new development that is guided by the community’s Official Plan, Council policy,
various policy documents and past community participation processes;
2. improve livability within the community;
3. ensure a high quality of design and function within, and adjacent to, new commercial
industrial, and multi-unit residential development;
4. reduce environmental impacts associated with new commercial, industrial, and multi-unit
residential development; and,
5. streamline the development application review process by providing clear and easily understood direction on urban design.

These have all been significant topics of interest in Collingwood over the last few years as the pace of growth has eclipsed anything we’ve seen before.  People worry about traffic, trees, pollution and parking. We argue passionately in this town about signage, about environmental impacts, about preserving heritage and about aesthetics.  People want liveable spaces that have a small town feel but urban amenities and most of all, locals don’t want to look like “Anytown, Canada.”

All of these issues and dozens more are being visited in the development of the new standards.  Community Planner, Robert Voigt is the lead on this project and as part of his consultative process, he has put up an excellent blog I would encourage everyone to read and react to.  There is a link on the left side of the page under “Documents” with his December 1, 2008 presentation to council.  It’s well worth it to click on that click and have a look at the dozens of photo’s on the last many pages showing examples of what we have and what is possible. 

As the original chairperson of Collingwood’s Vision 2020 project, I’m excited about the way Robert thinks and hope his ideas will gather storm and ultimately, political will and support.

A few weeks ago, I learned a lesson in the obvious.  About how easily we take things forgranted.

While showing Blue Mountain properties to some buyers who were here from Asia, one of them asked me what the difference was between a cottage and a chalet.  It seems that in our discussions and in her research about Ontario real estate, the two terms came up at different times and she was curious.

It got me thinking about how I intrinsically just know the difference but it was challenging to explain in a way that made sense when I said it out loud.  So, since then I did a little homework on Google and interestingly, the terms have different usages in different parts of the world.

Generally speaking, Webster’s Dictionary defines a chalet as “A wooden dwelling with a sloping roof and widely overhanging eaves, common in Switzerland and other Alpine regions.”  In our part of Ontario, we typically refer to any mountain-oriented, recreational homes as chalets.  For example, a stucco dwelling used for vacations and week-ends would typically be called a chalet around here.  I’ve even heard many people refer to their condominium as their chalet.

In Canada, the term “cottage” usually refers to a vacation or summer home, often located near a body of water. However, according to a reference on Wiki, this type of property is more commonly called a “cabin” in Western Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, a “chalet” in Quebec, and a camp in Northern Ontario, New Brunswick and in some northern US states.  Here in the Collingwood area, people tend to call a waterfront, vacation home a cottage.  A small and humble rural property might be referred to as a cabin.

“I’m going to the chalet this week-end to do some skiing” or, “We’re going to the cottage this summer” are phrases you’ll hear often.  Very generally, the location and seasonal use will dictate the default term used.

When you think about it, it’s not a wonder that someone who grew up outside of Ontario may become confused about these terms.  Either way, they are very nice to have!

When it’s time to buy or sell real estate in the Collingwood, Blue Mountain or Georgian Triangle area, contact Marg, an experienced and competent Broker who’s ready whenever you are!