The cottage style furnishings in rattan and solid oak with green and gold accented upholstery were replaced with a modern look of dark blue and gray. The management of the resort contacted Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North (OGN), offering all this furniture and décor to be sold in ReStores across their territory.

Didier Dolivet, the general manager at JW Marriott in Muskoka said “We are delighted to partner with Habitat for Humanity in this noble cause. All the items donated are in excellent condition as they are only 10 years old. They have been gently used and frequently cleaned. We hope they bring joy to many homes and families across Muskoka. 2022 is a year of Hope and new beginnings for many, this is a small gesture of kindness that we want to share with our community.

“At $60,000, the value of this donation is significant,” says Kimberley Woodcock, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North. “We collected twenty-eight truckloads, representing over 8600 items – from furniture, to lighting, décor, and art. This allowed us to share this merchandise among all five of the ReStores in our affiliate, which means the profits from sales will benefit build projects in Muskoka and beyond.”

“Our ReStores are social enterprise retailers,” continues Woodcock. “We don’t purchase product, so donations are vital. They fund Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. This year, we have active build projects that will serve eight families in Muskoka and North Simcoe. That’s a big impact on communities where the inventory of affordable housing is almost non-existent.”

Habitat for Humanity ReStores welcomes donations of new and used furniture, appliances, décor, and home improvement and building materials, from corporate and personal donors. They also accept e-waste, scrap metal, and non-working appliances, diverting tons of waste from landfills each year. Profits from ReStore sales support, promote, and financially enable the mission of Habitat for Humanity. Every donation serves the community and creates possibility in a way no other retailer can offer, thanks to their connection to Habitat for Humanity.

JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Has A Special Offer For Local Residents

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The corporation that operates the JW Marriott in Minett acquired the Bala Bay Inn property around 2017 and started using a majority of the inn for staff housing in 2018, according to the LPAT. The structures LPAT refers to as prefabricated modular units (PMU), often called trailers by local council and members of the public, have become one of the main points of contention after they were placed on the property in 2018 without permission from the township. The operator of the Marriott applied for a by-law amendment through the Township of Muskoka Lakes to make staff quarters a main use for the property rather than an accessory use, allowing for staff housing in the inn as well as the PMU, but council voted it down unanimously in February 2019. The applicant appealed the decision, leading to a virtual LPAT hearing from July 13 to 16.

The hearing covered three main issues: whether the proposed changes degrade the character of Bala, whether the PMU degrade the site and its surroundings or are otherwise inappropriate, and if the proposed by-law amendment meets the necessary statutory tests. 

The tribunal found that the proposal “does not impinge on the character of Bala” or create “substantive negative impacts” in addition to stating that the deployment of the PMU does not violate any official plans or Township Zoning By-law No. 2014-14 “other than to be subject to site plan review and approval by the Township as appropriate.” The tribunal also stated that the zoning by-law amendment “complies with applicable zoning, represents good planning and is desirable for meeting the staff quarter needs” along with being in conformity with the district and township official plans.

Cottager Scott Vickers, who was granted party status for the case as a representative for the residents group We Love Bala, said the group is shocked by the tribunal’s decision. He was disheartened that the LPAT said the amendment represented good planning and feels that the results of the case show that the system is broken and in need of an overhaul.

“The thing was stacked against us right out of the gate,” Vickers said. “I felt by the end of it we had tipped the scales, that they were starting to understand that this is a small town and this is not good planning. This isn’t what the town folks want. This isn’t what the council wanted.”

Muskoka Lakes Mayor Phil Harding expressed disappointment on behalf of council, but said they will work with the Marriott and the community to get the best outcome going forward.

“Obviously, as a council, we are disappointed that the community and their wishes could not be upheld,” Harding said. “Council will do everything we can during site planning control to mitigate the impact on the community.”

Leah Leslie, director of sales and marketing for the Marriott, provided a statement via email on behalf of the Minett-based resort.

“The LPAT decision is good news for JW Marriott and our employees, and we believe it is good news for Bala too,” said the statement. “Now all the plans that have been on hold can move forward. We intend to beautify the property with extensive landscaping and building improvements. Our destination has struggled with workforce availability for decades, and the LPAT decision is an important step on the road to recovery.”

For more information about the case, read the tribunal’s decision by clicking here.

The post LPAT Approves Staff Quarters As Additional Main Use For Bala Bay Inn, Allowing Staff Housing In Any Structure On Property appeared first on Muskoka411.

JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort and Spa applied for a by-law amendment to use the Bala Bay Inn and nearby trailers as staff housing, but the amendment was voted down unanimously by township council in February 2019. The JW Marriott appealed the decision, leading to the LPAT hearing scheduled to begin on July 13. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the hearing will happen via video conference and is expected to take about four days. Muskoka Lakes Mayor Phil Harding is unsure what to expect from the LPAT hearing, he said, but council knows their by-laws and that’s what they’ll be defending.

Harding has opposed the Marriott’s use of the inn and trailers for staff housing from the beginning. He said he wasn’t surprised when the resort appealed the decision, but council maintains their position that it’s a hotel and a commercial area that should be used in that capacity. 

“We have expressed council’s position and we have expressed what’s appropriate on that site,” Harding said. “We’ll have to let the board decide.”

The trailers were placed in the inn’s parking lot years ago without permission from the township, but Harding said that the legal action against the JW Marriott to remove them has been stayed during the LPAT process. Council voted down a proposal to allow the trailers in May 2018, but they have remained on the property ever since and the inn has been used to house staff despite local by-laws.

Along with defending their position in the case, Harding said council recommended that a group of locals act on their own behalf and hire a lawyer and planner to represent their interests during the hearing. The group followed their advice, and cottager Scott Vickers was granted party status for the case as a representative for the residents group We Love Bala. The group has been working to garner support since they formed earlier this year, and they continue to fundraise to cover the costs of their lawyer and planner.

Members of the group oppose the hotel’s staff housing in Bala for many reasons, ranging from the impact on the main streets and waterfront area to a lack of onsite management. In addition to other concerns, Vickers said that people are fed up with the fact that the Marriott broke the law and nothing has been done about it. Given the fact that the Marriott is selling condos, Vickers believes they have the means and should house staff on their property, instead of half an hour away in Bala.

“This is not how you go about building the community, this is how you go about destroying the community,” Vickers said. “If the Marriott’s got so much money and they’re telling us how great they are, then maybe they should have had the foresight to build their staff quarters on their big beautiful property in Minett.”

Representatives for the JW Marriott declined to comment on the hearing.

To learn more about the issue, read the article below. For more information about the residents group We Love Bala, visit their website.

https://muskoka411.com/muskoka-lakes-council-votes-down-j-w-marriott-by-law-amendment-for-staff-housing-in-bala/

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