Tempers flare as councillors rehash bunkhouse ban

Allegations of unfair treatment against a bunkhouse builder led to a heated exchange between councillors at the city's planning committee meeting Tuesday.

Gloucester-South Nepean Coun. Michael Qaqish accused Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury of misleading one bunkhouse builder and offering preferential treatment to another last year, when council voted to put a stop to all bunkhouse proposals.

Fleury and other councillors refuted the allegations and chastised Qaqish for his disrespect as committee descended into a short unruly squabble.  

"I have no interest in meddling in any one else's backyard," Qaqish told committee, "but this is a matter of principle for me."

Unfair treatment 

Qaqish spoke on behalf of Charbel Hanna, a bunkhouse builder who planned to convert 203 and 205 Henderson Ave. into a 22-bedroom dwelling. Hanna said he had spent $50,000 to appease city staff and Fleury, his local councillor. He was almost through the city's approval process when the ban came into effect in July.

Council agreed unanimously at the time to temporarily prohibit any new construction or renovations of a building with a large number of bedrooms in an effort to curb problems caused by cramming students into buildings that aren't designed for so many people.

But a similar application was at the same stage in the process, and was allowed to go ahead.

Fleury pushed to have a property at 70 Russell Ave. in Sandy Hill exempted from the ban, recognizing  it would have been approved had he not held it up at committee. Qaqish said Hanna should have had the same treatment, even though his project was not subjected to the same delays.

"I think what Mr. Hanna has gone through is not fair," Qaqish said.

Councillors stay the course

Fleury said many builders were caught up in the bunkhouse ban, and many had spent money on their applications. The ban happened without notice to avoid builders rushing applications through before it came into effect.

"This property was captured in the parameters," Fleury said. "It's clearly a bunkhouse."

Qaqish, who is not on the committee, asked that Hanna also be granted an exemption, but the idea was quashed in a 6-2 vote, with only Coun. Stephen Blais and Coun. Tim Tierney supporting him.

Fleury said he was "irritated" that Qaqish raised the accusations, and described the debate as "difficult." Still, he said he was happy councillors stayed the course.

"Councillors upheld the initial bylaw which remains in place, and hasn't been fractured," Fleury said after the meeting.

The builder plans to appeal the temporary bunkhouse ban to the Ontario Municipal Board.

The bunkhouse ban will remain in effect until July, and council has the option to extend it another year. In the meantime, the city is working to create tighter controls on bunkhouse developments in the future.