Sea containers have become a thorn in the side of Councillor Noella Rinaldo.
The giant rectangular steel shipping units commonly found on seaport docks and barges have been springing up throughout the city.
They are being used as storage and secondary buildings in some residential areas which are effecting the appearance of the neighbourhood.
The Ward 5 councillor says the city urgently needs to define the rules for sea containers and to actually follow through enforcing them.
"That's part of the problem with the sea containers, they fall under all these different types of bylaws," said Rinaldo.
She said she was going to suggest having the matter discussed at a meeting in the near future, but sea containers were listed as an item in the new building permit bylaw which was presented by Director of Development Mark Jensen on Monday evening.
Rinaldo feels that the new bylaw is contradictory.
"They're going to be able to get a permit to put one up, but technically they're can't put one up in their zone. They're going to say 'well I got a permit to put it up'. Well, you don't have the right zone for it."
"We know its not allowed in residential areas. We know we have them," she said
"They are in residential areas throughout the city, and we aren't enforcing that now"
Rinaldo says she is well aware of a growing global trend of using the containers as living spaces, which she called 'a great idea', but the containers she sees around town are not being lived-in, they are mainly becoming garages and sheds.
The boxy structures affect the aesthetics and potentially, property values.
"This issue is a very large issue. Not only for us, but for municipalities across Ontario," Jensen told Rinaldo.
"First of all, a lot of sea containers are being placed throughout the community without permits, I can assure you of that. You're right, enforcement of that is a big issue with those. Right now, they're only allowed in industrial areas."
Jensen said that this council has previously approved sea containers in commercial and highway commercial areas, subject to design guidelines.
"Provided that there are design elements added, where they are covered with siding and having a pitched roof, so you can't even tell. The whole issue is aesthetics" he said.
Jensen added that there are now other municipalities allowing sea containers to be used for high density residential developments.
"These aren't going away, its a matter of trying to incorporate design elements" said Jensen
He added that the new bylaw says nothing about the placement of sea containers in residential areas, merely for their permitted placement in industrial zones.
Rinaldo shot back, saying that despite the current knowledge of their presence in residential areas, bylaw continues their failure in catching culprits.
Jensen acknowledged, "it's a major bylaw enforcement issue."
No members of the bylaw enforcement department were present to answer questions.
