RangerGuy

Hi All, Town will not give you anything in writing, other than the Staff Letter. The Committee of Adjustment representative advises that you speak with each department before applying for the minor variance, to confirm they don't see any issues with your plans. You speak to planning they say things like: "We want to make sure it fits the neighborhood" or "Is this structure going to block a neighbors view of something", I find this very reasonable. Now because of my situation they said: "We can't advise you because you need approval from "TRCA". It's this point that they should have told me about their own rules on flood plan and the official plan. I got approval via a permit, and revisited planning department. They said: "Well, great you got approval, We don't see any reason that you should not apply for your variance" .... NOT .... "Your applying for a minor variance, because you have flood plain on your property , we will most likely ask you to convey land to us and will need the MNR, Parks, Planning, TRCA and your surveyor to stake out the hazard land". You see they want me to bring my surveyor back on my dime! To stake out the land they want and to stake my garage... NOT HAPPENING! My surveyor staked my land last year, I do not by law have to pay a surveyor to stake my garage for me. They even said we want all these departments on your property at the same time to watch you stake your garage.. THAT'S RIDICULOUS! The planning departments staff letter to the committee of adjustments (which explains their general opinions of the planned development) states they see no issue with my garage and that it fits with the neighborhood, but they will not approve permit without land conveyance.. I know a variance is not guaranteed, the vote could go any direction. This is not my issue and knew that going in. My issue is the town with held information or omitted information when I went to them for guidance and now is extorting my land. Also, they are not seeking land conveyance consistently. Several properties of lesser value have had to get TRCA flood plain approval with in this area, these have not had to gift land because they do not have as high monetary value. Again thank you everybody for the support!!!

Thank you everybody for your input. To be clear of what I'm out for the lawsuit these rough numbers because I don't have my reciepts on me but... 1) TRCA Permit: 500 2) Engineering Letter: 500 3) Survey and grading plan (This was required even if I had one, they said they'd want a new one) 3000 4) Minor Variance Application : 4000 Not Paid yet but I have to 1) TRCA Additional Charge: 500 (because the town contacted them with questions even though I already have TRCA Permit) 2) Building Permit: 500 (roughly) 3) Grading Permit: 500 (roughtly, and I can't change the grade!) So 8,000 to date and I haven't broken ground.... gone! Also, after the suggestions to contact the news, I contacted CityTV again and they called me and took my story for research..hopefully they will cover it. Global News also wants me to send my info and they will let me know. Again thank you all for the support! 24 more signatures till I have 100! WOOT! Hope I can get 100 before the August 11th meeting!

Toronto Conservation gave me that number 294.8 (m.a.s.l). Funny thing is I'm not allowed to change the grade , yet I still need to pay for a grading permit!

Hi Lape0019, They want my land because it's close to a major intersection in Richmond Hill, they won't admit that. They say it's because it's hazardous land and want to control the flood plain. If they were truly concerned about flood plains and hazardous lands, they would have insisted on land conveyance of the property 1 block away from me that got the variance in the meeting I went to in May. Why didn't they want this other guys land you ask, because he is on a residential street and his property is surrounded by other privately owned lands, there is no financial benefit for the town to own this property. I'm going to the meeting in August either way. I hear nothing from the planning department since May until I email the committee of adjustments Representative saying put me on the list for August and I'm seriously considering a law suit. Then I get an email from the planning department within the hour! RIDICULOUS!

I was totally expecting to have all the trouble with the conservation authority, but surprisingly they were the easiest to deal with. It took me months to get out of the planner what they expected to see in the engineers letter but once I had that it was a breeze. I have a very small section of my garage that is below what they call the flood plain line (294.8 meters above sea level). If you draw a line where my garage is very small thin triangle starting at the rear east corner and going up about 10 feet is 294.7 meters above the sea level. So that is .1 meters difference so I needed an engineers letters stating we would not effect the flood plain. I got it and they issued the permit. It's the town that's being absurd, after I got the TRCA Permit they said...OH we have our own rules regarding flood plains.. the the Bull started. Why would they not entertain that conversation before hand, because they saw it as an under handed way to extort land from me! We actually did try to sell our house, but couldn't find anything we liked/needed that wouldn't greatly increase our commute to work Again please get all you can to sign this permit, I know it probably won't accomplish anything but it's another bullet to take through the court system!

Thank you to every one that has signed already. I have contact a few tv stations, none of them have not answered me .. very disappointing. I am going to try Global News, in case i missed that one What bugs me, now that I know there is such a thing as an "Official Plan" that the planners use, I would have consulted it before spending all this money. They never once said because you have flood plain and are applying for a minor variance, we will ask you for a land conveyance. I spoke to them several times before I even working with TRCA to make sure I wasn't just wasting money and had a chance at building my garage, I could have decided to not do it in the first place if they were honest and forth coming with information. TRCA made me get a letter from an engineer saying the proposed garage would not effect the flood plain, which I did and they issued me a permit no problem. Richmond Hill is using this desire to "Protect" this land as a guise to acquire valuable land near a major intersection! I have thought about the lawyer route, I still have the OMB to try. I can do that without a lawyer and if that fails I will be suing for sure! If for anything but to get my money back! Please feel free to pass this link on to anybody! I want at least 100 signatures before our next meeting.

Hi All, I posted back in January, looking for help to find a good concrete company to do our foundation and floor for the garage we are hoping to build. We got more help than I ever expected! So a big thank you to all the people who offered great suggestions. If you can believe it we still have not started this project. A little back story I will try to keep it short as possible. Since February 2015 I have been talking with Richmond Hills Planning,Building and Zoning departments. We have some flood plain on our property which really is a joke but none the less, we got the required approval from TRCA that we are not effecting the flood plain as per Richmond Hills instruction. After I got our TRCA permit I went back to the town and asked the planning department if there is anything else I need to know before applying for the minor variance. I expressly told them I have never done this before, so I am really looking for guidance and want to make sure I have everything correct because a minor variance application in our township is $4000 and is non-refundable, they said everything looks ok but it's really up to the committee, so I applied for my minor variance. After forcing me to delay from the April meeting to the May meeting, they call me 3 hours before I can defer the May meeting for free (otherwise it's a over $1000 dollar charge by the committee) to tell me they will approve my permit if I give them my land (how much they couldn't tell me, but most likely will be over 1/2 of my lot) for free! The town is extorting my land from me because they know I have spent 1000's in fees and permits that is non-refundable. Even the TRCA has informed them that it is not an appropriate situation to seek land conveyance but they refuse to change their demands. So just to be clear, the town is saying "We will give you a permit, if and only if you give over 1/2 your land for free". I have spoken with our Councillor, Mayor and the Ontario Ombudsman's office, all of which have no interest in helping us! I am hoping after you read this thread and hopefully my petition, you will see how absurd our situation is and support us by signing our petition. Please sign our petition, to help save our land!

Hi Sterling, The wife prefers walleye and Lakers Hi JT, Sending pm

World is full of them! LOL! My favorite saying "The more people I meet, the more I like my dogs!" LOL!

The wife and I are looking for a new place to try on the May Long weekend and are torn between these 2 lakes. If you had your choice which lake would you choose and do you know of a good lodge or private cottage to rent? These lakes are big, we aren't looking for anybody's spots, just general starting locations. For Example: "South end of lake is best this time of year" that kind of thing. PM me if you prefer to keep your opinion private.

I would look really hard at what Garmin has to offer. These units are amazing and the new mapping software has some very good features. We were going to upgrade our boat this year until the dollar tanked LOL!... I took along hard look at them at the boat show, I was very impressed!

Hi Dara, Yeh, I'm doing mine as well. Just need the concrete done because I have no experience at all with concrete. I can't wait to have a good place for my current boat/gear...and a few years down the road my glass walleye boat (if our dollar improves HAHA! ) Now if I can get TRCA Planner to actually answer a question! These guys are terrible to deal with. He actually said to me on the phone once, "It's not up to me to tell you what we want, it's up to you and your engineer to come up with what we need to allow this"

I've been thinking of in floor heating, we are building a 24 X 34 so it will probably way to expensive to heat a floor of that size.

Funny you mention that Dan, If I do a slab I was thinking doing 2 courses of block, if I have to do footings I'll have the walls pored so the wood is 2' above grade. I figure that will allow me to spray out the floor carefully with out ruining the dry wall , plus it should deal with the situation you mentioned

Dan, concrete is expensive for sure! That's why I want to make sure what the best plan is engineered slab or foundation and walls.

Thank you guys for the help! Still hunting for a quote but lots of help getting there

I went as well.. haven't been to the boat show in long time and it will be the last! $14 + $20 entry + $17 for a pork sandwich and drink = $51 and I didn't buy anything! That is sick! I went because we are thinking of getting a Skeeter WX only 1 on 19' on the floor, I was impressed with the Fit & Finish. Factory rep was a good guy, spent a ton of time with me. Sat in the $120,000 Ranger 620, man full windshield and it's only chest hieght, what's the point of that? Also, spent a lot of time, playing with the new garmin electronics, all I can say is AMAZING! I'm sure we'll have a Skeeter once the dollar is better

Hi Everyone, I am looking to build a garage next year, I HOPE! if I can get through all the hoops in Richmond Hill, On. I have no concrete experience, so I am looking for well known respected company to dig,poor and finish the floor for my new garage. Also, does anybody know what a cubic yard of concrete costs now a days?

jimmer, OPP said they couldn't charge him because they didn't see it. Not sure how your son got fined, maybe they will fine him...that would be awesome. Anyways, lets see if we can find this goof and at least get him warned.

OPP are looking for this guy for me... hopefully they find him...he's gonna kill somebody driving like that!..If you see him get his plate number and pm me

This weekend a buddy and I were on Lake Scugog duck hunting. We had just decided to pack up for the day. We dropped the boat blind and were standing in plain sight when this air boat comes flying by us on the otherside of the channel we, so we waved just to be polite. I've never seen one in person, we were both watch thinking that's cool! This jerk goes maybe 60 yards past us and turns comes straight for us, runs right over our decoys. He came with in 5 feet of us standing in our boat, so close that when he gunned it , I stumbled back in the boat. As angry as I am over this it's not the worst part. It was like 11 am, and he was blowing through points of bulrushes blindly. Some of the points they went through there was no way they could have seen what was on the other side. There could have been somebody parked in a duck boat or a family canoeing for fun! These guys are going kill somebody someday!! I'm looking for help in identifying / locating the boat and driver. Driver had a grayish short beard, could not see his hair as he had a baseball cap on but it looked gray. I did not see what his passenger looked like. The air boat was silver and red with only 2 seats. I am looking to report this idiot to the OPP. If you can get charged for drinking and driving in a boat, why can't you get charged with reckless driving! If that is not possible, I will be pressing charges! So if you know where this moron resides on Lake Scugog or comes from I would really appreciate the help! Please do not post his name or location , just PM me the info. Any help with this will be greatly appreciated.

That is great mileage! I get between 13&15 in my 2013 f-150 5.0 towing my 18' Alaskan or my stainless steel 4 hole dog Training trailer which carries 20 us gallons of water as well. Mostly I'm 14-14.5 depending on terrain and my foot lol!

Nice!!! Congratulations, now that's a tourney nail biter!

Guest gets my vote, have owned 2 and neither has failed. First one was 7yrs old when I sold the boat.

Thanks Guys!