Condo fees explained

First-time condo buyers are sometimes confused by the monthly maintenance fee that condo buildings charge. Combined with property taxes and your mortgage payments, they can add up to a hefty percentage of your total housing costs. But what is a condo maintenance fee and what does it cover? And how does it compare to the costs of owning a house?

Janice Pynn is president of Simerra Property Management, a FirstService residential management firm and the third-largest in Toronto, with interests in over 32,000 units. “Condo maintenance fees are your percentage share of the costs to run the building as a whole,” she explains. “Unlike rent, they are not a profit source for the management; in fact, each building is registered as a non-profit corporation.” 

Generally, Pynn explains, these fees correspond to the individual utility bills you pay on a home, along with maintenance work such as window cleaning, snow shovelling, housecleaning, gardeners, and so on. Fees are calculated according to the size of your unit – a two-bedroom’s fees are higher than a studio’s, for instance – and are recalibrated each year, up or down, according to the building’s annual operating budget.

A certain portion is also set aside as part of a “contingency fee,” which every condo must maintain by law. The contingency fund covers any special costs incurred as part of building upkeep, such as a new roof or repairs to heating or plumbing equipment. 

The maintenance fees for townhouses within a complex are usually slightly lower. Often townhouses have their utilities separately metered, so these are not included in the fee; buttownhouse owners still pay a share for maintenance of common areas, security and other general costs. 

Beyond these basics, there’s a wide variation in the features each individual condo building offers, and the fees vary accordingly. One building might offer beefed-up security, concierge service and underground parking; another might have a fully equipped gym or pool with trainers and classes; or you may have access to special perks like a rooftop patio or guest suite. All of these are reflected in the monthly fee, and in some cases are optional.

One last area to consider is a category known as “special assessments.” These are one-time fees for repairs not covered by the contingency fee, and can be substantial, especially with older buildings and conversions; once the bill is paid off, the maintenance fee will drop accordingly.

Kathy Monahan of Forest Hill Real Estate in Toronto says one of the most important things you should do when considering a condo is to ascertain what the monthly maintenance fee covers, so you’re comparing apples with apples when deciding between two buildings. Consider whether the extra features are worth it to you, or conversely, whether your budget can handle paying separately for things that are not included. “One option I always do recommend if it’s offered, however, is a parking space, even if you don’t drive,” she says, “since you can rent it out and earn some income from it.” This is particularly true downtown.

Kathy offers some examples of condos she’s recently sold in the Toronto area, their fees and what the buyers get for them. (It’s important to note that these merely provide an idea of what to expect; your experience, even with the buildings named here, may be different.)

• 
  Ritz Carlton Hotel, Wellington and John Streets: Two-bedroom, $2455/month, hydro extra. Thirty-plus floors. High-end suites with all the perks of a modern hotel, including 24-hour concierge, top-drawer appliances and finishes, and parking.
• TIFF Lightbox, King and John Streets: Starts under $500 for a small studio. Thirty-plus floors. Options include gym and pool facilities with trainers, access to Autoshare rental cars, and a roof deck with Weber barbecue.
• College Street, Little Italy: $795 for a two-bedroom, hydro extra. Seven floors. One of the earliest conversions in the city, a former church. Each unit is unique, but not many extras. It’s worth noting that units are heated electrically, making the monthly hydro a significant consideration.
• Edith Avenue, Yonge and Eglinton: Starts at $502 for a one-bedroom. Five floors. All-inclusive, including hydro and parking; great neighbourhood, especially for singles, but not many extras.

Both Janice and Kathy state that overall, the costs of condo buying, including maintenance fees, often work out to roughly the same as owning a house the same size, location and price. Would you rather have your own garden, or never have to shovel your sidewalk again? “Ultimately,” says Janice, “it’s a lifestyle choice, rather than a financial one.”

Courtesy Martha of Style At Home

City councillors will consider scheduling a public meeting to consider new policies on the design of tall buildings in the Urban Growth Centre

MARK WANZEL PHOTO

How high is high enough in Barrie’s core?

On Monday, city councillors will consider scheduling a public meeting to consider new policies on the design of tall buildings in the Urban Growth Centre, which takes in most of Ward 2.

Buildings as high as 15 storeys are allowed there now, but that might not be high enough.

Coun. Barry Ward says that limit, which dates back to 1989, might no longer reflect reality.

“I think there was some frustration among council that the current height bylaws are unrealistic, especially with Barrie’s city centre being designated an Urban Growth Centre by the province, meaning we will be trying to encourage more residential and office growth in the downtown,” he said.

Ward noted city staff indicate that virtually every major condominium project in the city centre has been granted an exception to the height bylaw: Grand Harbour, Waterview, Nautica, Watercrest, Bayshore Landing and Marina Bay I and II.

These buildings exceed the height bylaw, anywhere from five metres in Marina Bay’s case to 18 metres, or about six storeys, in Bayshore Landing’s case.

“I guess the question is, if we’re giving exemptions out all the time, why not just recognize the fact there is a demand for taller buildings and adjust the bylaw?” Ward asked.

He says part of city staff’s answer is that the current height bylaw gives council more control over the design of the buildings.

For example, the city got greater setbacks above the fifth floor for the new Watercrest building on Maple Avenue, resulting in a more attractive building and one which casts a smaller shadow.

“I’m not sure that is a good enough answer politically,” Ward said.

“Residents sometimes view the height restrictions as though they were brought down from the mountain by Moses.”

He said many of the residents in Bayshore Landing, which got an exemption from the height bylaw, told council they didn’t want the new building across from them to be any taller than the 10 storeys set out in the bylaw.

“They think they are hard and fast rules when, in reality, they are treated as guidelines,” Ward said. “You are restricted to a 10-storey building, but we’ll give you a 15-storey building if you make it look nice.

“If we’re going to stick to the current height bylaw, I think we need to be honest with our residents and tell them a 10-storey limit isn’t really a limit at all, so they aren’t surprised when a taller building goes up.”

Ward says the advantages of taller buildings include greater densities to support transit, protection of farmland and open space, and higher tax revenue to the city.

“But we must be careful to minimize the disadvantages, such as shadows, when permitting them,” he said.

Barrie began experiencing tremendous population growth pressures in the late 1980s; this included proposals for several high-rise developments, ranging from 10 to 19 storeys — which were well above the the downtown’s three-storey tradition.

At the time, no Official Plan policy or zoning bylaw standards regulated height within the waterfront areas of what’s now the Urban Growth Centre.

A height review study in 1989 helped establish height controls and building standards for development in this area.

Bob Bruton

Bus Station Makeover - Barrie to look at ways to turn station into a market building

Plans are moving ahead to convert Barrie's downtown bus station into a market building. MARK WANZEL/BARRIE EXAMINER/QMI AGENCY

Gears are turning to convert Barrie's downtown bus station into a market building.

City councillors will discuss asking staff to look into a feasibility study for the conversion, including possible funding sources for the report.

It's an item for discussion at Monday's meeting, coming from Couns. Barry Ward and Lynne Strachan.

Ward says there hasn't been much movement on the issue lately.

“So Coun. Strachan and I thought we should get the ball rolling, at least in terms of seeing if a market building is an idea we want to pursue,” he said.

Ward noted the city's new transit plan comes into effect Aug. 17, which means there will be fewer city buses using the Maple Avenue bus terminal.

“I'm not sure where plans are for intercity buses, but GO is already using platforms at the Allandale Waterfront Station,” he said.

Ward said a feasibility study would determine if a market building would work and look into possible operating models and funding.

“It could be operated privately, through a non-profit agency or by the city,” he said. “It may not cost taxpayers much or at all.”

Ward says he recently toured a waterfront development in north Vancouver, which is converting a former shipyard into a market and community activity centre.

“(This) is costing taxpayers nothing, apart from some government funding for site cleanup,” he said. “It is being paid for entirely by developers around the site. I'm not saying that is the model we need to follow but it does show the possibilities.”

Ward says he sees a downtown Barrie market building similar to the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, where there are food and craft vendors, perhaps some local restaurants and cafes.

“There would be regular community activities, musicians and more, in general a community gathering spot,” he said.

It would be open several days a week, at the least, perhaps expanding to full-time, Ward said.

“It was be nice if the Barrie Farmers' Market decided to take part, but that will be their decision to make,” Ward said.

The Barrie Farmers' Market currently operates at Barrie City Hall, in the Circle At The Centre courtyard in warm weather, in the Rotunda during cold or inclement weather.

The idea for a market building comes from Mayor Jeff Lehman, who was a city councillor running for mayor in October of 2010 when he introduced it.

Lehman has said a food market there would be a better economic driver for the downtown than a bus station, it would encourage tourism and reinvestment in the core. He noted the potential exists for a residential area, probably not more than 60 units, north of a market building.

It wouldn't take much to convert the bus station into a market; the platforms could be used for the market in summer, and moved inside at other times.

Lehman has said he would like to relocate the bus station to the Highway 400, Essa Road area, although Barrie Transit could continue to have bus platforms near the new market building to bring people there and downtown.

A new bus terminal wouldn't have to be much more than platforms, shelter and a place to buy tickets.

The downtown bus station currently acts as a hub for Barrie Transit, with many routes going, and stopping, there before travelling elsewhere.

But all of that changes in August.

Barrie's new bus system will serve multiple transit hubs, at major destinations, in different parts of the city. Routes will double up on major roads, so there will be 15-minute service on many of Barrie's busiest streets, instead of the 30-minute service today.

The hubs will be at Georgian Mall, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Georgian College, the downtown Barrie Transit Terminal, Allandale Waterfront GO Station, Holly Community Centre, Park Place and South Barrie GO Station.

Barrie Transit's existing 21 routes will be replaced with 10 more efficient ones.

Getting to GO trains will also be easier, with eight of the 10 new routes directly serving Barrie's two GO Transit rail stations. And from June 29 until Sept. 2, Barrie will have weekend GO train service - with four trains running to Toronto and four coming back to Barrie, each Saturday and Sunday.

Source: Bob Bruton/Barrie Examiner

Final Boundary Changes - Barrie council could approve new ward boundaries

City of Barrie Graphic This is how Barrie’s ward boundaries could look for the 2014 municipal election.

The finish line looms for new ward boundaries in Barrie.

City councillors will consider the changes Monday, and could pass a bylaw Wednesday, to have them in place for the 2014 municipal election.

It will elect the next mayor, council members and school board trustees.

New boundaries would need approval by year’s end to be in place for next year’s elections.

The suitability of the 2014 ward boundaries could be considered after the 2018 municipal election, to determine if they will continue to be effective in light of actual population growth.

Barrie’s current population is estimated at 136,985, and will grow to 137,631 next year, then to 149,815 in 2018 and 167,300 in 2022.

Changing Barrie’s ward boundaries is partially an attempt to have each ward contain roughly the same number of residents

Barrie’s ward boundaries were last reviewed in 2002 and changed for the municipal election the next year.

The Barrie-Innisfil Boundary Adjustment Act, 2009 resulted in the city absorbing portions of Innisfil; this land — and its voters — was added to Wards 7, 8, 9 and 10 for the 2010 municipal election.

The city held public consultation sessions about new ward boundaries in April. Attendance was light and relatively few public comments were submitted.

The ward boundary review had six guiding principles — including representation by population, meaning every councillor would represent an equal number of constituents.

The review also took into account population and electoral trends, such as increases and decreases in the population until 2018.

It also looked at arranging ward boundaries by primary and secondary road patterns, railway and public transit access, telephone exchanges and servicing capabilities.

Geographical and topographical features were also considered, as were settlement patterns, traditional neighbourhoods and community groupings — social, historic, economic, religious and political diversities.

BBruton/Examiner

Barrie Opening! Cogeco Data Services Opens New Flagship Data Centre

June 13, 2013 06:00 ET

Cogeco Data Services Opens New Flagship Data Centre

Cogeco Data Services transforms former Security Control Centre into flagship data centre to support the global acceleration of data

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 13, 2013) -

Today, Cogeco Data Services, a leading Canadian Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provider, announced the opening of its new multi-million dollar data centre in Barrie just north of Toronto, Ontario. The facility, paired with Cogeco Data Services' wholly-owned cloud and network infrastructure has been designed to support the global acceleration of data that is being fuelled by the increasing demand for cloud and managed services.

As enterprise IT departments continue to adopt cloud and managed services, the exponential growth of corporate data will continue to accelerate. Michael Levy, Analyst, Data Centres, 451 Research, explains this trend, "The adoption of cloud and managed services, coupled with increasing pressure by employees bringing their own devices demanding the implementation of new, user-friendly applications, has accelerated the growth of corporate data. The availability of redundant data centre and cloud infrastructure backed by strong network capabilities will be key to an organization's success and for data centre providers such as Cogeco Data Services."

Data centre traffic, of which nearly two-thirds will be attributed to cloud computing, is predicted to reach 6.6 zettabytes (the equivalent of 44 billion HD movies) by 2016¹. To accommodate this rapid growth, organizations must engage a strong data centre and cloud provider that can not only store and manage, but move an extreme volume of data at a rapid pace.

"In this 'age of acceleration', businesses are exponentially increasing the amount of data they produce and are required to manage increasingly complex IT environments.," said Tony Ciciretto, President, Cogeco Data Services, "Organizations are looking to experienced service providers to help them move, manage and store this influx of information and our new flagship data centre in Barrie paired with our expert technologists and dedicated customer support is an ideal fit to meet this demand."

Built to exceed Tier 3 standards and to deliver advanced data centre, cloud, managed IT and connectivity services, the new facility increases Cogeco Data Services' data centre footprint by 60,000 square feet. The sixth location in the Company's growing fleet, the flagship facility is housed in the RCMP's former Security Control Centre for the G8 and G20 summits in 2010, and has state of the art 24/7/365 monitoring, biometric access control, video surveillance and security. Like its other facilities, Cogeco Data Services' Barrie data centre features redundant power supply including dual power feeds, universal power supply and generator backups for reliable continuous uptime. The centre also provides access to advanced hybrid solutions (colocation, cloud and managed data centre services), with business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities.

The new data centre, owned, operated and managed by Cogeco Data Services, was designed in partnership with Ehvert Mission Critical, a firm responsible for the design and construction of some of North America's most sophisticated mission critical data centre facilities. The latest in green data centre technologies were employed in partnership with global energy management specialist, Schneider Electric, most notably the first production installation of Schneider Electric's APC Ecobreeze Cooling system in North America. The facility also utilizes Schneider's unique hot aisle containment and monitoring system to maximize efficiency.

The new facility has been designed with CSAE 3416 and PCI compliance in mind and will undergo the certification process once the facility has been in operation for the required period of time.

¹ Cisco Global Cloud Index, 2012

About Cogeco Data Services

With its suite of ICT solutions (Data Centre, Managed IT, Cloud Infrastructure, Connectivity, Voice and Professional Services), Cogeco Data Services supplies its customers with the fast, reliable and secure ability to access, manage, move and store large amounts of data worldwide. The Company's wholly-owned, 'always on', tier 3 quality data centres and all optical, redundant network provide some of Canada's largest companies and public sector organizations with near limitless bandwidth and secure facilities for hosting, storing and managing mission critical data.

Great article from Toronto Star!!!

How to graduate without student debt

Two young men who finished university without applying for student loans give advice to others on how to cut expenses.

Kyle Prevost and Justin Bouchard, both 25, met in residence at the University of Manitoba. They graduated without debt, thanks to help from parents, scholarships and summer jobs.

Now working in education — Prevost as a high school teacher and Bouchard as dean of residence at his alma mater — they have published a student guide with a cheeky title,More Money for Beer and Textbooks.

“We are prime examples of the fact that you do not have to choose between living like a monk and being $100,000 in debt when you get out of school,” they say in the introduction.

“We’re offering something that no one else has offered — a viable guide to having fun in school without breaking the bank, written by two guys who have learned from their mistakes but are still young enough to remember why they made them.”

Here are their best tips on cutting expenses:

Live at home.

It’s the easiest way to save $45,000 while you’re going to university for four years. The lower cost of living with your parents means you can borrow less and pay less interest.

Apply for scholarships.

You don’t need A+ grades, just hard work and persistence.“Even though we weren’t standout students at the post-secondary level, we still each received thousands of dollars in awards money,” the authors say.

Buy cheap beer.

Studies show the modern Canadian student who enjoys beer consumes 13 drinks in an average week. You can save by drinking at home, rather than in bars, and trying your hand at homemade beer and wine.

Look for other entertainment.

Go to second-run movie theatres and bring your own snacks. Support your school’s sports teams and theatre productions. Check out inexpensive underground music.

Be realistic about student loans.

They are a pretty good deal, but not as good as having no debt at all. Don’t assume that a high-paying job awaits you. Remember that a big buildup of debt can cramp your style for a long time after you graduate.

Set up a repayment plan.

If you refuse to pay your student loans, your credit score will take a big hit. This means banks might not lend you money to buy a car or a house. Set up an automatic payment plan and don’t risk forgetting to write a monthly cheque.

Find a great summer job.

Start looking early, even in November or the summer before. Cast a wide net. Be willing to travel far from urban centres. If you can’t find anything, free up time for paid work during the school year by taking a summer course or two.

Know how the tax system works.

Get organized. Save receipts. You can get money back by filing a tax return and claiming tuition, education and textbook tax credits. Read the Canada Revenue Agency pamphlet, Students and Income Tax.

Use a budget.

You can find a student budget template at the website, My University Money, maintained by Bouchard and Prevost. Budgets are about having a plan and sticking to it.

Don’t buy a car, the authors warn. Don’t skip making minimum payments on your debt. And don’t carry a balance on a credit card, unless your goal is to become familiar with bankruptcy laws.

This is a great gift for high school students — not just those in their last year, but in earlier grades. It’s sold in Chapters stores and online at Amazon.ca for less than the cost of a 24 pack of beer.

Ellen Roseman writes about personal finance and consumer issues. You can reach her at eroseman@thestar.ca or www.ellenroseman.com

GO Train Pull Challenge

Barrie council gives OK to amend Dock Road plan

Another plan for 200C Dock Rd. in Barrie has hit the skids.

City councillors have given initial approval to deny an application to amend the Bayshore Secondary Plan for medium density residential use to permit a 24-unit, 3.5-storey seniors development on the 1.2-acre site.

Joe and Mary Santos, through Innovative Planning Solutions (IPS), had applied for an Official Plan (OP) amendment to change the property's designation from low density residential.

There was no discussion by councillors on the denial.

Area residents have said the proposed use would be out of character with the neighbourhood. There are large residential properties along Plunkett Court.

Losing a mature stand of trees on the property, the building's real height (counting a raised landscape), stormwater management and runoff into Kempenfelt Bay are also concerns.

Coun. Alex Nuttall, who represents this part of Barrie, says the property isn't close enough to public transit and employment, and is an example of a developer just trying to maximize investment.

City planning staff say both the Bayshore Secondary Plan and the City's Intensification Study don't support increased residential density at 200C Dock Rd.

This property has a long history of controversial development plans, and council resistance to them. There have been six public meetings about it.

In 2007, OP and zoning applications were made to permit a medium-density condo project. Their denial was appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), then that appeal was withdrawn in order to move ahead with plans for a rest home – which was a permitted use.

In June of 2009, there was a site plan application for a 29-unit rest home. But council changed the city zoning bylaw that same year, removing rest homes as a permitted use in this residential (R1) zone. Council even denied a 24-unit, three-storey walk-up condominium building there.

This was appealed to the OMB, along with the site plan and zoning.

These appeals have been consolidated, but stayed by the developer, pending the OP amendment application.

City planning staff had recommended turning down the plan and rezoning changes because the Dock Road application was inconsistent with the Provincial Policy Statement of 2005 and Barrie's OP, which designates land use.

But the developer contends a higher-density development on 200C Dock Rd. conforms with Places to Grow, a provincial planning policy, and Barrie's intensification proposals.

It also provides for the needs of an aging population, an increasing demographic, in a serene environment bound by parks and Lake Simcoe, says IPS.

Last year, the OMB dismissed an appeal by developer Marandal Enterprises for condominium townhouses on just more than three acres at the northwest corner of Dock and Tynhead roads.

The board said this land was instead appropriate for single-detached homes, and that Marandal's plans for either 28 townhouses or 18 townhouses combined with six single-detached units along Dock Road don't conform with intensification policies in the provincial growth plan on a number of fronts.

Council will consider final approval of its motion to deny the most current application for 200C Dock Rd. at its June 3 meeting.

Bob Bruton - Examiner