Burlington-based SIREG Management Inc. has filed an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal after Peterborough city council denied its application to convert a townhouse complex of 128 three-bedroom rental units at 700 Parkhill Road West into condominiums. (Photo: SIREG Management Inc.) The owner of a 128-unit rental townhouse complex in Peterborough has appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) following a recent decision by the city council that rejected their request to turn the complex into condominiums. City councillor Matt Crowley, whose ward includes the townhouse complex, informed kawartha NOW last week that he had heard from city staff about the appeal. On Friday (January 23), Brendan Webley, the City of Peterborough’s strategic communications director, confirmed to kawartha NOW that an OLT appeal regarding the property at 700 Parkhill Road West has been received. – content continues below Burlington-based Simple Investor Real Estate Group (SIREG) Management Inc., which owns the property, submitted a completed draft plan for condominium conversion to the city in June 2025. During a public meeting on December 1, held by the city council as a general committee under the Planning Act, they reviewed a staff report that recommended rejecting this draft plan. The council voted in favor of this staff recommendation and later ratified that decision during a city council meeting on December 8. Both votes passed unanimously with an 11-0 tally. SIREG acquired Parkhill Place four years ago. It consists of ten two-storey residential townhomes containing 128 three-bedroom units. In their application to convert these rental units into condominiums, SIREG stated they would continue maintaining the property while selling the three-bedroom units to private investors, allowing existing tenants to keep renting from new owners. Existing tenants would have first dibs on purchasing their units at $409,000 according to the city’s staff report about the application. This price is significantly above Peterborough’s minimum affordable threshold set at $311,000. The report also indicated that 40 percent of Parkhill Place’s units meet provincial standards for affordable rental housing and mentioned that “While conversion to condominium ownership cannot force eviction of tenants and rents would continue as they are, over time it is expected that the units with affordable rents will transition to market value as tenants turn over.” – content continues below At the public meeting on December 1, Ian Walker, a planner for the city, informed council that if SIREG’s application was approved, it could lead to losing up to 17 percent of Peterborough’s three-bedroom rental stock long-term. He pointed out that there’s no guarantee continued affordable rent or purchase prices for those units. Before voting took place, four residents from Parkhill Place addressed council expressing concerns over inadequate landlord responses regarding urgent maintenance and repair needs. SIREG founder and CEO Todd Slater also spoke during this public session on December 1. He emphasized that previous condo conversions his company managed did not negatively impact residents since evictions can only occur due to non-payment of rent. He added that any rent increases must align with provincial regulations. Slater acknowledged awareness of necessary repairs within the townhouse complex but noted many issues stemmed from poor upkeep by prior ownership and his company hadn’t yet completed all repairs since acquiring it. After general committee decided against approving SIREG’s application during their meeting on December 1, lawyer Jasdeep Dhillon represented SIREG before council on December 8. He argued existing tenants’ purchase costs would indeed meet Peterborough’s minimum affordable threshold and later suggested there was “a good possibility” SIREG might pursue an appeal through OLT if council confirmed its earlier ruling. A resident named Jennifer Lacey who’s lived at Parkhill Place for eight years presented survey results during her address before council showing among 47 responding tenants surveyed; about two-thirds live there because it is affordable while nearly three-quarters wouldn’t qualify for mortgages if they sought to buy their unit. – content continues below Lacey expressed dissatisfaction with how SIREG handled maintenance requests saying she once waited ten months without response for one she submitted. “They actually responded (to my request) the day that I was delegating (before council). I think it’s because they knew I was going to be making a delegation,” she remarked. “When they (SIREG) did the engineering study there was a picture of a broken step in basement unit. That study was done in January 2025. That wooden step was still broken in November 2025. So my concern is if they fail to complete recommended repairs in engineering study what’s recourse?” Lacey raised additional affordability concerns too stating many long-term residents pay around $1,100 monthly for their three-bedroom townhouses and questioned whether rent would increase due condo conversion plans: “If this was converted I can’t get evicted but if I move out and somebody else came in they won’t have same protection.” Councillor Crowley shared after discussing feedback from both city staff members and Parkhill Place residents; he felt clear about how he should vote concerning this proposal: “It was pretty clear that right thing do was deny this,” he expressed adding many residents felt anxious throughout entire process citing fears surrounding potential displacement along with affordability issues noting promises made didn’t instill much confidence given past experiences regarding maintenance problems reported by multiple renters living there already.
“I think there’s lack trust between residents owner which affected how overall situation viewed alongside recommendations provided by staff. If hear building owner isn’t even doing basic maintenance , doesn’t inspire lot confidence.”
With files from Bruce Head.
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