City council briefs: $71K approved to move slave chapel

London city council approved $71,000to relocate the Fugitive Slave Chapel to Fanshawe Pioneer Village at Tuesday night'sfull council meeting.

The money is intended as the city'scontribution to a wider plan to restorethe chapel which was built in 1848 and played a role in Black Londoners fleeing slavery. The building is currentlylocated at 423 Gray St. where it hasfallen into such a state of repair that councillors backing the motion didn't want to wait later in the year to seek the money through the city's community grants program.

"It needs to be addressed this summer," said Coun. Shawn Lewis. "The building is in a sad, sad state of repair."

The community has already raised $85,000 toward the restoration which, including the moving costs, is expected come with a final price tagin the $300,000 range.

Mayor Ed Holder supported the motion to earmark the money for the move, although he said he would have preferred it to come through the city's community grant process.

He urged Fanshawe Pioneer Village to make the restoration a priority now that the city has kicked in its share.

"The fact that it's rotting the way that it is, which means London's history is rotting, I think that's shameful," he said. "I respectfully challenge Fanshawe Pioneer Village to move it as a priority. Get it where it needs to be and start to establish the process that needs to be done."

Rock the Park extension

Rock the Parkwill again get a chance to rock a little longer.

The annual summer concert in Harris Park was granted a one-time exemption that will allow it to operate on a fifth day, one day longer than the current bylaw allows.

Concert operator Brad Jones had written to council asking that the concert starting July 13be given an extra day to accommodate an as-yet-unnamed country headliner. Confirmed performers on this year's lineup include Garbage,Alanis Morissetteand Crash Test Dummies.

Some residents who live near the park have complained about the noise it generates.

Coun. Stephen Turner cast the lone vote against granting the one-day exemption, saying too many have been granted in the past.

"It doesn't seem so 'one-time' anymore," he said. "The exemptions continue to push the envelope on how much should be permitted there."

Short-term rentallicensing moves forward

The city's move to regulate the use ofAirbnb and other short-term rental accommodations (STAs) moved forward at Tuesday's meeting.

Council voted to receive a staff report that lays out the general direction of what will eventually become a bylaw to address some of the problems created by residences being used for STAs booked online. The plan calls for licensing of hostsand limiting rentals to properties where the host lives.

A staff report says there are about 650 active short-term accommodation units in London, a number that's been growing at a rate of about four per cent a year over the past three years. The report says these units, on average, rent for $121 a night and 90 per cent are listed on Airbnb.

Regulation is intended to address problems such as partying, general noise and increased trafficthe short-term rentals can create in residential areas. The report also flags concerns that Airbnbs and other short-term rental accommodations cut into the available stock of long-term housing at a time when London faces a shortage of affordable housing.

There will be more consultation on this before it comes back to council.