A demonstration of strong mayor powers in Ajax, Ont. has substantially accelerated the approvals process for a townhome community known as Time, which is to be developed by Marshall Homes.

The wait time for the Official Plan Amendment and Zoning Bylaw was slashed from the norm of 18 to 24 months, to five weeks. 

Not only will it speed up delivery of the homes, it also allows the Pickering developer-builder to save thousands of dollars in carrying costs, interest and consultation. These savings are reflected in the prices of the homes.

Strong mayor powers were introduced by Ontario's provincial government in 2022, handing heads of council more authority to accelerate the construction of housing and infrastructure. Under these powers, bylaws can be passed with the approval of one-third of council, for example.

“There’s a number of mayors that can use strong mayor powers and I think in this case it was used wisely,” Craig Marshall, founder and president of Marshall Homes, told RENX Homes in an interview.

Marshall, who founded his company in 1992, said the 81-unit Time project was redesigned from its original concept to meet the high demand for housing. The approved plan triples the number of homes, a densification which is part of the reason they will be offered for significantly less than the average cost in the area, he said.

Hastening Time's approval times

Time was originally designed to comprise 27 standard townhome units and seven commercial units. But after analyzing how Durham Region is “dominated” by such housing but has a shortage of comparatively affordable stacked townhomes, Marshall Homes reconsidered the plan.

Reflecting on what Marshall Homes could site on the property based on its previous communities, and a desire by the municipal government for more housing units, Marshall said he spoke with Ajax Mayor Shaun Collier to weigh the best options. Higher-density housing was agreed upon as the best path forward.

Once Collier used his power to expedite the zoning, the town's council approved Time in merely five weeks. Instead of shovels hitting the ground in 2027, construction can start in 2025.

Such an application of power - the first time Marshall has seen it applied for a development - is a potent means of bringing more housing to the market, he said. Marshall believes it should be exercised more frequently.

“Quite frankly, I don’t know if we would have continued on with the project if we had to wait for two years . . . Having the quick decision by the mayor and everything else made it a viable project, to bring houses now as opposed to two years from now.”

Tripling Time

The updated plan is to develop and build 81 units in 21 buildings – four units per building on average, with two and three units at the eastern- and western-most buildings.

The design provides for bungalow-style, one-level homes on the first two floors. Above those homes, the upper levels are to consist of two, two-storey towns laid out back-to-back. Each of the homes has a two-bedroom configuration and range from approximately 800 to 1,100 square feet with two floor plans for each housing type.

Approximately a quarter of the units will start in the low-$600,000s range, half in the mid-$600,000s level, and the remainder closer to $700,000. The average attached housing price in Durham is over $850,000, Marshall said.

An estimated $20,000 in savings per unit are unlocked from the sped-up approval process, contributing to the lower costs.

The plan is to build all the units at once, and release Time for sale over three phases in quick succession.

First-time homebuyers in their 20s and 30s are expected to be the majority of customers. Marshall does not anticipate investors to take much of an interest, noting they have largely lost interest in housing as of late.

Time will be close to the Duffins Trail System, the Pickering Golf Club, two casinos and the Audley Recreation Centre. On the transportation side, Highway 401 is within easy access, and the Ajax GO Station is an eight-minute drive away.

Pre-sales are planned to start this month, with construction expected to start in May 2025. Construction on Time could be finished by as early as February 2026.

Marshall Homes’ communities

Marshall Homes started by building single-family and custom homes in the Greater Toronto Area, and has been expanding to develop townhomes and now stacked townhomes.

In 2023, his company built over 120 homes; it has completed between 1,500 to 2,000 homes in Ontario during its 32 years, Marshall said.

The company's other projects include the townhome development Cobie in Cobourg, Ont., and Port32, a sold-out project of over 400 townhomes and single-family homes in Bobcaygeon. The Altona Towns and Here communities in Pickering are also sold out.

Marshall said the company is actively seeking future development sites across the region.