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Council closer to secondary suite regulation

Bowen Island council is allowing for some breathing room when it comes to the size of detached secondary suites residents can build on their property.
Bowen Island council is allowing for some breathing room when it comes to the size of detached secondary suites residents can build on their property.
 
On Monday council debated bylaws designed to regulate detached secondary suites, thereby adding diversity to Bowen’s housing stock.
 
Previously, detached secondary suites were only allowed on properties .4 hectares or larger, whereas now council has decided to get rid of the minimum size requirement as long as the new suite fits within the setback and lot coverage requirements. 
 
Coun. Sue Ellen Fast, saying she wanted to keep the status quo for lot size restrictions, voted against the motion. 
 
“I think it would really change the neighbourhood in places like Deep Bay,” said Fast. “You’d lose the trees, you’d lose the sense of backyards for children to play in. I think it would change the rural quality and the nature of neighbourhoods.” 
 
Many on council were quick to point out that there are other restrictions on properties when it comes to development, including septic and parking considerations, that some of the lots in Deep Bay, for example, might not be able to accommodate a secondary suite regardless. 
 
Council then debated whether or not the current size restriction of 90 square metres maximum floor area for a secondary suite is sufficient. There was a fulsome discussion about either putting a cap on the size of a secondary suite or introducing a graduated system, thereby allowing units greater than 90 square metres on larger parcels of land.
 
Coun. Melanie Mason made an impassioned plea to have the suites be approximately 1,200 square feet so that larger families on the island can be accommodated in the housing market and not have to endure the stress of moving from cramped accommodations every couple of years. She said Vancouver officials are changing their policies to encourage more three-bedroom units, and Bowen should follow suit.
 
Coun. Alison Morse echoed Mason’s sentiments when it comes to bringing in more three-bedroom suites to the island. 
 
“I’ve been absolutely amazed at the number of families that have two or three kids that are finding themselves out of their rental accommodation,” said Morse. “So we need to have the flexibility to allow for more.”
 
Coun. Gary Ander couldn’t be convinced that bigger is better for Bowen. “I find 1,000 square feet more than adequate for a family of four,” said Ander. “These are accessory buildings, in-law suites, small accommodations.”
 
Increasing the size of the suites, Ander added, is changing the whole dynamic of the detached secondary suite exercise from small in-law suites to total densification of lots on the island.
 
Mason disagreed, saying 1,200 square feet is “not building monster houses.”
 
Fast implored council to not use this “pressure time” to open it up to all kinds of housing where the island might lose diversity of housing. Her concern is Bowen will end up with more big houses, “because that’s the only thing that’s worth building,” said Fast. 
 
Calling a development permit for detached secondary suites “overkill,” Morse was intent on having it removed from the bylaw.
 
“If you are going to have DP for an accessory building that’s a secondary suite detached, then they need to have it for a B&B, you need to have it for a secondary suite that’s in an attached garage, and you need to have it for the workshop right on the property line,” said Morse. “It’s very subjective, and a lot of red tape that is very unfair to a particular use versus not being consistent for all the others.” 
 
Mayor Murray Skeels disagreed with Morse, saying, “I like the idea of a development permit as to how it affects the neighbouring property. I personally feel it would give a lot of feeling of comfort to people living in the neighbourhood to know that the guy living next door can’t bang up a two-storey building and put a glass wall along the side that looks straight down into their backyard and hot tub.”
 
Coun. Michael Kaile said the wording around prohibitive uses of the secondary suites needs to be tightened up so there are no loopholes.
 
“We cannot become a massive Airbnb centre, totally negating the very reasons that we are going through this hard work,” said Kaile.
 
In the end council voted to bump up the detached secondary suite size from 90 square metres to 115 square metres. The guidelines for form and character of the suite, meanwhile, should reflect generally what the existing house looks like and not necessarily the surrounding neighbourhood, council decided. 
 
Council gave first reading to the detached secondary suite bylaws Monday. A public open house is being planned for early fall to discuss the subject of detached secondary suites.