As Saanich brings itself into compliance with new provincial housing legislation, the district council has fully embraced increased zoning density within urban parts of the district, but wants to put the breaks on growth in rural areas.
The council decided at its Monday (May 13) meeting that in rural areas, even secondary suites are too much. Councillors voted to write to the province and ask for an exception to new rules that require these types of units be allowed on properties outside the Urban Containment Boundary (UCB).
B次元官网网址淥ur Official Community Plan and land use policies direct growth and density to occur within the urban areas, while protecting the rural and farmlands outside the Urban Containment Boundary from urban encroachment and sprawl,B次元官网网址� Mayor Dean Murdock said in an email on Thursday.
At the Monday meeting councillors also gave preliminary approval to broad zoning changes in urban areas of the district to comply with the new provincial legislation mandating small-scale, multi-unit housing be allowed in places previously limited to single family homes and duplexes.
Areas within the UCB will soon be required to allow B次元官网网址� depending on lot size and proximity to transit hubs B次元官网网址� three-, four- or six-unit buildings. These new rules must be in place by June 30, according to provincial legislation contained in Bill 44, which passed the legislature last fall.
Individual building permits would still need to be applied for before development, and other more localized or lot-specific conditions may also need to be met.
Speaking at the council meeting, Murdock noted that the newly passed Official Community Plan lays out a future in Saanich that aims to B次元官网网址渒eep our growth compact.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲e know that by growing outside the Urban Containment Boundary thatB次元官网网址檚 not going to be the case B次元官网网址� even if itB次元官网网址檚 just suites,B次元官网网址� he said.
Murdock and several councillors gave reasons for restricting rural growth that included a desire to preserve green space and to make sure the district does not have to spend too much money on spread out infrastructure.
Councillors heard from multiple people at the meeting who want to not only keep their secondary suites, but be allowed to build accessory dwellings as well, arguing that on rural land units in separate building like those above a garage are very common.
They also argued that farmers and others in rural Saanich need the extra income they can earn from renting those units out.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think Saanich maybe recognizes the importance of secondary living units on agricultural land today,B次元官网网址� said Wayne Hopkins of Prospect Lake Road. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 not too many farmers in Saanich who can make a living solely of their farm.B次元官网网址�
Coun. Colin Plant was the sole dissenter on the plan to try to ban secondary suites on rural properties, saying these units arenB次元官网网址檛 really B次元官网网址渦rbanB次元官网网址� development, and that considering historic numbers of how many properties actually seek these units, it is clear that the impact is actually minimal.
B次元官网网址淭he notion that this is going to lead to the absolute collapse of the urban containment boundary B次元官网网址� I donB次元官网网址檛 believe to be the case based on what has happened to date,B次元官网网址� he said.
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