Salmon Arm council has moved ahead with proposed bylaw amendments calculating height and grade for residential developments.
Staff told council at its Mar. 18 development and planning services committee meeting, that the intention is to update the city’s definitions and align with provincial and municipal housing policies.
A staff report points out new provincial housing legislation suggests the definition of building height be considered for review by municipalities.
“Insufficient height allowances can deter supported housing forms,” the report states. “The province recommends a universal height limit that permits three stories regardless of the method of measurement, site gradient, or roof style to help improve the viability and diversity of housing forms.”
The report also notes that “variances can delay a project and may call into question the suitability of an otherwise strong proposal.”
Staff told council the amendments should result in fewer requests for variances in height from developers.
There may be future projects that depend on varying building heights, however, the report suggests such applications may be reasonably limited by the proposed amendments.
The full report is available on the City of Salmon Arm website.
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