Minimal public input on coach houses won’t deter the process to allow them.
The city’s director of development services, Kevin Pearson, says he anticipates bylaws to amend the official community plan (OCP) and zoning bylaws to allow stand-alone secondary suites will be brought to council for consideration in the fall.
“We’re pretty much set up to do that now,” he said.
Coach houses, also referred to as carriage houses or laneway houses, are contained within an accessory building separate from the main dwelling. They are often built above detached garages.
Ten people attended an open house held on July 15 for public input. Pearson said he was hoping for 20 or 30, adding there hasn’t been much input. The city also conducted an online survey, ending July 21, to collect feedback and is currently compiling the results.
“I guess the lack of interest could show that they don’t care one way or the other,” Pearson said. “If it was something people didn’t want, they would be showing up.”
He said the people who provided feedback were in support of the coach houses.
He also said there are a few people every year who inquire about detached suites but there are currently no bylaws to allow them.
“The interest is consistent,” he said.
Council requested staff revisit the idea of stand-alone secondary suites after several rezoning applications for conventional secondary suites were reviewed at the March 25 regular council meeting.
In 2008, coach houses were considered but council deferred any policy considerations to the OCP review process. There was a lack of public input at that time, as well.
OCP Bylaw No. 4000 adopted in 2011 included a policy promoting research to promote coach houses. This time around council seemed to be in favour of considering a new OCP policy supporting coach houses in the urban area of the city, Pearson said.
Attached secondary suites are currently permitted in the R-8 zone. Regulations for coach houses could be added to the R-8 zone, although property owners wouldn’t be able to have both an attached suite and a detached suite.
“Council seemed to want to continue with the idea that people would have to rezone their property,” said Pearson.
Anticipated problems with detached suites include privacy complaints and parking issues but so far there hasn’t been opposition.
There will be a public hearing when the idea is considered by council later in the year.