City of Powell River planning staff will be looking for the community’s thoughts on proposed amendments to the city’s zoning and sustainable official community plan that allow for the development of carriage houses.
At council’s committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday, June 13, city senior planner Jason Gow said the city was prepared to bring forward changes to allow for development of the secondary accessory dwelling units. Gow added that the new type of housing is one way to provide a greater variety of housing options in the city.
“Carriage houses will increase the housing diversity and potentially provide more rental opportunities,” Gow told the committee.
Councillor Maggie Hathaway told the committee that while this kind of housing will not solve the need for affordable social housing, it will put more mid-priced rental units on the market.
Councillor Karen Skadsheim asked if the proposed amendments allow for property owners to have a trailered tiny home parked in their backyard.
Gow told the committee the amendments did not speak directly to the topic of micro housing, but the topic was on a list of planning department initiatives.
“This isn’t the tool to deal with micro housing,” Gow told the committee. “I don’t think we’ve done enough research on what other communities have done to deal with micro housing.”
Changes to the sustainable official community plan include adding another development permit area that can be used for proposed carriage house projects. Changes to the city’s zoning bylaw include adding regulations that go above and beyond the city’s current rules that govern accessory buildings. The changes will prohibit carriage houses in Townsite and restrict the units to no more than 968 square feet.
Gow recommended that city council give first reading to the draft amendments and then allow staff to take the proposal to the community, the city’s ratepayers group and homebuilders before bringing the bylaw amendments to a formal public hearing prior to their adoption.
The first reading of the amendments is expected at council’s meeting on Thursday, July 6.
