Article Number : 286 |
|
Article Detail |
|
 | |
| Date | 8/1/2010 3:44:28 PM |
| Written By | sam |
| View this article at: | http://www.punjabimedia.ca/News/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=286 |
| Abstract | June 28, 2010 SECONDARY SUITES POLICY APPROVED IN SURREY After over thirty years of debate and uncertainty, the City of Surrey has moved to implement a policy on secondary suites in single... |
| Article | June 28, 2010 SECONDARY SUITES POLICY APPROVED IN SURREY After over thirty years of debate and uncertainty, the City of Surrey has moved to implement a policy on secondary suites in single family homes. “What has been a political football for decades in this city has been proactively resolved by this Council,” says Councillor Tom Gill. “It was time we produced a secondary suite policy in-line with reality, as everyone deserves a clean, affordable place to call home. The approval of this policy will provide a respectful, safe, affordable, variety of housing choices for people seeking rental accommodations in our city. The policy will also assist home buyers to meet financial criteria for monthly mortgage commitments – at the same time ensuring the character and integrity of Surrey’s many diverse neighbourhoods is maintained.” Following extensive public consultation, Surrey City Council unanimously approved policy direction for implementing secondary suites in single family homes at the July 26, 2010 Council meeting. As part of the dialogue with citizens and community groups, Council undertook a city-wide Ipsos Reid poll to gauge public response to the long time issue. According to the survey, 63 % of Surrey residents agree that allowing one secondary suite in a single family home is a positive, progressive step for the City. Currently, there are about 19,000 known secondary suites in Surrey, accounting for about two-thirds of all rental units with less than one percent of these suites being zoned correctly as legal secondary suites. Surrey is the last municipality to address the issue of allowing city-wide secondary suites in single family homes, as over the last quarter century most BC municipalities have addressed secondary suites and decided policy. Councillor Gill, who is Vice Chair of the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society, pointed out that the poll results gave clear direction to Council, “the poll results clearly indicated residents want the option of a one suite per single family home as an effective way to make home ownership more affordable, to provide more rental housing generally and increase density in neighbourhoods without changing the overall character of the area.” It should be noted that Council made a number of recommendations to staff who will now develop the final wording of the bylaw to be brought back to Council this fall. The bylaw will ultimately permit one secondary suite in all single family homes in the City, subject to a number of conditions and restrictions, including: • No multiple suites in a home, and for those homes that currently have multiple suites, provide a transition strategy for phasing them out, along with a strategy to develop “triplex” and other zones such as fee simple row housing with the goal of creating a wider range of housing options in Surrey; • The registered owner of a home with a secondary suite or a coach house must live or reside in the home or on the premises; • Where zoning already allows for a coach house or a secondary suite, a homeowner cannot have an additional secondary suite on the property; • A home with a secondary suite must provide an additional off-street parking space; • A home with a secondary suite must pay appropriate utility fees to offset the added costs of City services (i.e., water, sewer, storm and garbage collection, etc.) and infrastructure and maintenance costs for parkland, recreation facilities, libraries, roads, sidewalks, traffic safety costs, Police & Fire protection, and other related hard costs; • Existing secondary suites must comply with life safety Building Code requirements, along with a transition strategy for bringing existing suites into compliance. • A process will be set-up for neighbourhood groups wanting to propose additional conditions to the basic secondary suite policy that would apply only within a specific area. For example, for South Asian residents in the Newton community where homes might have 2 suites, Council would entertain the opportunity for a specific area-wide rezoning application to increase the number of secondary suites per home to recognize the demand. This would be subject to the normal Council review and approval process • The creation of an infrastructure charge to ensure that the City can continue to manage hard costs related to parks, park infrastructure, roads, sidewalks, traffic control and public safety in conjunction with Police and Fire services. The Secondary Suite policy direction was unanimously approved by City Council and will now go back to staff to draft the final wording for adoption this fall. |
