Secondary suites

Need to do something....

The numerous illegal secondary suites tucked into basements, backyards, and garages throughout the Victoria suburb of Oak Bay could become legal.

The district estimates there are approximately 800 of those suites in the municipality ........

 

 

...... see more: http://www.cbc.ca/ne...uites-1.3960946

Wonder if this pool house across from Willows Beach is one of those secondary suites...

https://www.goldstreamgazette.com/news/saanich-invites-input-on-garden-suites/

From https://www.eventbri...910148?aff=eac2:

April 19

"Secondary suites are allowed in Saanich’s urban-containment area, but garden suites are not."

Saanich defines "a garden suite as a residential dwelling located on the ground in the backyard of a property that has a single-family home as its primary use." 

Looks like properties that already have secondary suites or an existing duplex will not be eligible for garden suites if contemplated plans are eventually approved.

http://www.timescolo...nich-1.23351208

"Twenty two garden suites have been approved in just over the last year and another 17 are in process. That compares to 18 garden suites approved in the previous 12 years."

Hardly a boom as per the headline of http://www.timescolo...boom-1.23359640

...Hardly a boom as per the headline...

That was my thought as well.

"Twenty two garden suites have been approved in just over the last year and another 17 are in process. 

Does anyone happen to know whether the majority of these recently approved and 'in process' garden suites conform to the city's 'Garden Suite Policy & Guidelines' https://www.victoria...2017 Final.pdf 

...for example, max size of 400 sq ft; max height of 3.5 m.....or if many/most of them have variances to those guidelines?  

And do we know if most of them are new-build, or simply formalizing an existing stand-alone garage or coach house?

Yeah, it would be interesting to learn how many are actual new-builds.

According to the article, "Council also gave its blessing to two garden-suite applications that didn’t quite meet guidelines. One was for conversion of an existing studio space in Fernwood and the other was for a new build in Fairfield. Both had inconsistencies with guidelines regarding the placement of windows facing neighbouring properties..."

Edited by rambaldi, 07 July 2018 - 06:48 AM.

Very difficult to build a new one. A ton of barriers in place.....a huge one being the BC Housing Owner-Builder Exam.

https://www.bchousin...er-builder-exam

Tiny home pilot project coming soon to Victoria?

https://www.goldstre...for-tiny-homes/

Edited by rambaldi, 06 December 2018 - 07:18 AM.

For the life of me, I've never understood a City or Municipalities profound interest in secondary suites?

I've also never understood the mile high hurdles most cities in Canada put in front of somebody wanting to have a secondary suite in their existing home.

Is it to prevent the "hot plate" scenario whereby the landlords idea of a kitchen is instantly a fire hazard?

Or is it to maintain an iron grip on potential, untapped tax opportunities?

Or is it to drain 5 to 10 thousand dollars out of potential developers for the wide assortment of expensive permits required?

The political attention paid to secondary suites seems terribly out of pace with what they actually wind up as ... which is usually a couple of rooms in the basement of somebodies house.

Must be something I'm not getting.

 

More details would need to be ironed out...

Her Worseship seems to be making a lot of "un-ironed" statements lately.

Is it to prevent the "hot plate" scenario whereby the landlords idea of a kitchen is instantly a fire hazard?

Or is it to maintain an iron grip on potential, untapped tax opportunities?

Or is it to drain 5 to 10 thousand dollars out of potential developers for the wide assortment of expensive permits required?

Officially its the BC Building code where a suite must have a designated fire separation between suites, I think its 1 hour fire rating if I recall correctly.  Almost all municipalities allow secondary suites, but in addition to that I think its because they don't want it on record with the government they have an income suite in the basement because they want tax free income

Its dangerous, I had an ex girlfriend who got even with a previous boyfriend (not me) and called CRA about the illegal basement suite and the condo he owned.  She told me the CRA was very interested and wanted to know all the details including rents and years.  Remember there is no statute of limitations on fraud and they can go back as long as they want to.  Based on what she told me that guy was probably looking at a 300k bill.  PS I made sure never to piss her off 

Oak Bay Municipal Council will meet Thursday night to hear the public debate a long-delayed policy on secondary suites. The municipality is among the last holdouts without such a bylaw.

So far, the municipality has endorsed 10 principles for the policy, including that secondary suites be incorporated in all zones, that no minimum lot size be required to have a secondary suite, and that bylaw owner occupancy is a requirement to provide a secondary suite, among others. 

The most hotly contested issue, though: parking. 

For months, council debated whether to require a parking spot for homeowners providing a secondary suite. Council eventually decided on a policy direction that requires homeowners to supply a parking space, and if not, provide storage for electric bicycles or electric scooters, complete with charging infrastructure.

https://www.capitald...-public-hearing

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 08 September 2022 - 05:23 AM.

The most hotly contested issue, though: parking. 

For months, council debated whether to require a parking spot for homeowners providing a secondary suite. Council eventually decided on a policy direction that requires homeowners to supply a parking space, and if not, provide storage for electric bicycles or electric scooters, complete with charging infrastructure.

https://www.capitald...-public-hearing

Somewhat interesting is this:

Presumably, many residents are opposed to allowing secondary suites without requiring a parking spot, because parking on their street is already scarce or congested.   But who is already parking on the street?   Likely residents of their homes (also some visitors of course). 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 12 September 2022 - 05:40 AM.

There a bunch of streets in Oak Bay where the houses do not have drive ways but a lane way in the back. Some people still use the lane ways and park behind their homes but many do not. Or park one car in the back and any others on the street. Those streets also tend to be narrow. Cars parked on both sides of the street barely leave room for one vehicle to drive down it. I avoid those streets as much as I can, not liking to play a game of chicken with my vehicle.

Secondary suites are now permitted in Oak Bay neighbourhoods.

Councillors have voted unanimously in favour of passing an amendment to a single-family dwellings bylaw to allow for fully enclosed secondary suites as independent units within principal buildings.

The secondary suites have to be contained within an “integral part of the one family dwelling,” which must be owner-occupied. No more than one suite is permitted per home, and the suites can’t be used for short-term accommodation — a period of less than 30 consecutive days.

Homeowners who rent out their suite will be required to register the unit with the municipality and pay a nominal fee.

https://www.timescol...rements-5867653

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 September 2022 - 05:04 AM.

Secondary suite legalization has been a topic of discussion since at least 2006, Murdoch said.

In 2021, council endorsed guidelines for new suites and the estimated 700 that already exist in the municipality.

Slow clap, I guess.