Mega-homes debated as planners wrap up consultation phase
A member of the city of Surrey's planning staff explains some of the proposed changes to RF single family zones at a Nov. 5 meeting at Clayton Heights Secondary.
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Updated: November 10, 2009 5:15 PM
Surrey residents remain divided over the mega-home issue, but at least they're talking.
About 100 people turned out to the City of Surrey's fifth and final open house on proposed changes to RF single family zones – far fewer than the nearly 1,000 people who showed up in Newton or the 750 attending the Whalley open house earlier in the week.
Those two open houses "were uncomfortable to say the least," said Ranjit Khela, who spoke in favour of the city's controversial plan to allow homes on residential lots greater than 6,000 square feet to be 1,000 square feet larger than the existing maximum.
There were at least 25 different display boards outlining the proposed zoning changes, which stem from a 4,200-name petition organized by the Surrey Ratepayers' Association.
The city is also looking at including covered balconies and double-height rooms in floor area calculations, in an attempt to put an end to illegally closing them in after original construction is complete.
"This proposal seems to be designed in such a way that it will put an end of most of that," Khela said, adding he hopes the changes will put an end of two decades of conflict among residents.
Others at the Nov. 5 meeting at Clayton Heights Secondary weren't so sure.
"This is unfair to the person who lives in a bungalow," noted one speaker. "They're all being torn down and monster homes going up."
The crowd was divided on intergenerational homes – houses with more than one generation residing in them.
"What is your definition of a single family – are you planning to redefine what a single family home is?" wondered Paul Fitzgerald, who also told city staff he believes taxes "should be paid appropriately" in homes with more than one family.
"I'm definitely against [house sizes] getting larger," Susan Rehnby said. "I think I want Surrey council to give us a definition of what is a house."
Bruce March said the city needs to crack down on illegal suites. "This is not about culture to me," he said. "This is not about religion. This is about fairness and equity."
South Fraser Ratepayers' Association member Maryanne Eyers was one of several people who attended more than one open house.
Eyers was concerned about her mother's covered deck in Cloverdale. "I believe this is a tax grab on the part of the city," she said. "This mega-house issue is a smoke screen."
City staff are receiving public comments on the proposed changes to Nov. 20 and plan to report to council in January.
Current planning manager George Fujii said he was encouraged to see people on different sides of the issue talking with one another.
"That kind of stuff is important."
