Changes may be coming in the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area in regard to secondary suites.

Presently, in the JDFEA, secondary suites can only be located in primary residences and Director Mike Hicks wants to change that.

What Hicks would like to see are suites in detached buildings, such as garages, barns and accessory buildings.

“One of my campaign promises was to introduce the idea of allowing a suite in a detached building. This would apply to properties that are already allowed a suite in their home and it would be limited in size up to approx. 960 square feet. Hopefully this fall, Otter Point, East Sooke and Shirly can consider this new bylaw through our APC process and our Land Use Committee can make a recommendation. Port Renfrew allows for a detached suite already,” said Hicks.

“It is my hope that the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area  communities will allow secondary suites in detached buildings. It will help families provide housing for their extended families, provide affordable housing, help pay taxes and possibly provide a few local jobs in construction.”

“Director Hicks requested consideration of it,” said Manager of Local Area Planning June Klassen. “It went to the land use committee who directed it be sent to the APC’s (Advisory Planning Commission) for comment.”

Currently secondary suites are allowed in some zones but only in primary residences.

“There’s a number of really good arguments for them,” said Klassen. “There are concerns that water and septic be protected, and in some places parking is still of some concern.”

Klassen said they hadn’t received any comments for the communities yet, but she said,”they don’t want it to be urban.”

The JDF Electoral Area Land Use Committee is considering an amendment to the Sooke Land Use Bylaw 2040, which would allow a suite to be located in an accessory building, if a certain set of conditions were adhered to. The proposed amendment would apply to the East Sooke, Otter Point and Shirley/Jordan River community areas and the Land Use Committee would like to hear from you to determine if there is community support for this proposed amendment. The proposal includes some basic guidelines. For example, if you reside on the property being considered and it is one acre or larger, you could potentially be approved to place one suite (90m2 or smaller) in an accessory building. Accessory buildings include structures such as barns or other detached outbuildings, manufactured or modular homes; recreational vehicles or travel trailers would not be permissible under the proposed amendment as suites. Facilities, such as potable water and sewage disposal, and access ways may require approval by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transportation.

You can find a full list of details of this proposal at www.crd.bc.ca/jdf. CRD staff would like to invite you to provide your comments on the proposal by September 10, 2009.

Please forward your comments by email or mail to the Juan de Fuca Area Planning office.