City of Powell River Council is considering revising its zoning bylaw and business licence bylaw to allow for more opportunities for permitting child-care facilities in residential and other zones.
At a July 13 meeting, councillors heard a presentation from planner Rachel Pukesh, who mentioned the 2019 region-wide child-care planning project funded by Union of British Columbia Municipalities. She said the report identified a current and future need for more child-care spaces, and while many factors were identified that contributed to the shortfall that are outside of the city’s purview, amendments to city bylaws that regulate child-care operations were identified in the report as action items that are within the city’s control.
“Staff undertook an analysis of current bylaw language, with the intent being more broad support and permission for the establishment of new child-care operations throughout the city,” said Pukesh. “Following direction from council at its June 22 meeting, we are pleased to be back here today to be presenting amendment bylaws to council for your consideration.”
Pukesh said the role of the city with respect to the regulation of child care is through the zoning bylaw, which regulates land use, and the second is the business licence bylaw, which regulates businesses.
“Amendments to each of the bylaws are aimed at more broadly permitting and relaxing restrictions that currently exist on child-care operations,” said Pukesh. “The position of staff is that the minutia of the regulation of child-care operations should be left up to the province, so these bylaw amendments would reflect what we consider a very straightforward and open approach to regulation of child care.”
Pukesh said staff feels relaxing regulation is the most straightforward approach. She said provincial regulations are very complex for potential licensees to navigate. There exists market and employment factors outside of the city’s control that would limit some childcare operations to be established, she added.
“Broadly, the bylaw amendments that are being proposed to the zoning bylaw include new and updated definitions of both child-care centres, which are commercial-based operations, and in-home child care, which is operated by the principal resident in their own home,” said Pukesh. “We are also looking to update permitted uses broadly to allow child-care centres in almost all commercial, institutional civic mixed-use, and multi-family zones. Notable exceptions or exclusions to that would be our industrial zones, our campground zones and parking lot zones. That is simply an acknowledgement that, likely, the other uses permitted in those zones would not be compatible with child-care operations.”
Pukesh said staff was also proposing updating permitted uses to allow in-home child care in all single and multi-family residential zones, subject to what a landlord or strata bylaw might restrict. She said staff was proposing to relax on-site parking requirements for both in-home and child-care centres so that the operation only needs to provide parking for employees.
Pukesh said staff was looking at updating language in the business licence bylaw to clearly outline the operations to meet provincial building and fire codes.
She said under the licensing bylaw there was an amendment to set the licence fee for in-home child care at $180 per year, which is the standard fee that smaller-scale commercial businesses pay.
Councillor George Doubt said more child-care spaces are needed.
“This is going to make it easier for anybody trying to set up a child-care business to do it in virtually any place other than an industrial property and a few small commercial areas in the city,” said Doubt. “We are not magically creating child-care spaces, but we are making it less difficult for the people trying to set up that kind of business.”
Councillor Trina Isakson made a motion that the zoning amendment bylaw be read a first and second time, and that staff be directed to give notice of a public hearing. The motion also called for first, second and third reading of the business licence amendment bylaw, and that staff be directed to give notice in accordance with the Community Charter.
Mayor Ron Woznow said the issue of daycare is very important for the hospital when it is trying to recruit staff.
“This is an excellent initiative,” added Woznow. “Anything we can do to facilitate new care is great and I’m very supportive of this motion.
The motion passed unanimously.
