qathet Regional District (qRD) Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne has served notice of motion that the planning committee recommend that the regional board establish a housing working group.
At the July 3 planning committee meeting, directors reviewed correspondence from provincial housing minister Ravi Kahlon regarding small scale multi-unit housing.
Gisborne said when he read the letter, he considered what had been discussed at the planning committee. He said where the regional district does not have zoning bylaws, it is allowing for small scale multi-unit housing. He added, however, that where there are zoning bylaws, they are not being allowed.
“We need to bridge the gap to keep with what the minister is asking us, and I’d also like to remind the committee that on June 5, the board adopted that it direct staff to schedule a meeting with Kahlon regarding consideration of capacity funding grant flexibility,” said Gisborne. “It’s probably going to show up at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities and I would not like to show up empty-handed. A good way forward would be to establish a working group to work on ideas for amending our housing policies found in our official community plans and zoning bylaws.”
Gisborne put forward a motion that the committee recommends to the board that the board direct staff to establish a working group for the purposes of increasing diversity of housing in relation to qRD official community plans and zoning bylaws.
qRD manager of planning services Laura Roddan asked about the potential composition of the working group. Gisborne was thinking of participation from sectors such as the health inspector and getting some people from the development community to look at barriers of existing zoning bylaws.
Gisborne’s motion was not seconded.
Electoral Area A director and planning committee chair Jason Lennox said he would prefer to see the matter referred to staff and made a motion to do so.
Roddan said if staff is being directed to explore the matter, it will be difficult to accomplish without knowing the purpose of the group.
Electoral Area C director and board chair Clay Brander said there were no zoning bylaws in the vast majority of the regional district, so there are no restrictions in those areas.
“I’m not going to put more weight on staff’s shoulders,” said Brander.
Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said she would have liked notice of motion regarding the matter, so she could not support the motion.
“I would in future entertain a notice of motion to do this,” said McCormick. She added that she wanted the opportunity to do some homework.
Gisborne said his belief is that the regional district should get moving on housing issues.
“We’ve been talking about this for a year and a half and people in my community are saying they want to see action,” said Gisborne.
The motion to refer to staff was defeated.
Gisborne then served notice of motion that the committee recommends to the board that the board direct staff to establish a working group for the purposes of increasing diversity of housing in relation to qRD official community plans and zoning bylaws. The motion will come up at a future planning committee meeting.
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