Tiny town faces hurdles
It turns out Ashley Baptiste wasn’t the only person excited about creating Alberta’s first tiny house community on a peaceful property east of Calgary.
After posting an ad online more than two months ago, pitching the idea of a small home co- op on his 1.6- hectare property and asking would- be homeowners to get in touch, Baptiste was swamped with nearly 500 phone calls and emails.
But, Baptiste said bylaws and zoning rules within Wheatland County, the municipal district where his land lies, could force an army of tiny home enthusiasts to move elsewhere.
Baptiste envisions renting out tiny plots on his land, lovingly named Serenity Acres.
He wants to establish a community of a few small homes where families embrace a simpler lifestyle, neighbours know each other, and food is grown in a communal garden.
“We got responses from all walks of life,” Baptiste said.
“From retired single ladies, to young families, to handicapped people on AISH, as well as people that have the money that just want to live more sustainability.”
Baptiste said he met with a Wheatland County development officer, who laid out the requirements needed to make his vision a reality, and “the dollar signs just added up.”
“The ( county) has their bylaws, which are pretty black and white. They’re trying to squeeze us into their definitions but tiny homes are so new that we don’t fit anywhere. An RV park is the closest suitable option, so we have to follow the guidelines of an RV park.”
Baptiste said that means a central septic system is needed ( and sustainable composting toilets are out), power meters for each tiny home are required ( and off- grid power solutions are off the table), and roadways with parking pads at each plot need to be built.
“Paving our wild grasslands doesn’t really sound like what we wanted,” he said.
Baptiste said the cost of everything required by the county would be passed on to tiny plot renters, and paying a large sum to rent a small piece of land goes against the entire tiny house movement.
And the biggest cost hurdle Baptiste said the project currently faces is the fact his four- acre land is one acre too small for the needed zoning, which means he would need to purchase one acre from a neighbour before he could get started on the project.
But buoyed by the passion of the tiny home aficionados Baptiste has heard from and met with, he’s intent on finding a way to build a tiny house co- op in Alberta.
“We’ve hit a couple speed bumps but we’re trying to find solutions,” Baptiste said.
Baptiste is hopeful he could work out a deal with his neighbour for the extra land and then move forward with the county, but he’s also open to selling the land he has and finding property elsewhere that’s better suited for a tiny house community.
Alan Parkin, chief administrative officer for Wheatland County, said the county hasn’t yet received a formal application from Baptiste but confirmed that a meeting has taken place.
He noted the land where Baptiste lives is primarily an agricultural area that’s not designed to accommodate a high density housing development.
But, Parkin said the idea of a tiny house co- op is intriguing and the next step would be for the county to receive a formal application.
“It’s certainly an interesting concept, and I think it bears more consideration for sure,” he said.
As he continues to work on the co- op concept, Baptiste and his family have started constructing their own 300- square- foot tiny home, made from a shipping container that will soon boast bathroom and kitchen facilities, and a balcony.
“We’re determined to still be involved in the movement,” Baptiste said.
“We haven’t given up.”
They’re trying to squeeze us into their definitions but tiny homes are so new that we don’t fit anywhere.