Council clearing path for increased density

More space for carriage houses, suites

Summerland council has paved the way for increasing the number of zoning districts that would allow carriage houses and secondary suites.

Council unanimously gave first and second readings on Monday to four zoning bylaw amendments.

The first would permit secondary suites in land zoned A2-agricultural large acreage.

Council recently passed a resolution allowing secondary suites on properties zoned A1agricultural small acreage.

Staff are recommending that both the A1 and A2 agricultural zones should allow for secondary suites because they are permitted in the Agricultural Land Reserve, development planner Alex Kondor told council.

Another bylaw amendment would add secondary suites and carriage houses as accessory uses in the FG-forest grazing zone.

This change would apply only to those properties in the FG which are not in the ALR because the Agricultural Land Commission does not permit carriage houses on ALR lands.

The third bylaw amendment involves changing the wording of the accessory structures regulations for the CR1-country residential zone that would allow for carriage houses to be located above garages and is consistent with the wording found in other residential zones.

The final amendment would remove the statement “where connected to full urban services” regarding carriage houses.

The Advisory Planning Commission supported all four amendments.

A public hearing on the proposed zoning bylaw amendments will be held on June 11.

— Susan Mciver