Industry group says rule changes would boost number of garage suites

Despite interest from hundreds of homeowners, only about half a dozen garage suites have been built in Saskatoon since they were first allowed nearly three years ago, an industry group says.

Jeff Nattress of Laneway Suites appeared in front of a city council committee on Monday to promote changing the rules governing the construction of garage and garden suites.

The existing rules allowing garage suites were first approved in May 2014, then amended in December 2015.

“We recognized that the garden and garage suites program isn’t working well,” Nattress told council’s planning, development and community services committee.

He submitted a report on behalf of 10 industry representatives. It suggests three changes: remove the need for a discretionary use application, eliminate the existing size comparison to the main house and kill the requirement for a drainage plan.

“We feel strongly that the program can succeed if given a chance,” Nattress said.

“We see quite an opportunity here for garage suites.”

In an interview, Nattress said eight to 10 such suites have been built in Regina and another six are under construction there, even though Regina has allowed suites for a shorter period of time.

Only two per cent of discretionary use applications are rejected, the industry group’s report says, adding that removing the process could have allowed 220 new suites to be built over the last three years.

The group also opposes a rule that restricts the size of garage and garden suites in relation to the size of the main house, noting that nine other rules limit the size of the suites.

Coun. Darren Hill spoke against removing the need for a drainage plan for the suites, but said all infill developments should be required to follow the same guidelines.

The committee voted to get the civic administration to review the industry group’s suggestions and report back.

Randy Grauer, the city’s general manager of community services, said a review of the garden and garage suite rules is expected in the fall.

Coun. Troy Davies said when council first approved the rules for the suites, it was understood that the regulations would be revisited for possible improvements.

“It’s not black and white,” Davies said.

“We’re in a grey area.”

The suites are considered one part of the city’s efforts to create more infill development to limit urban sprawl.

City hall has set a goal of having a five-year average of 25 per cent infill development by 2023. Last year, infill development accounted for 16.8 per cent of all new dwellings in Saskatoon.