TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: March 11, 2024 Report No. DEV-24-019
TO: Committee of the Whole
FROM: James Davison, Manager of Development Services
SUBJECT: Small Scale Multi Unit Housing Primer and Questions for Committee
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That Committee of the Whole recommend to Council that Staff prepare Zoning Bylaw amendments to accommodate the Provincial Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) legislation as required of all BC municipalities by the Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023 (Bill 44).
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Provincial government passed The Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023 on November 29, 2023 (Appendix A). It amends the provincial Local Government Act (LGA) and with it, local governments are expected to permit more small-scale, multi-unit housing in land use zones that are otherwise restricted to single-family dwellings or duplexes (referred to as Restricted Zones in the new legislation). The legislation applies to most municipalities and regional districts in the province. Staff has included the Provincial Policy Manual & Site Standards document (included as Appendix B) which effectively 'summarizes' (the document is 99 pages long) the legislation for local government stakeholders and aids with drafting new zoning regulations.
The Township of Esquimalt, along with all other municipalities in the province, will be required to amend its Zoning Bylaw to accommodate the increased density required of the Restricted Zones by June 30, 2024. Official Community Plan amendments are not required until the end of 2025.
Part 4 of the Provincial Policy Manual & Site Standards document contains recommendations for zoning bylaw amendments to density, siting, and parking regulations for each category of zone, depending on lot size and proximity to 'frequent transit', to accommodate the legislation. The recommendations in the manual are quite liberal; loca...
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