UPDATE - OCTOBER 2022

Here is the link to the staff report to Council containing responses to the questions from Council’s July 18, 2022 Meeting: https://www.highlands.ca/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/7407?fileID=6850.

UPDATE - JULY 2022

At the July 18, 2022 Council Meeting, Council directed the following questions back to staff:  

1. Is the District able to grandfather existing secondary suites/accessory dwelling units?
2. What is the potential population of the District of Highlands if secondary and accessory dwelling units were permitted under the provisions of Draft Highlands Zoning Bylaw, 1988, Amendment No. 41, (Accessory Dwelling Units) Bylaw No. 438, 2022?
3. What is the potential population of the District of Highlands if secondary suites and dwelling units are limited to properties equal to or greater than 2 acres?

 After the responses return to Council, the project will be referred to the Sustainable Land Use Select Committee.

UPDATE – JUNE 2022

At its June 20, 2022 Regular Meeting, Council was presented with possible regulatory changes to allow secondary suites/accessory dwelling units. Here is the staff report.   

Below are the draft amendments to the Zoning Bylaw and the Building Regulation Bylaw. These bylaws are expected to be on Council’s agenda for the July 18, 2022 Meeting:

MAY 2022

At its May 2, 2022 Regular Meeting, Council amended the Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units Draft Policy/Program Outline to the version below.  This version was the subject of a Special April 19, 2022 Committee of the Whole Meeting; here is the Staff Report.

BACKGROUND

While secondary suites are not permitted under existing zoning regulations, it is estimated that approximately 30% to 50% of properties in Highlands have some form of unauthorized secondary suite and/or additional unapproved dwellings. Given increasing land costs and housing shortages in the region this trend is likely to continue.

Here is a timeline of the District's recent investigation into regulating secondary housing:

• December 4, 2017 Council Meeting: Council considered an initial version of a draft policy and program outline for secondary suites and accessory dwelling units. Link to report: https://www.highlands.ca/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/3838?fileID=4545 ).  Link to minutes:  https://www.highlands.ca/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_12042017-396
• A second report was submitted to Council for consideration in April 2018 (https://www.highlands.ca/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/4140?fileID=4694). Council resolved to proceed with an Open House to solicit input on the proposed draft policy/program and regulatory framework. Link to minutes: https://www.highlands.ca/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_04162018-418   
• The Open House occurred on June 6, 2018.
• Results of the Open House were provided at the September 17, 2018 Committee of the Whole Meeting. Here is a link to the staff report and Open House results: http://www.highlands.ca/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/4429?fileID=4826. Other items were also discussed at that meeting. Here is a link to the minutes: http://highlands.ca/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_09172018-436
• Following that meeting, Council continued discussions at the October 9, 2018 Committee of the Whole Meeting. Minutes of that meeting can be found at this link: http://highlands.ca/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_10092018-439 .  The results of those discussions are summarized in this one page draft approach:  /DocumentCenter/View/8003/WEB-VER_Secondary-Suites-Appendix-A-Revisions_As-of-Nov-2018. 
• Island Health staff attended the March 11, 2019 Committee of the Whole meeting to share information on water and sewerage regulations. The presentation can be viewed here:  https://www.highlands.ca/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/4855?fileID=5023
• At the April 1, 2019 Council Meeting, BC Assessment staff provided a presentation that can be viewed here:  https://www.highlands.ca/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/4921?fileID=5053
• At its March 7, 2022 Meeting, Council amended the Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units Draft Policy/Program Outline as shown in this link. The staff report can be found at this link: https://www.highlands.ca/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/6975?fileID=6662 . There was a presentation at the Council Meeting that can be found at this link:  /DocumentCenter/View/8002/7March2022-Council-Presentation_SS-and-ADUs.