New provincial housing legislation has some Mission councillors hesitant to support mandated bylaw changes.
In a tight vote on Tuesday (July 2), council approved three readings on a bylaw amendment to comply with B.C.’s new Small-Scale Multi Unit Housing (SSMUH) rules.
The SSMUH legislation largely impacts Mission’s urban growth boundary. Small-scale multi-unit housing includes secondary suites in single-family dwellings, detached units such as garden cottages or coach homes, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and townhouses.
According to a staff report, the new requirements are intended to facilitate the delivery of more small-scale housing and impose increased density allowances in areas currently zoned for single-family or duplex uses.
While most councillors voiced concern over the fallout from the proposed changes, the matter passed 4-3 with councillors Angel Elias, Jag Gill and Ken Herar opposed.
Gill said there are benefits to development if done correctly, but it needs to keep pace with infrastructure. He says the mandated SSMUH legislation does the complete opposite.
“There's no commitment for infrastructure funding from the provincial government, leaving our community on the hook. I know this is mandated, but I won't go against my principles,” Gill said.
Elias says there’s still a lot of work to do.
“We're not caught up with infrastructure. We're behind the eight ball on a lot of things, and this is just going to impact us even more. And I just am not.. going to be in favour of it,” Elias said.
Coun. Mark Davies said he would “reluctantly support” the motion because the city was able to choose its own specifics.
“I am absolutely not happy being told what to do. It's not how a partnership works and unfortunately, by the province, I don't think we're viewed as the partner. That being said, we're going to get told what to do and I think we're best off looking at ways that we can make the best out of what we're going to get,” Davies said.
Mission Mayor Paul Horn supported the amendment. Hr says the legislation is flawed and there are issues, but it generally puts people first.
“Some of this is going to be about testing the market and let's be honest, I think even the province is aware – has to be aware – that some of this will land well, some of it won't,” Horn said.
Horn also motioned for a review of how the amended bylaw works one year from now, while Davies asked staff to start a strategy and workshop regarding development guidelines, stratification, form and character, and heritage guidelines. Both motions carried unanimously.
The legislation will require the allowance of two units in rural residential, agricultural, and unserviced urban lots, three units for small urban lots (less than 280 sq m) and four units for the most common larger urban lots (over 280 sq m).
Local governments are also required to consider amending building types, density, setbacks, height, lot coverage and parking requirements.
An amendment to bylaws is mandated by the province for SSMUH, but the city has some leeway with the exact details.
“We have to comply with the requirement to create SSMUH legislation, but we don't have to use all of their guidelines,” Horn said.
While the province recommends removing all Floor Space Ratio (FSR) density
provisions to allow for flexibility for developers, the city recommended maintaining the city’s current rules.
The province also recommends the minimum number of parking stalls per unit be set at a maximum of 0.5 stalls per dwelling. City staff are recommended 1.5 stalls per dwelling.
Elias thanked staff for not considering the recommended parking rules but wasn’t satisfied with the overall decrease in parking.
Davies also appreciated city staff’s “creativity” with parking, but said the provincial request will still create parking pressures. He suggested someone come in to analyze the impact on parking and how to solve the expected problems ahead of time.
“I am really concerned about the impact this housing regulation is going to have on Mission. It's going to be additional pressure on our recreation. It's going to be additional pressures on bylaws, schools, hospitals, our highways and transit investments,” Davies said.
Planning manager Rob Publow says the city will send the newly-established bylaw framework to the province upon adoption, and the province will determine whether Mission meets the objectives.