Sechelt council imposed never-before-required adaptable housing guidelines on an 18-lot subdivision in the Claytons Family Lands development at its Feb. 1 regular council meeting.
The guidelines calling for wheelchair-accessible hallways, washrooms and other features were adopted in 2010, but a policy on how to enforce those guidelines has never been developed by the district.
In the past, a percentage of homes in new developments have been held to the guidelines, but the applicant for the 18-lot subdivision was the first to be told every house must be made adaptable.
Previously, Ray Parfitt, development consultant for the project, told council that forcing the entire development to meet the guidelines would be onerous and “without precedent.”
“I guess I have several concerns,” Coun. Mike Shanks said, before council made its decision Feb. 1.
He brought up the lack of a policy on how to fairly enforce the adaptable housing guidelines across the district, and pointed to a staff report that suggested future phases of the Clayton Family Lands development could be held to the same guidelines.
“For me it just seems out of context with other developments [that] have occurred where that requirement or provision hasn’t been necessary,” Shanks said.
“No other development in recent history has been required to do that.”
Coun. Darnelda Siegers said she’d “take the other side” of the argument. She said she did some digging and found that the guidelines were created in December 2010, “when the proponent’s consultant [Parfitt] was actually working for the district.”
She noted there are a few different levels of adaptability laid out in the guidelines and that “it doesn’t say they have to go to the most extreme.”
The 18-lot subdivision would be held to the basic standard, which calls for a wheelchair-accessible path of travel, one no-step entrance, a passable interior circulation and access to a main-floor washroom.
“This is minimal. The cost of this would not be extensive for the builder or for the people buying it,” Siegers said. “I’d actually like to see it for all developments because of the population that we have. “
Coun. Noel Muller noted it wasn’t an issue of whether adaptability in new buildings was good or bad, rather “the issue is about fairness. We should have a clear policy on this moving forward,” Muller said.
“If we’re going to require this of every builder, then I’m for it, and if we’re going to require it of one builder, then I’m likely not in favour.”
Planner Aaron Thomp-son noted the “most appropriate” way to deal with a policy going forward would be through a large-scale bylaw update.
He said council’s current method of making adaptable housing guidelines a condition of adoption “can work, but it is of course at the discretion of council, which then brings up these questions of fairness and so forth.”
Siegers then moved that council approve the adaptable housing conditions for the 18-lot subdivision.
All but Shanks were in favour, so the motion passed.
