The Town of Gibsons council discussed not issuing any more temporary use permits for whole (or “unhosted”) short-term rentals until a review of its year-old regulations can be completed — but council members want more information first.
The option presented in the agenda of the July 18 committee of the whole states the review of the regulatory framework would be completed no later than Dec. 31, 2024.
The discussion came after council approved four more temporary use permits (TUPs) for rental guest accommodations (RGAs, also known as short-term rentals). The four rentals made up the third batch of TUPs for “unhosted” RGAs approved by Gibsons council since the new regulations were adopted in 2022, before the October election. All of the short-term rental TUPs are set to expire at the end of 2024.
Coun. Annemarie De Andrade said she was in support not issuing any more permits until the regulation review is done, saying it will give council time to evaluate what there is and as any additional permit holders would have less than a year until the permit expires.
She said it is important for the planning department to have more information before council keeps approving applications.
Coun. David Croal said he was in support of the option, but noted that an upcoming quarterly report will provide more information, so he proposed deferring until statistics were presented and council had an opportunity to engage the bylaw department for more information.
“There are a lot of moving pieces right now,” Croal said.
Four TUPs approved
The four units covered by the TUPs approved Tuesday are at 312 Headlands Road, 527 South Fletcher Road, 326 Wells Lane and 500 Gower Point Road, and include a mix of garden suites and single-family or principal dwelling units. A town planner, Kirsten Rawkins, said eight letters have been received regarding the proposed rentals.
Councillors asked about the landscaping and parking at one of the sites. Mayor Silas White suggested that some of the questions could be referred to the upcoming quarterly reports that will include information about bylaw enforcement.
One of the property owners who spoke at the meeting said Lower Gibsons needs short-term vacation rentals unless developers build hotels. “If you kill short-term rentals slash vacation rentals, you’ll kill tourism,” Scott Stevenson told council. He recommended they reach out to the community and tourism-based businesses to find the best solution for affordable housing. He added his opinion that the housing situation is not a private citizen’s problem to fix.
Three of the four letters included in the agenda were in opposition to granting the temporary use permits. Among those letters, Gibsons residents opposed granting a permit to short-term rentals, and outlined their preference to see principal dwelling units used for long-term rentals for people who live and work in the community. One letter writer cited the pending closure of the Sechelt Medical Centre, lack of housing for healthcare workers and school district employees to support her reasoning.
The decision still needs to be formalized at a council meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for July 25.
