Homes in an 18-lot subdivision in the Clayton Family Lands development won’t all have to be built to accessible standards anymore. However, 10 per cent of those lots and 10 per cent of all future phases built in the Claytons Family Lands development must now be made adaptable, council decided March 1.
Mayor Bruce Milne brought the issue back to the council table for reconsideration on March 1, after hearing some concerns from Coun. Mike Shanks who felt it was unfair and without precedent to require a developer to make all homes accessible (which was the decision council made on Feb. 1, without the mayor present).
In the past, a percentage of homes in Sechelt developments have been required to be built to accessible standards, but never an entire development.
When council debated the issue again on March 1, staff suggested requiring 10 per cent of each phase of the Clayton Family Lands Development to be built accessible going forward.
Council was told that any change would trigger another public hearing for the developer, but Milne said council needed to ensure the proposal was dealt with “in a fair and consistent way.”
Fairness was a recurring theme around the table.
Coun. Darnelda Siegers argued that, with the aging demographic of Sechelt, more homes should be built accessible for those with mobility issues and that 100 per cent of new builds should be held to the standard.
Both councillors Noel Muller and Alice Lutes also though that 10 per cent of developments being built to accessible standards was a little low, but they weren’t willing to go up to 100 per cent.
“Ten per cent is potentially too little but it gives us a starting point,” Muller said, adding, “I would only be in favour of this if it was something that applied to all building and all zoning going forward.”
Milne suggested keeping the level at 10 per cent and having staff work on a policy for all new builds so that all developers would be dealt with in the same way.
When the question was called to require 10 per cent of each phase to be built accessible in the Clayton Family Lands development and to send the 18-lot subdivision back to public hearing, all but Siegers, Lutes and Coun. Doug Wright were in favour, so it passed 4-3.
A new public hearing is expected to be scheduled soon.
