Garden suites would be allowed in Victoria for duplexes or with houses that already have a secondary suite under proposals going to councillors this week.
Staff are recommending the city consult with stakeholders on a number of policy changes to the garden-suite regulations, including:
• allowing additional floor area for garden suites on larger lots;
• allowing garden suites in conjunction with secondary suites or duplexes;
• exploring mechanisms to limit the height of garden suites on “plus sites” to address issues such as privacy and shading;
• restricting conversion of accessory buildings to garden suites to those built prior to 2019 or after five years from construction;
• considering aligning setback in some zones and the garden-suite regulations.
Those changes are needed to make building the small backyard rental units, also known as lane houses or carriage houses, easier and less expensive, says Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, who heard concerns about the garden-suite policy during last fall’s election.
“It came up that it was taking too long and it was too cumbersome, and I said we were supposed to be making it easier,” Helps said.
She suggested that rather than retaining design control through the development-permit process, the city might consider just requiring a building permit for garden suites.
“If we can tweak the policy a little bit to make it a little bit easier, getting rid of design control would be key,” Helps said.
“Then [we can] let staff spend their time on what’s going to bring us hundreds of new units, including affordable units.”
Making garden suites affordable might not be easy.
City staff note that because of high construction costs — the average is about $180,000 — one-bedroom units typically rent for between $1,200 and $2,000 a month.
Helps said the city has to try to reduce the costs for homeowners by speeding up the approval process. Use of pre-fab designs could also make garden suites more affordable, she said.
Despite the challenges with affordability, staff say the garden suites have merit because they increase the overall stock of ground-orientated rental accommodation.
The units improve housing diversity and provide rental options close to schools, parks and other amenities, the report says.
They also improve affordability by acting as a mortgage helper, providing options for caregivers or multi-generational families and providing a mechanism for aging in place, it says.
The city for years has encouraged garden suites and has been refining regulations to encourage their development.
Initially, uptake was slow. In the 13 years from 2004 (when a rezoning was required) to 2017, there was an average of two applications a year.
In 2017, the zoning bylaw was amended to allow garden suites in all single-family housing zones. In an effort to streamline the application process, council gave staff authority to approve the applications, consistent with design guidelines.
In the past two years, the city has received 58 applications — more than double the number in the previous 13 years.
Of those 58 applications, 39 have been issued permits, 13 new garden suites have been built, 24 are in the process of getting a building permit or are under construction, and two have not applied for a building permit.
Staff note that construction of some garden suites has come at the expense of trees. Last year, 40 non-protected trees were removed to accommodate the suites.
They’re recommending council encourage the use of natural landscape materials; clarify that even though direct access to the suite needs to be maintained, it does not have to be done with hard surface materials; and require that where possible, garden suites be serviced through the principal dwelling so as to reduce trenching that can damage root systems.
Staff are also suggesting that council consider another increase to the garden-suite application fee to offset additional time needed to deal with applications. The fee was increased to $1,000 from $200 in 2018.
