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Almost 2,000 Delta homes could become eligible for secondary suites

City council has taken another step to make it easier to have a secondary suite in Delta.
delta secondary suites
A Delta staff report notes that a review of other municipal regulations found Delta's secondary suite parking requirements were the most onerous. Under the proposed changes, owners would continue to have to provide two parking spaces for the principal dwelling and one parking space for the secondary suite.

City council has taken another step to make it easier to have a secondary suite in Delta.

On Monday council gave preliminary approval to zoning amendments which would eliminate the requirement for a minimum lot width of 49-feet to accommodate a suite and to allow suites on properties that can fit three on-site parking spaces regardless of parking configuration.

Following recommendations by the Delta’s housing task force a decade ago, bylaw amendments were adopted to legalize secondary suites for single-detached dwellings in Delta.

At that time, there was no minimum lot width required, but that rule was added in later years.

A staff report notes that out of approximately 23,600 single-detached lots in Delta, removing the lot width requirement would allow secondary suites on approximately 1,950 additional lots, provided that three off-street parking spaces could be provided and B.C. Building Code requirements are met.

The report also notes that approximately 220 lots that are less than 49-feet-wide already have a secondary suite.

Properties which are subject to a land use contracts are still not permitted to have a secondary suite, unless the land use contract is discharged by council or until provincially terminated on June 30, 2024.

Council in a move last year to ease restrictions eliminated the zoning requirement for owners to enter into a restrictive covenant to prohibit unauthorized secondary suites in in-ground basements and accessory structures.

The latest changes would also delegate planning staff the authority to approve and execute discharges and amendments of current restrictive covenants, instead of council approving each application, when no variances are required.

The public hearing for the amendments will take place Jan. 18, 2021.