Grande Prairie City Council has finalized changes to the current Land Use Bylaw that controls secondary suites.
Discussions have been underway for some time now and the final vote ultimately came down to the allowance of backyard or “garden suites” that would serve as separated living structures in a resident’s backyard.
After a lengthy meeting two weeks ago, council asked city administration to bring back a report regarding what changes to garden suites could be made, and following the report, Mayor Jackie Clayton says council simply was not ready to approve the idea at this time.
“It was a great piece of information for council to consider,” she says. “At the end of the day, they were looking more for, for more traditional secondary suites being basement suites, duplexes, etcetera.”
“Council is not saying no to garden suites. It’s just no for right now,” she adds.
Despite the no regarding garden suites, the new bylaw will see changes to secondary suite regulations throughout the city, notably, the change to the required parking stalls on a per-bedroom basis. The new bylaw will require one parking stall for both a one or two-bedroom secondary suite, which has caused some concern among residents worried about parking in their neighbourhood; however, the Mayor says secondary suites are not the sole cause of parking issues in the city.
“Parking still continues to come up. I remind people that secondary suites are not the catalyst for parking issues in neighborhoods,” she says. “Adding secondary suites is an opportunity and we look forward to having that managed within neighbourhoods so that it doesn’t become an issue.”
Additionally, the new bylaw includes changes to the lot width requirement and size restrictions for secondary suites, and the allowance of up to eight suites within a 30-metre radius.
Clayton says the new changes make secondary suites more accessible for residents, and adds that the need for additional housing is a dire one across the province.
“We know that a great number of people need that second income by having a basement suite or a secondary suite in there in their building,” she says. “I think that council explored many opportunities, settled where they were today, and there are potential options in the future.”
During the meeting, council approved changes to the city’s Development Incentives and Grants program, which now includes secondary suites and duplexes.
