Looking for a place to house an elderly parent or teen?
What about bringing in a renter to help pay off that massive mortgage?
Soon, some Port Coquitlam house owners will be able to build a coach home on their property.
Tuesday, city council received a report about regulations that, if enacted, would allow “granny flats” to go up on large residential lots.
Under the proposed rules, which still need to be passed by council and go through a public hearing, homeowners can build a coach home up to 753 sq. ft. — the same size as is permitted in Vancouver.
The proposed changes come after a public consultation last summer and aim to add more affordable housing to PoCo’s stock and to boost the city’s population — a requirement under Metro Vancouver’s regional growth strategy.
Under the regulations, applicants would notify their neighbours as well as post a sign on their lot about the proposed home.
Coun. Mike Forrest, chair of the city’s smart growth committee, which would review each application, urged area residents to air their views early in the planning process.
“Please come and have a discussion,” he said. “I would prefer it to be done at committee rather than at council.”
Parking is expected to be a hot topic, some councillors suggested at Tuesday’s meeting.
While an on-site space is required for coach homes (and, under the bylaws, for any new secondary suites), tenants may not always park on the property.
The spill-out onto streets could eventually force the municipality to issue parking permits for coach home occupants, Coun. Darrell Penner said.
Mayor Greg Moore also said council may look at taxing coach home residents in the future (coach home and secondary suite renters are required to pay utility fees) as taxpayers would have to subsidize the municipal services that they use.
But Coun. Dean Washington pointed out those extra services — i.e., policing, road maintenance, etc. — would be paid by the landowner, who will have a higher property tax bill as a result of a larger tax assessment.
Coun. Glenn Pollock said the proposed coach homes regulations “don’t go far enough” and wants to see more flexibility. He said infilling properties with coach homes is a better way to densify than allowing highrises.
As well, Coun. Brad West said the city needs to keep an eye on coach homes being used as Airbnb rental units, a temporary accommodation use that’s not regulated in PoCo as it is in other communities such as Vancouver.
Coach homes have been allowed in Coquitlam since 2012. In Port Moody coach homes are not currently permitted “but they are being explored as part of our zoning bylaw review,” city spokesperson Rosemary Lodge said.
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Maximum sizes for coach houses in other cities:
• Delta: 42 sq. m.
• Coquitlam: 50 sq. m.
• Richmond: 60 sq. m.
• Vancouver: 70 sq. m.
• Maple Ridge: Up to 90 sq. m.
• City of North Vancouver: 74.3 or 92.9 sq. m. (depending on type)
