Qualicum Beach - Secondary Suites and Garden Suites
"Town of Qualicum Beach Land Use and Subdivision Bylaw No. 580, 1999" has been ammended to allow for secondary suites within a single family dwelling in zones A1, A3, RR1 R1 and R14, provided that it meets the definition of a "secondary suite" below, provides one extra parking stall, and meets all requirements of the BC Building Code.
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A secondary suite is a self contained secondary dwelling unit that:
a. is located within or is part of another dwelling unit;
b. is not separated from the other dwelling unit by any unheated area;
c. shares at least one common interior wall, floor or ceiling with the other dwelling unit of at least 10 square meters;
d. for parcels containing a dwelling unit prior to construction of a secondary suite, contains a maximum floor area of 45 sq. meters exclusive of any floor area that existed as a part of the primary residence for at least three years prior to the start of construction of the secondary suite;
e. has the main body of the secondary suite directly attached to the main body of the other dwelling unit;
f. has a total floor area of not more than 90 sq. meters nor more than 40% of the total floor area of the building whichever is lesser;
g. is not subdivided from the other dwelling unit on the parcel under the Strata Property Act;
h. is located on a parcel of land where the owner of the land is resident of either the secondary suite or the other dwelling unit for a minimum of six months in any twelve month period.
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Garden suites (one-storey suites that are detached from the primary dwelling) are now allowed in zones within the Town's "Village Neighborhood" Residential 14 Zone and are also subject to size, strata title restrictions and owner residency regulations.
All existing and new secondary and garden suites require a building permit.
Home owners of existing suites who apply to legalize their secondary or garden suites by June 7, 2010 will not be charged any building permit or inspection fees. After this 'no fee grace period the Town will take a proactive approach to enforcement. Illegal secondary and garden suite homeowners will be directed to either have their suite inspected by the Town or remove it. No-compliance will result in a notice being placed on title and owners may also be subject to daily fines.
For more information about secondary suites and garden suites please contact:
Planning/Building Inspection, Town of Qualicum Beach
201- 660 Primrose St., PO Box, 130, Qualicum Beach, BC, V9K 1S7
Tel: 250.752.6921 Fax: 250.752.1243
Website: www.qualicumbeach.com
More general information about secondary suites can also be found on the CMHC website www.cmhc.ca
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