SCRD Briefs: Rural housing assessment has 'inaccuracies' says director

An electoral services and a finance committee meeting were held by the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) on Nov. 21. In addition to the utility rate recommendations covered in separate articles, there were a number of decisions that will be sent for consideration to the board at its meeting on Nov. 28.

Rural housing assessment has 'inaccuracies': McMahon

While it follows the prescribed format to meet the province’s requirements, a housing needs assessment for SCRD rural areas contains significant “inaccuracies” according to Elphinstone area director Donna McMahon. At the electoral services committee session, McMahon noted the assessment cited her area had 1,470 detached homes,10 apartment buildings, 75 apartments or flats in duplexes and 20 mobile dwellings, which she said isn’t correct.

She pointed out that the assessment’s count of mobile homes in all rural SCRD areas was 290 and stated “there are at least that many in Area E." 

She asked Ian Smedley of KPMG, the consulting firm that coordinated the project and presented the assessment at the meeting "is there any way to get better information than this or are you handcuffed by the requirements of the province?"

Smedley and SCRD staff acknowledged that the data used in the assessment was based on the 2021 census and the classification types of housing in the document may not match how locals would classify them.

They stressed that the assessment focuses on future needs and indicates that housing starts in rural areas need to ramp up to 930 units over the next five years to meet the anticipated numbers of households that will be in the SCRD’s rural population. It was noted that assessment shows that housing creation needs to essentially double its current pace, as the number of units added in the five years between 2016 and 2021, was 420.

The committee asked that the board refer the document to its rural Advisory Planning Commissions (APC) for information. Area A director Leonard Lee suggested that the APCs could review it and suggest corrections for their areas, as they have good local knowledge of what housing exists.

Variance permit recommendations

A reduction in the ocean setback from 15 metres to 7.5 metres and a lot coverage allowance increase from 15 to 20.5 per cent to allow for a pool and auxiliary building at 7531 Cove Beach Road (Halfmoon Bay) received the committee’s nod.

Also in that electoral area, an ocean setback reduction to 12 from 15 metres was recommended to allow for the rebuilding of a single-family residence at 5317 Taylor Crescent.

A request to allow for a structure within 2.9 rather than 15 metres of the ocean and to reduce one side yard setback from 1.5 to .38 metres at 798 Marine Drive (West Howe Sound area) was not supported by the committee. The vote at the meeting supported the conclusion in the staff report, which read “staff are not supportive of the requested variance as proposed, given the proximity of the proposed structure to the natural boundary of the ocean and to a parcel line bordering a neighbouring property. Further to approve the variance application as proposed could create a precedent for allowing such structures in proximity to the natural boundary of the ocean." 

2025 fee level increases recommended

Upward adjustments to some regional refuse collection, landfill, and building/plumbing inspection fees received the support of the committee.

Costs for regional garbage and organic curbside collection are proposed to go up by 5.71 per cent in 2025. If approved that will bring annual charges for a single-family dwelling to $212.75, up from last year’s rate of $201.26. For mobile homes, the 2025 rate would move to $181.16 from $169.67. It was noted in the staff report that those rates had not changed since 2023.

Another change in the refuse collection area that was supported was to charge the full cost to customers who request a replacement food waste green bin. In 2025, that cost (if approved) will be $72, rather than $40, the amount currently allowed for by the SCRD’s bylaw.

At the landfill and waste transfer station, the committee accepted staff’s advice to raise fees for municipal solid waste from $150 to $165 per tonne. In addition, the per tonne tipping fee for cardboard is to see increase to $385 from $285 and scrap metal is to go to $150 from $170. An adjustment from $25 to $30 per unit for dry mattresses or box springs was also recommended.

The committee supported a staff-recommended escalation in fees under the SCRD’s building and plumbing bylaws. For minor repair building permits (work valued at under $1,000) a 76 per cent increase, to $150 from $85, was recommended along with increases ranging from 12 to 42 percent for permits for work at higher values. In introducing those changes staff noted the rates had been unchanged for 10 years. Roberts Creek director Kelly Backs was the sole vote in opposition to the committee recommendations. He said he did not support the increases which he assessed as “all over the map." 

In the case of the plumbing fees, most are recommended to increase by about 50 per cent, with special or re-inspection fees going up fivefold to $250 from $50.

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