The District of Sechelt held a public meeting to get feedback and review its zoning bylaw on Dec. 10 – and while the presentation carved out time for a handful of categories, the hottest topic remained short-term rental (STR) regulations.
Sechelt Mayor Darnelda Siegers and councillors attended the staff-led session to hear from constituents as the district moves ahead with a major overhaul of the bylaw, which Siegers said she wants completed in 2021.
Director of planning Andrew Allen said the aim is to write “a new draft of the zoning bylaw to bring us into the modern world” and that will align with the Official Community Plan (OCP). The bylaw dates back to 1987 and has seen many minor updates since, leaving it “tangled and twisted.”
The revision will bring it up to date with land-use best practices. The OCP was updated in 2011.
While the subjects of home-based businesses, urban agriculture and Agricultural Land Reserve were touched on in the presentation and through a smattering of questions, most people wanted to weigh in on any potential changes made to rules governing short-term rentals.
So far in the public feedback process, Allen said the planning department has received up to four times more feedback on short-term rentals than any other topic.
He also said the community remains split on the issue, according to feedback received so far, so the focus would be on the question: “Where can we make gains?”
That includes options such as requiring an on-site operator, determining
the number of rental units allowed per property, size of property, maximum number of guests and making a distinction between short-term rentals and bed and breakfasts.
Allen also said there is “opportunity for synergy” to align regulations with those of the Sunshine Coast Regional District and the Town of Gibsons.
Several operators in attendance did not support an on-site operator requirement and raised issues around enforcement.
Allen acknowledged a “source of frustration” for everyone involved was “the level of acceptability” before enforcement through fines or education should take effect. “In some cases business owners just aren’t quite sure what they’re permitted to do. And we would like to provide some more clarity, ultimately, wherever that line may end up.”
An operator based in Davis Bay didn’t want regulation to be so broad as to penalize operations that don’t cause issues.
The requirement for an on-site operator seems “very onerous,” he said, adding nearby operators could be another option, as well as a public registry to provide another avenue for dealing with problems without resorting to bylaw enforcement.
Allen said the presence of an on-site operator “is an area for further exploration” and that he believed the bulk of complaints come from party houses where the owner lives off site, or even off Coast.
“That’s probably an area to start, but we will look at all options,” he said.
Another STR operator spoke against the on-site operator option, suggesting regulations should primarily be complaint-driven so issues can be dealt with “context by context.”
“Neighbours should have the ability to complain and the bylaw officers should have the ability to take it up with the owner,” he said, arguing broad brushstroke regulations could harm businesses.
At the meeting staff also said they’re building a list of residents interested in getting involved more closely in the zoning bylaw review process, in particular with regards to short-term rentals.
Those who wish to provide comments can send emails to [email protected]
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