Debate on home-based business structure sizes, campgrounds and what Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) Area E (Elphinstone) director Donna McMahon called “chicken wars” led to a supersized 3.5-hour July 21 electoral services committee meeting.
The draft new Zoning Bylaw 722 – an update of Zoning Bylaw 310 – regulates land, building and structure uses in Halfmoon Bay, Roberts Creek, Elphinstone and West Howe Sound. The committee made two recommended adjustments to staff’s draft bylaw and recommended that the board move it to public hearing, should second reading be given. Board consideration is slated for July 28.
Provisions around the percentage of building floor space allowed for a home-based business and updated wording to define temporary accommodation in campgrounds as “less than 30 days” remained as drafted by staff.
Proposed changes also relate to short-term rentals, sewage treatment rules given the availability of new technologies and support for the region's community climate action plan.
Guidelines for campgrounds yet to come
Both McMahon and Area A Director Leonard Lee inquired about how the SCRD could enhance how the bylaw regulates layout and design of campgrounds. Planner Yuli Siao told the committee that a zoning bylaw is not a good tool to regulate design matters and suggested those issues be addressed through design guidelines that could be introduced later. McMahon said that was something she wants to see come forward for discussion.
Chickens and geese and bunnies (oh my...)
The Area E director succeeded in having the group suggest that the word “chickens” be replaced with the words “poultry and rabbits” in the bylaw update. That change, if endorsed, would see the number of chickens, ducks, geese or other fowl retained as well as having domestic rabbits and bees on rural properties in the SCRD regulated.
The draft bylaw proposes that keeping of those creatures be prohibited on residential zoned properties of less than 1,000 square meters. For residential properties over 1,000 and up to 3,500 square metres, up to six poultry but no roosters would be allowed and up to two beehives. Larger flocks and other livestock would be permitted on residential zoned properties over 3,500 square meters or on agriculturally zoned land. Keeping of poultry or livestock on residential lots zoned for multiple units (RM1 to 3) would not be allowed.
Public hearing preparations
The committee also recommended that the board provide copies of the updated draft to the region’s advisory planning commissions and the Roberts Creek Official Community Plan committee. Staff noted that those committees can make submissions, as official representatives of their areas, at public hearings.
In an effort to move debate on the bylaw and other committee business along, Sechelt area Director Darnelda Siegers said “we are never going to pass a perfect zoning bylaw, once it is passed, we are going to be amending it.” The committee took a brief recess and made its recommendations on the matter within 15 minutes of the meeting’s resumption.
No date for the public hearing was recommended. The staff report on the matter states it could be held “as early as September”. In discussion of the hearing details, staff indicated that a virtual hearing had been planned for but that a hybrid virtual and in-person event may be possible, with that decision at the Board’s discretion.
