Armstrong has moved a step closer to creating more affordable housing options.
Council unanimously passed third reading of a zoning text amendment bylaw Monday that would permit legal secondary suites within single-family dwellings in all low-density residential zones. Permission would be subject to conditions including regulating the size of the suite, access, off-street parking and owner-occupation of the property.
“During recent elections at the many forums, and with talking to residents, one big issue was affordable housing,” said Coun. Ryan Nitchie. “Secondary suites provide us with two avenues to support affordable housing.
New homeowners or homeowners in general who are struggling with the high cost of housing could use a secondary suite as a mortgage helper.
“It also increases the city’s inventory of affordable rental suites,” said Nitchie.
A public hearing on the text amendment application drew a letter and appearance from Bradley Road resident Len Eddy, who is adamantly opposed to the application.
Eddy states he has invested 20 years in Armstrong and wrote it would be “an absolute shame to jeopardize our standard of living at this point and time based on the fact that there are home buyers out there who simply can’t afford to purchase a home without support income derived from a secondary suite.
“My main concern is I don’t want my property to devalue,” said Eddy.
“I worked long and hard to get to the point I had a home I really liked. I’m happy with the subdivision I live in, the lifestyle and I don’t want that to change.”
Chris Moxham of Rosedale Avenue West is in favour of the application, believing property values increase with a secondary suite, saying a house sells quicker and for more money if it has a suite.
Moxham has never had a problem renting out his legal one-bedroom basement suite.
“We live upstairs, we want a nice neighbourhood, so we harshly screen our applicants as we want the present to fit in with our lifestyle,” he said.
Nitchie said council has not received one complaint from neighbours of a house with a legal secondary suite.
Final adoption of the bylaw amendment could happen next month.
