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Coach Houses Coming to West Vancouver


Blog by Andrew Reid | July 30th, 2014


Jul 22, 2014

Tuesday, July 22, 2014, West Vancouver, BC — Coach houses are now legal in the District of West Vancouver, after District council voted in favour of bylaw amendments allowing this new form of housing development last night. Director of planning, land development and permits Bob Sokol says the change comes after extensive public input.

“The District’s Community Dialogue on Community Character and Housing helped the District to gain a better understanding of what people desired for the future of their neighbourhoods, and issues related to housing choice and affordability,” says Sokol. “This change is designed to address those issues, which are present in our community and in municipalities across the Lower Mainland.”

The amendment to the Official Community Plan also establishes a Development Permit Area with form and character guidelines for coach houses, and the amendment to the Zoning Bylaw adds regulations for ‘detached secondary suites’ (i.e. a rental coach house as an alternative to a suite within the house).

Staff will develop the coach house program, including application process and fees, over the summer. The program is expected to roll out this fall, with applications for coach houses to be received in November.

source 

http://westvancouver.ca/news/coach-houses-approved-west-vancouver-council-help-address-housing-issues