OLDS — Town council has passed a bylaw making a couple of changes to the rules for secondary suites.
During a public hearing on the changes, development officer Kyle Sloan told council the purpose of the changes is to bring existing secondary suites into compliance with town bylaws and provincial building codes.
For example, Sloan noted that some duplex owners have secondary suites in their basements.
“Currently, the Town of Olds land use bylaw does not allow for the approval of suites in duplexes, but it is something that the provincial building code does allow,” Sloan said.
He also pointed out that secondary suites are allowed in single-detached homes.
So one change, Sloan noted is to remove those restrictions for secondary suites “to bring our bylaw in alignment with provincial regulations.”
A second amendment changes the types of suites that are allowable in the R2 land use district (duplexes fall under that district designation).
Sloan said under current rules, only basement suites are allowed in those districts.
A request for proposals in council’s agenda package said other options, like garage and garden suites, were not allowed, despite the fact that they are allowed in the Low Density Residential District (R1) and General Residential Narrow Lot District (R2N).
“The proposed amendments would simplify our regulations, allow more flexibility for the people who are inquiring to try to legalize their existing suites,” Sloan said.
