By Tom Mark

Lumby Affordable Housing Plan

May 28, 2018 | 7:06 AM

Tiny homes, laneway housing, coach houses above garages – all options the Village of Lumby is looking at as it investigates ways to attract affordable housing.

Lumby Council is moving forward on a zoning bylaw to facilitate that.

Mayor Kevin Acton says Planning staff have worked out various ideas to increase density, but remain affordable.

“We’re going to allow secondary dwellings on properties as long as they fit and the parking is there. So the side yard setbacks will decrease. The front yard setbacks have decreased from, I think, 60 metres to 15 metres. So, that makes quite a big difference.”

Acton says there will have to be a minimum of 225 square feet yard space dedicated to a secondary dwelling.

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“The homes themselves, I don’t think we’ve actually put any size restriction on it. So that if they do wish to build a tiny home and they think they can handle living in it, then that will be allowed.”

He realizes once the amendment goes to public consultation there could be some concern about sizes of secondary housing, and that would have to be looked at..

The Mayor says staff have tried to meet a lot of the questions and asks from residents.

“We know that if we put more doors per square foot on our property in our towns and cities and villages the infrastructure costs are shared between more people and it’s a cheaper way to live.”

Acton says the planning department has been very creative in what it’s proposing.

He says the village is taxed for housing now and any home appropriately priced is snapped up immediately as is rental property.

by Tom Mark