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Why Isn't Council Protecting Oak Bay's Character?
What are the questions that must be answered based on credible evidence before increasing the number of tenants in Oak Bay’s secondary/basement suites?
There is so much information and so many facts available that warn against changing the Zoning Bylaw to increase the number of tenants allowed in Oak Bay’s existing and future basement suites that it’s difficult to know where to begin. However, as the King of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland said, “Begin at the beginning”.
Background Information: Are Basement Suites presently permitted?
Basement and ground-level-access suites with their own entrances have been allowed in Oak Bay for decades. Only two tenants are allowed and suite owners must meet fire and safety regulations. At present Oak Bay has a significant number of 2-tenant suites. Over the years the estimated number of suites has ranged between 500 and 1,000.
These suites provide homeowners with extra income and provide relatively affordable rental stock. The current monthly rent for an Oak Bay suite ranges from $800 to $1,500. Suites cannot be taxed as such and all homeowners share the cost of providing municipal services to the suite population.
Council’s two 2 attempts (in 2010 and 2016) to increase the number of tenants in a basement suite failed. The community responded by letting Council know, in no uncertain terms, that the present system was working adequately, and a zoning change for this type of increased densification had led to many pitfalls elsewhere.
Details of the September 2016 failed densification initiative was reported in the November 28, 2020 Oak Bay Watch Newsletter – oakbaywatch.com.
What would the impacts be if Council approved adding many more tenants to Oak Bay’s single-family neighbourhoods’ Basement Suites?
City of Vancouver 2019 Survey Summary
Suite Impacts to neighbours & neighbourhoods: (see Graphics Appendix #1)
“There are also significant costs for the City budget. More people put more demands on parks, libraries, transportation, community centres, and other City facilities. How do we maintain the level of amenities and services as the city grows? Traditionally the answer was mostly through property taxes. But this has been increasingly difficult. The City and its property tax base are under pressure to deliver a wider range of services than in the past. There is also a growing stock of aging infrastructure to maintain".
The Provincial Secondary Suite Guidelines and a basic Google search explain how community after community in BC is struggling to deal with multiple-tenant legal and illegal suite impacts.
(Note: it is estimated that as high as 80% 0f Vancouver’s suites are unregistered and illegal. See Appendix #1 for much more Vancouver Suite Impact Information.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective - (read on for more information)
If Council and the Planning Department continue to follow through with the basement suite initiative set by the former Council, it is easy to see how this change would not be in the best interests of the majority of Oak Bay residents. If the number of suite tenants were to be significantly increased, besides all of the negative impacts, new funding from all taxpayers would have to be found for the required infrastructure upgrading and expansion of services and amenities and administration and inspection of suites.
Other factors:
Therefore, it seems to us there is a lesson to be learned from the last two Zoning Bylaw changes in 2007 and 2014. These changes resulted in the number one Community concern: over-development. The increase in the overly large houses with significantly increased building footprints and lot coverage is raising havoc on Oak Bay’s livability and ecology. Why is a Suite Zoning Change necessary? Who is driving this? As indicated there has been no evidence provided there is an out-of-hand basement suite problem, why not leave well enough alone?
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“Nothing is inevitable if you are paying attention”
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door-to-door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well-informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)
Keep informed and sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.
Appendix #1
City of Vancouver 2019 Survey Results: Secondary Suite Issues & Implications.
Why Isn't Council Protecting Oak Bay's Character?
What are the questions that must be answered based on credible evidence before increasing the number of tenants in Oak Bay’s secondary/basement suites?
There is so much information and so many facts available that warn against changing the Zoning Bylaw to increase the number of tenants allowed in Oak Bay’s existing and future basement suites that it’s difficult to know where to begin. However, as the King of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland said, “Begin at the beginning”.
Background Information: Are Basement Suites presently permitted?
Basement and ground-level-access suites with their own entrances have been allowed in Oak Bay for decades. Only two tenants are allowed and suite owners must meet fire and safety regulations. At present Oak Bay has a significant number of 2-tenant suites. Over the years the estimated number of suites has ranged between 500 and 1,000.
These suites provide homeowners with extra income and provide relatively affordable rental stock. The current monthly rent for an Oak Bay suite ranges from $800 to $1,500. Suites cannot be taxed as such and all homeowners share the cost of providing municipal services to the suite population.
Council’s two 2 attempts (in 2010 and 2016) to increase the number of tenants in a basement suite failed. The community responded by letting Council know, in no uncertain terms, that the present system was working adequately, and a zoning change for this type of increased densification had led to many pitfalls elsewhere.
Details of the September 2016 failed densification initiative was reported in the November 28, 2020 Oak Bay Watch Newsletter – oakbaywatch.com.
What would the impacts be if Council approved adding many more tenants to Oak Bay’s single-family neighbourhoods’ Basement Suites?
- The primary unit and the basement could each have the same number of residents: a Building Code change has now allowed full-sized basement suites.
- This in effect creates a non-taxable, up-and-down duplex in all homes with basements in Oak Bay’s single-family neighbourhoods.
- Adding, untaxed, a significant number of new tenants would require more services and staff resulting in higher property taxes for all residents.
- More paving for off-street parking areas would result in more tree and green space loss and add to the present serious ecological and climate change problem.
- With more on-street parking, already a big problem on Oak Bay's narrow streets, the present car “dodgeball” would turn into “gridlock”.
- More tenants per-suite would certainly result in more disruption for neighbours.
- Enforcement and regulation would become much more difficult, complicated and expensive. Currently, if the two-tenant limit is exceeded, or if fire and safety issues are detected and not corrected, the suite can be closed.
- There would likely be an increase in absentee landlords – legislation to prevent this is unenforceable (Provincial Secondary Suite Guidelines).
- The number of suites operated as businesses would also increase – charging each tenant separately would mean much more profit for the suite owner.
- Each new and existing over-built house could now add a basement suite.
City of Vancouver 2019 Survey Summary
Suite Impacts to neighbours & neighbourhoods: (see Graphics Appendix #1)
“There are also significant costs for the City budget. More people put more demands on parks, libraries, transportation, community centres, and other City facilities. How do we maintain the level of amenities and services as the city grows? Traditionally the answer was mostly through property taxes. But this has been increasingly difficult. The City and its property tax base are under pressure to deliver a wider range of services than in the past. There is also a growing stock of aging infrastructure to maintain".
The Provincial Secondary Suite Guidelines and a basic Google search explain how community after community in BC is struggling to deal with multiple-tenant legal and illegal suite impacts.
(Note: it is estimated that as high as 80% 0f Vancouver’s suites are unregistered and illegal. See Appendix #1 for much more Vancouver Suite Impact Information.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective - (read on for more information)
If Council and the Planning Department continue to follow through with the basement suite initiative set by the former Council, it is easy to see how this change would not be in the best interests of the majority of Oak Bay residents. If the number of suite tenants were to be significantly increased, besides all of the negative impacts, new funding from all taxpayers would have to be found for the required infrastructure upgrading and expansion of services and amenities and administration and inspection of suites.
Other factors:
- Municipal services to suite tenants so far have not been the primary reason for the District’s out-of-control taxes.
- Homeowners who want a suite can install one and if necessary, can apply for the necessary fire and safety upgrades. There have been no announced prosecutions.
- The District’s present basement suites provide additional income for homeowners with 2-tenant (municipality untaxed) suites that provide affordable rents ranging from $800 to $1,500. Homeowners with suites are not complaining that the extra income is inadequate.
- The Fire Department has not raised the alarm that there are any fire and safety problems. Or that their fire prevention and inspection programs are ineffective.
- The Bylaw officer has not alerted Council that he is overwhelmed with basement suite complaints. As evictions are rare the suite housing stock is protected.
Therefore, it seems to us there is a lesson to be learned from the last two Zoning Bylaw changes in 2007 and 2014. These changes resulted in the number one Community concern: over-development. The increase in the overly large houses with significantly increased building footprints and lot coverage is raising havoc on Oak Bay’s livability and ecology. Why is a Suite Zoning Change necessary? Who is driving this? As indicated there has been no evidence provided there is an out-of-hand basement suite problem, why not leave well enough alone?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Nothing is inevitable if you are paying attention”
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door-to-door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well-informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)
Keep informed and sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.
Appendix #1
City of Vancouver 2019 Survey Results: Secondary Suite Issues & Implications.
