EDITOR,
It seems Squamish is on the verge of being awash with tiny houses on tiny lots.
There has been a small-lot movement afoot in B.C. for a decade or two. The original reason was for areas of suburban renewal, to create two lots out of one. This process is called "intensification." In Burnaby there have been over 400 residential lots subdivided to create two new small lots. Clearly, intensification is desirable in areas where land values are high. It results in more affordable housing in places where land cost overshadows building cost.
The reason is to enable the splitting of existing lots into two. It says nothing of the suitability of this size for residential design.
Squamish is now proposing a minimum lot size of 2,690 square feet ("SF"), for an upcoming amendment to the zoning bylaw, much smaller than the 3,300 SF Burnaby specifies for its small lots. The most common small lot size for communities in B.C. is 4,036 SF, 50 per cent higher than what Squamish is proposing. In fact, our new 2,690 SF zone would be the smallest single-family residential lot in B.C.
There are a couple of small-lot subdivisions already in Squamish; one has 2,960 SF lots, the other 4,700 SF. The 4,700 SF lots allow for an attractive cottage-style home. The 2,960 SF lots result in odd-looking mini-highrise buildings, as the only way to get a decent-sized living space is to add storeys. There is no yard for kids to play. Most of the space around the building is unusable. The only advantage I can see over a townhouse is not having to deal with a strata council and fees.
As for affordability, there are currently houses in both subdivisions priced at $489,000. Admittedly, these are different buildings. But it is fair to conclude the smallest lots do not result in more affordable housing. At some stage, fixed costs take over, and smaller lot size does not result in lower overall cost.
Why does Squamish need a zoning to allow for the tiniest lots in B.C.?Maybe it is because the SLRD hatched a plan, adopted last year, for a "Regional Growth Strategy." That document suggests that SLRD communities should be consistent in their bylaws. In Whistler, land prices are high, and so the smallest lots make sense. Maybe we're being saddled with the same specification? I don't know.
The 4,700 SF small lots make more sense to me - 74 per cent bigger than the proposed new small-lot designation, yet still less than two-thirds the size of a regular 7,427 SF residential lot.
Tom Dowad
Squamish
