Thousands of Campbell River properties will be affected by a housing unit zoning change mandated by the B.C. government.
The change will see lots once limited to homes and duplexes, able to build three unit and four unit buildings.
Planner Andrei Pop told council Thursday night about 9,600 properties will be affected.
The change is mandated through the B.C. Housing Statutes Residential Development Amendment Act, also known as Bill 44, to encourage small scale multi-unit housing.
It’s something Councillor Ron Kerr called “overreach” by a “tyrannical” NDP government.
If the city doesn’t pass the changes by July, it would be mandated under a ministry order.
Development Services Director Ian Buck told council it was better to pass the rezoning in order to maintain control of some requirements such as minimum lot size.
The city is proposing a minimum lot size of 350 square meters (3,700 square feet) while the provincial default would be 280 square meters (3,000 square feet). Building heights would be capped at 10 meters (32 feet) by the city versus the B.C. standard of 11 meters (36 feet).
Other councillors raised concerns whether the city’s infrastructure can handle such dense infill development while Councillor Doug Chapman said it would circumvent previously required subdivision agreements.
City council has given first three readings to the bylaw.
Councillors were also irked the Local Government Act has prohibited the city from holding a public hearing on the mandated zoning amendments.
