Dear Editor:
Regarding secondary suites, Area F director Wendy Booth stated that, No-one has approached me, no champions have stepped up to support this and I dont want to push something on residents that they dont want, at the Columbia Valley Directors Committee Meeting in Cranbrook on Thursday, July 5th.
Some people are dead-set against it [allowing secondary suites] and, although a letter was sent to the paper, nobody has spoken out in favour, she added.
Radiums Mayor Dee Conklin stated that, If there is no appetite right now, as Director Booth said, in two years, if all of a sudden things change, then she has something to go on.
Right now, with the responses she got she would be committing political suicide to move ahead.
As a former owner of a home in Riverview North (an R1 designated neighbourhood in Fairmont Hot Springs), I am confused about Wendys comments.
Approximately three years ago a home was built on Carnoustie Place in Fairmont with an illegal suite.
The homeowner could not get an occupancy permit to move in because the building inspectors discovered the illegal suite after the house was completed.
The homeowner was encouraged by Wendy and the other Regional District board members to get the bylaws relaxed to revise his lot from R1 to R2 zoning to allow for this illegal suite.
The majority of the homeowners in the 32-home subdivision spoke out against the change. There was a complete disregard for a democratic process as Wendy and the rest of the area directors voted in favor of relaxing the bylaws to make the illegal suite legal.
Wendy, what has changed over the last few years for you to do a complete flip on this contentious issue?
Rod Christensen
Calgary, Alberta
* Editors note: Mr. Christensens letter is in reference to an article in the July 16th edition of The Pioneer entitled Secondary suite debate goes public. Although proposed Regional District bylaw amendments regarding secondary suites will not permit suites in Area F, residents can still apply on a case-by-case basis for a permit to allow a secondary suite to be built.
