Parksville council approved the provincial Small-Scale, Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) initiative during its June 17 meeting.
Three readings were given to the zoning and development amendment bylaw that aims to increase density and encourage rentals over short-term accommodations.
The provincial government has mandated municipalities change zoning bylaws to allow four dwelling units per parcel in zones that previously only permitted two, among other sweeping changes.
The SSMUH initiative modifies 18 zones, with 15 changed in response to the provincial Bill 44, according to Russell. Two zones will be altered as part of general housekeeping and one zone (NC-1) will be deleted.
City staff presented a draft of SSMUH initiative to council last month.
Parksville’s single family residential (RS-1) zone will see the most change, according to a presentation by Blaine Russell, director of community planning and building to council's May 22 meeting.
There are 3,522 properties zoned RS-1 in the city, with 1,461 of them larger than 800 square metres and more likely to accommodate a secondary suite or be a duplex, according to Russell. The city currently has 153 legal secondary dwellings.
