Surrey council is looking to integrate secondary suites into townhouse zones near public transit.
Council supported a related corporate report on Monday, April 28 which proposed bylaw zoning amendments within transit-oriented areas and frequent bus stop areas. It also passed second-reading on a related bylaw and set a public hearing for Monday, May 12.
Ron Gill, Surrey's general manager of planning and development, explained in the report that secondary suites "play an important role in meeting the rental housing demand and provide a key form of affordable housing." Secondary suites – there are roughly 30,700 in Surrey – are currently allowed in single-family dwellings, duplexes, and semi-detached residential buildings.
Secondary suites in multi-unit residential buildings, Gill noted, are often referred to as "lock-off" suites and have been approved as a pilot project in a high-rise
development in the city centre. However, they are not currently permitted in "ground-oriented" multi-family zones that are intended for townhouses.
City staff recommended that Surrey's lock-off suites be at least 323 square feet, like micro units.
Councillor Mandeep Nagra suggested that entrances should only be allowed at ground level. "They should not be from the second floor, that would require additional stairs and all that."
Councillor Doug Elford called the move "very progressive thinking as we look to kind-of resolve our housing issues in this city."
