Coldstream says no to 'one-size-fits-all' BC housing plan

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Coldstream wants more clarity on B.C.'s Homes for People plan that encourages denser development and OK's secondary suites and duplexes on all single-family properties.

A draft letter to Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon asks that the province take into consideration the diversity and size of communities and their housing needs; differences between rural and urban communities; and the changes' impact on infrastructure capacity.

"Respectfully, we request you consider that there are other communities, just as unique as ours, for which a province-wide, 'one-size-fits-all' approach to increasing housing supply may not be in their best interest and may result in communities that no longer resemble the ones that people chose to live in," the letter states.

Council is expected to authorize the letter at its meeting this evening.

Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu and all members of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities will be copied on the letter.

"The District of Coldstream is concerned that broad legislative changes may curtail the local planning authority vested in local governments and expressed in their official community plans and zoning bylaws, for which significant public input has been received and accounted for in these important planning instruments," Mayor Ruth Hoyte says in the letter.

In addition, a large portion of Coldstream is served by septic systems, "which are not equipped to manage the type of densification the Homes for People action plan contemplates," the letter continues. "To provide the appropriate infrastructure would have a considerable financial impact to our residents without guaranteed and predictable funding/grants from the province."

The district adds that a large part of Coldstream is in the Agricultural Land Reserve and it has concerns regarding potential conflict between residential and agricultural land use.

"We have struggled with this very issue in recent years, as have other communities surrounded with rural areas and have experienced development pressure," Hoyte states.

"Coldstream values and is known for our carefully managed growth, which has always respected the wishes of the members of this community.... We have worked diligently to balance the need for a variety of housing types and density with moderate growth while preserving the much sought after rural lifestyle that Coldstream is known for.

"If the province targeted support to communities either better suited or desirous of increased density, British Columbians would have the ability to choose the housing type and the community that is the best fit for them," the letter concludes.