January 9, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Laneway Housing in Nelson: We Want to Hear from You!

Nelson, BC — Small backyard houses, also known as laneway houses, coach homes, or detached secondary units, have been permitted in Nelson for a number of years; however, very few homeowners have built a unit. The City of Nelson is investigating how laneway housing can become a more attractive opportunity for homeowners.

A drop-in public open house will be held on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2018 from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm in the Wildflower (Central) School gym (811 Stanley Street – entrance to gym is off the Ward Street parking lot). Come to learn more about laneway housing and the opportunities for Nelson, and to provide your input on how Nelson’s laneway housing regulations should be updated.

Nelson residents are also invited to complete an online survey to provide their feedback on laneway housing. The survey is available at https://nelson.ca/724/Laneway-Housing.

Questions the City has for residents include:

• What size should laneway houses be?
• Should homeowners be able to have both a secondary suite and a laneway house?
• What can the City do to encourage more laneway housing to grow the housing stock?
• Would pre-approved designs and building plans help homeowners to build a laneway house in less time and at less cost?

Currently, detached secondary dwelling units are limited to 5 metres in height and 700 square feet in floor area. Generally, only one-storey buildings can be built within this height restriction. Most recent applicants have applied for variances in order to build larger units.

Media Contact:

Alex Thumm, Development Services - 250-352-8253 / athumm@nelson.ca

Front Photo Credit: Smallworks Studios/Laneway Housing Inc.