I am writing this article to hopefully clear up any confusion about the environmental and social merits of bylaw 530, permitting Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) for full time occupancy on more properties on SSI. First of all everyone I know advocating for this solution recognizes that this is not the only answer to our complex housing problems, but merely one important step to address a portion of the wide spectrum of desperate need for housing on our island. Allowing full time dwelling suites not only within principle residences, but also accessory buildings such as garages, shops, studios and even as small cabins or cottages is standard planning practice that is often adopted as a first step to address housing shortages in communities all over North America, and indeed in our region and islands. For me this is well framed by being a featured solution in the Island Trust’s own report commissioned in 2003: “Options for Affordable Housing: New Solutions to the Housing Crisis…

As almost everyone on Salt Spring is now aware, major changes regarding land use are afoot. What they may not realize is that due process has been abandoned. The most recent land-use controversy involves proposed Bylaw 530 which seeks to rezone thousands of lots to allow for year-round suites and cottages (Accessory Dwelling Units). We do not know exactly how many lots are involved because the Islands Trust has yet to release that information, but we do know the bylaw will blanket rezone most of the island. By any measure, the bylaw represents a major change that will determine how the island looks in the future. This raises a question of legality. Where is the amendment to our Official Community Plan (OCP) that must accompany such a radical change--the extra paperwork that would force a discussion about, not just short-term objectives, but long-term consequences? Bylaw 530 will violate several parts of our OCP, especially the one limiting the island’s population to “a…