WHEREAS Section 9.36.1.1 of the British Columbia Building Code provides that a secondary suite cannot exceed 90 m2 of finished living area40 of the total living floor space area of the building it is located in; AND WHEREAS there is also no provision in the Code for a minimum size of secondary suites; AND WHEREAS these provisions in many cases prevent the creation of legal secondary suites suitable for different sized families; AND WHEREAS secondary suites can contribute to the availability of affordable housing in British Columbia: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the concurrent regulatory authority under the Community Charter be amended to allow council to vary Section 9.36.1.1 of the British Columbia Building Code to accommodate secondary suites exceeding 90 m2 of finished living area andor 40 of the total living floor space area of the buildings they are located in; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a review be done to determine if it is viable to establish minimum size criteria and guidelines.
MINISTRY OF FORESTS The BC Building Codes Code main objective regarding new construction in British Columbia is to ensure that buildings, including construction of new suites, meet adequate health and safety standards. The Code attempts to provide safe yet practical and cost-effective building standards for all building construction, including additional residential suites. Current provisions in the Local Government Act, through land use planning, provide local governments with the ability to allow residential suites larger than 90 m2, as long as they meet the Code requirements for multiple suite buildings. Technical regulations in the Code, including those for secondary suites and their maximum size of 90 m2, are developed in consultation with building code stakeholders who provide technical justification for these regulations. These professionals are tasked with upholding safety standards that protect the lives of occupants in buildings. The provincial government continues to be open to dialogue with local governments on regulations in the Code. Local governments are welcome to submit formal code change proposals related to all matters covered in the Code. As part of a code change proposal, accompanying technical justification and supporting documentation must be provided.