District of North Vancouver council will debate plans for a new bylaw that would limit maximum housing size in the RS 1 zone.
It is the only single-family zone in DNV that doesn’t have a maximum house size.
The bylaw change would limit the new homes to 5,813 square feet, the maximum size allowed in other DNV zoning areas.
RS 1 is the only single-family zone that doesn’t specify a maximum house size, something that has been voiced as a concern by the district council.
Under existing bylaw, a 20,000 square feet lot permits a new house of approximately 7,350 square feet, plus areas such as a basement.
Under the proposed bylaw, the same property would be permitted a new house of 5,813 square feet, plus the basement.
Reducing impact of construction and preserving greenspace as well as neighbourhood character are some of the reasons why council wants to restrict housing size.
A staff review shows the change would impact only lots larger than 15,608 square feet in the district, and there are 51 such lots that staff has identified.
Any existing house that is larger than the proposed maximum house size of 5,813 square feet may become “legally non-conforming”.
If the bylaw is approved, any new application for a home size bigger than 5,813 square feet would have to be approved by the council.
The average house size in the RS1 zone is estimated at 3,160 square feet. In fact, a large number of existing houses in the RS 1 zone would be within the proposed limit, staff says.
Some citizens have criticised the move as unnecessary and too restrictive.
“As an owner of an RS1 property where we are currently building a new home that exceeds the proposed limit, I would be astounded at such a limit and would likely move out of North Vancouver District as a result,” said one citizen in a letter to council.
Another person has written saying they have been paying property taxes for several years based on the market value of being able to build a house on their 13,000 square feet lot.
“It seems totally unreasonable to cut this in half after all of these years,” the letter writer noted.
Council debates giving second and third reading at a meeting today, January 20, at 6 pm at the council chambers.
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