District of Metchosin. Special Planning Committee Meeting Workshop Minutes January 9, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Council Chamber Metchosin Municipal Hall

Transcription

1 District of Metchosin Special Planning Committee Meeting Workshop Minutes January 9, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Council Chamber Metchosin Municipal Hall Present: Councillor Gramigna in the Chair, Mayor Ranns, Councillors Milne, Kahakauwila Gramigna and MacKinnon. Also present was Sherry Hurst, Planner, L. Urlacher, Chief Administrative Officer and T. Van Swieten, Deputy Corporate Officer The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m. 1. Agenda, Additions and Approval Moved and Seconded by Councillors Milne and Kahakauwila to approve the agenda as amended, adding presentation by Sherry Hurst, Planner before Public Participation. 2. Presentation Short Term Vacation Rentals (str s) in Metchosin Carried Sherry Hurst, Planner, gave a power point presentation (hard copy attached) regarding short term vacation rentals, including: Description of a short term rental (str s) What is permitted in Metchosin Scale of str s in Metchosin Concerns for Metchosin residents Other concerns What other municipalities are doing (Victoria, Tofino, Nelson, Revelstoke) Options Next steps 3. Public Participation Earl Mansfield, 258 Dutnall Road, questioned the planner on the ticketing process for short term rentals in Tofino. Blake MacKenzie, business owner, EMR Vacation Rentals, gave some general background information on str s in Victoria and other municipalities. Stated there have only been properties in Metchosin available for str s since the 1990 s. Bigger cities have bigger issues; there are different reasons for property owners to have str s. Str s provide patronage for local businesses and provide a rural and educational experience for the people who rent them. Mr. MacKenzie stated there should be regulations on str s but they should be fair, or it may force them underground.

2 District of Metchosin January 9, 2018 Joann Van Amstell, Sandgate Road, stated there are 6 or 7 str s in her neighbourhood that directly impact them. They are small lots, with no owner on site, parties and lots of cars. Neighbourhood PODs were set up for security, looking out for neighbours, but they have no idea who their neighbours are. Jane Denny, 5115 William Head Road, stated a few years ago, a past owner on Sandgate approached her asking for an easement over their property up to her house, saying she could not sell her house without it. Ms. Denny allowed the easement, in exchange for access to Sandgate Road. Ms. Denny stated they never thought the house would be used for an Airbnb and asked whether they are liable for people using the easement on their land to get to the Airbnb. Ms. Denny stated that she and her husband have no objections to an Airbnb, as long as it is rented out the way it is intended, to rent out a room. Jeanne Enright, 5156 Sandgate Road, has lived at the end of Sandgate for 40 years and stated the neighbourhood has changed; it is disturbing to see so many houses are empty and being used as Airbnbs. Ms. Enright stated her support for regulations. Liza Dawson-Whisker, 5122 Sandgate Road, bought her property as a future retirement home and does str s, temporarily, to make her mortgage affordable. Ms. Dawson-Whisker stated she is on her property often, gardening and doing maintenance, there is not an absenteeism of a consistent owner and the str s across the street and next door are the same, keeping properties immaculate. Ms. Dawson-Whisker stated that too much regulation is not necessary when there are only a handful of str s in Metchosin. Brian Crombleholm, 1009 Glen Forest Way, stated the regulations imposed by government increases taxes. Mr. Crombleholm asked the Committee how often the Nuisance Bylaw has been enforced in Metchosin in the last year and stated Metchosin should not be compared to Victoria or Vancouver. Mr. Crombleholm stated his neighbours property was littered with wrecked cars up to his property line and after complaints to the District nothing was done. Mr. Crombleholm is opposed to regulating str s. Sandy Chown, 517 Witty Beach Road, has owned a bed and breakfast for past ten years stated that regulations should be on a level playing field. Those paying GST, taxes on income and extra insurance should apply across the board. Sue Panton, 5129 Sandgate Road, thanked the Committee for addressing this issue in a timely manner and stated she is not for or against regulating but would like to see everyone working together with Council for an alternative. Str s on larger parcels of property may not impact anyone, but Sandgate Road is a higher density area, metres apart. Noise is a huge concern with multiple families renting and people going from rental house to rental house. Ms. Panton stated it is changing the rural feeling of Metchosin and expressed concerns over The Lodge at Weirs Beach losing business because of str s. Ms. Panton also stated that this used to be a few weeks of the year; it is now all year long. Because of the high cost, only multiple families can afford these rentals, bringing in lots of people at a time. Ms Panton suggested having a 3 rd party to call when there are issues. Michelle Jones, 5290 William Head Road, has a small Airbnb, attached to their house, that is set quite far back, and stated that she never hears noise from Weirs Beach except in the summer, then it can sometimes be noisy and she is not sure if they are renters from Sandgate or not. Ms. Jones stated she is not sure if regulations are required and there are different levels of vacation rentals.

3 District of Metchosin January 9, 2018 Entire houses on Sandgate should not be str s, it is just too crowded. Ms. Jones suggested a multi-level approach for regulating. Janice Poulin, 579 Witty Beach Road, stated Sandgate Road is an exception with smaller lots and suggested each short term vacation rental should be looked at individually. Ms. Poulin would like to see the rural atmosphere continue in Metchosin and there should be a residential presence when renting out a home/room. Bev Hall, 5135 Sandgate Road, expressed concern over fairness between regulations for B&B s and str s. Ms. Hall stated B&B s pay a fair share of taxes and short term vacation rentals bring in far more money, and don t pay the same taxes. Gail Dalzell, property owner, questioned whether Revenue Canada considers short term vacation rentals as a business and is it run under a proprietorship. Ms. Dalzell also stated that Metchosin should not be compared to Victoria. Too many regulations will lose the rural feel of Metchosin and also drive these businesses underground, concentrate on the problem area, Sandgate Road. Jill Shouldice, 3766 Duke Road, has moved to Metchosin from Nelson and understands the workings of B&B s and short term rentals stating there is a difference between renting out part of a home to supplement income and renting a home as a business. Ms. Shouldice informed the Committee they rent an Airbnb to supplement their income and suggested that the municipality meet with each rental business to discuss their business plans and options for it working within the community. Ms. Shouldice also stated there are different types of rentals (Airbnb, B&B, hotels) and they cannot be treated the same. Ms. Shouldice suggested a contact should be available for all rentals and not sure if regulating every rental is the answer. Jim MacPherson, 5100 Eagle Tree Place, suggested that it is better to deal with the issues now that the number of rentals is small and believes regulations are going to be required and enforced. Mr. MacPherson stated he has no objections to str s but they need to operate in a framework that is acceptable and fair. Mr. MacPherson also questioned property assessments/property taxes on properties that are rentals. Jennifer Burgis, 3837 Duke Road, stated she is a licensed owner of a B&B and agrees that a conversation should happen with the people that are listed on vrbo. Ms. Burgis suggested that the amount of short term vacations rentals in Metchosin is probably less than what s been discussed and the number of homes someone can own and rent in Metchosin is a difficult thing to address. Ms. Burgis would like to see homes that are not occupied by the owner somehow managed or ensure the owners are regulating the homes. Ms. Burgis supports proper regulations. Shannon Schafer, 1025 Matheson Lake Road, stated she rents out a portion of her house, lives in her house and ensures it is managed appropriately. Ms. Schafer informed the Committee that she is unable to rent long term as out of town family will be coming to live with her shortly. Ms. Schafer is not opposed to possible regulations, but hopes different situations for different properties are addressed. Paul Wesley, 5119 Sandgate Road, has run a vacation rental on Sandgate for over 12 years, started out slow but has gotten busier. It s a home that s been in the family over 70 years and he rents it when family is not there. Mr. Wesley stated he has had great people renting over the years and they have put economic growth back into Metchosin with fishing charters, art shows, markets etc. This home is special to his family so he always researches people before renting to them. Mr. Wesley stated that because the rent is high, it attracts a certain clientele and he has never had any damage done, other than a broken window by a child. He tries to weed out party

4 District of Metchosin January 9, 2018 situations and weddings and he has had few complaints of noise from neighbours. Mr. Wesley manages the house across the street as well; one time he rented it himself while his family stayed in his home. There was family going from one house to the other during that time, which may be what neighbours had seen. Mr. Wesley relies on, and encourages the community for feedback and is available to deal with situations that come up. Kathy Atherton, 4995 LaBonne Road, thanked the Committee for discussing this now and sees a parallel with the detached secondary suites situation and regulations there. Ms. Atherton stated that this will become a bigger issue as time goes on, she is happy to see the research that is being done and would like to see it dealt with proactively now, by regulating. 4. Short Term Vacation Rentals (STR s) in Metchosin - Discussion The Committee discussed short term rentals (str s) in Metchosin, including the following: Identifying problems before looking for solutions Sandgate Road being a primary area of concern Regulating (costs, enforcement) Taxation inequities Those who adhere to rules are impacted by those who don t Fairly regulating Mechanisms to use to research (focus group) Gathering information from Sandgate area in particular Regulations in place for B&B s and should be the same for str s and how to tie them together Other high density areas need to be looked at as well Concerns over lack of long term rentals and how it effects fire fighters looking for places to live Respect for neighbours of str s (noise, nuisance, rowdiness, parking) Having a contact person (24/7) if issues arise Licencing and having to show licence number when advertising rentals Renting whole house or owner occupied only residency requirements Detached suites being rented as str s Stipulations on secondary suites so owners are impacted Open to part time residence options Sunbirds/snowbirds going away for a month or two and want to rent Definition of dwelling units and residential The Committee asked the Planner to bring back a report, possibly in February, to the Planning Committee, formulating policies as well as the establishment of the minutes from this workshop. It was noted to include: Licencing 24/7 Contact Ensuring licence number is listed when advertising rental Cost control (possible security deposit) Resident requirements (direct impacts/enforcement) Ability to leave for a month and would like to rent (balancing) Definitions

5 District of Metchosin January 9, 2018 Number of properties in Metchosin that are not resident occupied (from the tax base/hog eligibility) Different situations/variables for renting Chair Gramigna asked for the Planner s presentation to be put on the website. 5. Adjournment Moved and Seconded by Councillors Kahakauwila and MacKinnon that the meeting be adjourned at 12:05 p.m. Carried Certified Correct: Chair Corporate Officer