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FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016
The voice of Delta since 1922
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It’s time to Clean-Up
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Library tech Joann Pierre brings a story to life during Babytime at the Tsawwassen Library. The drop-in program that helps little ones develop speech and language skills continues weekly at all three Delta public libraries until late May.
A suite ending SUITE How
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the other way at what were still deemed illegal units. Today, secondary suites are legal, although many are still not registered with the municipality. On pages 10 and 11, reporter Sandor Gyarmati takes a look back at the secondary suites saga and where we are today.
it is
Once considered an intrusion into neighbourhoods, secondary suites are now looked at as key form of affordable housing Sandor Gyarmati sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com
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At one time in Delta a secondary suite was considered a neighbourhood intrusion, to the point where municipal hall stepped in to shut them down. As the need for both rental accommodation and mortgage helpers intensified, the number of secondary suites exploded, prompting civic officials to look
We want to provide alternate housing and a lot of the times secondary suites are a place young people can live, however, what is happening is we are finding tremendous problems with all of our streets clogged with parked cars.
– Mayor Lois Jackson
demand for secondary s suite, paying $120 per month for his lodging and utilities. “There is little rental sto Saying he searched for months in vain to find housing inventory makin affordable accommodation elsewhere, Anpeople to find affordable stated a task force repor derson, a veteran who had no savings, made public his fears he’d be thrown out onto the The first task force reco streets. in 2010, was the legaliza His landlord, Dave Bennett, described the suites. By then, Delta wa situation as “silly” and said he would refuse to nicipalities to do so. physically oust the “Sec muc senior, despite Delta’s eviction notice hous that came following mun a complaint by anJack other homeowner. taken Bennett was sumto ge moned to appear impo in Delta provincial safet court, as were 25 these other similar cases are b at the time. ner t Goode explained build building inspectors At th weren’t seeking adop out illegal suites estim but were acting on to 7,0 complaints, noting of all the only occasion of wh a suite was permiting o ted was when a Now direct relative asked the c permission from the ment Mayor back in the 1970s, Tom Goode municipality. Apregis and his Delta council faced pressure plications had to be throu to crack down on secondary suites. accompanied by a the m confirmatory letter from a family doctor. Delta. “I think we have the right to dictate to the At the beginning of the s owner of a home who can be allowed to live in program, the municipali the unit,” Goode said. “I know the municipality applications a month, b in the 10 to 15 range. To doesn’t own the building, but the community as a whole has a say.” owners to register, Delta Delta council then approved a bylaw limiting for preliminary inspectio suite occupants to upgr family members, to le forcing Anderson to Mos move, but even that Nort didn’t satisfy a group appl of Ladner residents a ba that threatened legal said action against Delta, Day. saying the bylaw ing p didn’t go far enough for s and that the municiin N pality wasn’t doing thos enough to crack suite down on existing As fa suites. suite By the late 1990s, and the courts had track thrown out a Delta ning bylaw prohibiting have suites, unless ocDelta cupied by a family focu member, and for suite years after that there Day Mayor Lois Jackson said it took a wasn’t any attempt jority while for Delta to get to the point to either permit or com where secondary suites were viewed ban the units. plain as a much-needed housing option. In 1999, council othe considered a referendum but instead opted to Bob de Wit, chief execu monitor the situation, only acting on a comGreater Vancouver Hom plaint basis At that time Delta staff assumed said Delta has been pro
Spring has sprung and that means it’s time for the Corporation of Delta’s annual Spring Clean-Up. The program, which waives normal garbage volume limits to allow residents to drag almost whatever they want to the curb, comes to South Delta next week. Collection will take place on regular garbage days: Monday, April 4 in Tsawwassen and Tuesday, April 5 in Ladner. There are, however, a few rules: • Only residents that receive Delta’s weekly garbage collection service are eligible to participate. • Material cannot be placed at curb any sooner than the weekend prior to the scheduled collection day. • The amount of accepted material cannot exceed a pickup truck load. • Items must be able to be handled by two people; oversized items are not accepted. • All items must be bagged or bundled — loose material will not be picked up. There are also a number of items that are not accepted as part of Spring Clean-Up, including mattresses, tires, wood, construction materials, electronics and small appliances, paint and hazardous liquids, and more. For more information and a full list of what is accepted, visit www.delta.ca/services/ garbage-recycling/springclean-up.
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