South Pender committee asks staff to draft minor bylaw amendments

The committee directed staff to prepare a draft bylaw based on the January 17 staff report and trustee discussions, after considering proposed changes to setbacks, building height and floor area.

The South Pender Firestarter · Governance · 2025-01-17 · updated 2026-10-10 · South Pender Island

The South Pender Island Local Trust Committee asked staff to prepare a draft bylaw for its Minor Land Use Bylaw Amendments Project, in accordance with the staff report and trustee discussions from the meeting.^[1] The motion carried; the minutes do not record a final vote on adopting the draft bylaw.^[1]

The discussion included a proposal to return interior and exterior lot-line setbacks to 10 feet, and support from trustees for reverting the height restriction to its wording before Bylaw No. 122.^[1] The committee also considered recommendations about floor-area limits, including separate tables for buildings before and after September 12, 2022.^[1]

Island Planner Stockdill said the only situation in which Bylaw No. 122 created a legal non-conformity on South Pender was building height, not floor area or setbacks, and said the bylaw included additional protection for rebuilding a dwelling as it stood on September 15, 2022.^[1] The minutes record that public confusion and concern about the issue continued to be expressed.^[1]

The minutes record differing views at the town hall: some speakers raised concerns about the effect of setbacks on buildable area and property values, while others said environmental protection should take priority.^[1] Trustee Evans said her goal was to continue community discussion so more people could support the outcome, while Trustee Falck said he wanted the process to address community divisions and ensure proposals adequately addressed environmental concerns.^[1]

The meeting was held January 17 at the South Pender Fire Hall and adjourned at 12:57 p.m.^[1]

The South Pender Firestarter · Our standards