Bylaw 500 Review and Update Project

A public hearing regarding Regional District of Nanaimo Zoning Bylaw No. 2500, 2024 (“Bylaw 2500”) has been scheduled on Monday, November 4 and Thursday, November 7, 2024. The public hearing for Bylaw 2500 will be chaired by Director Rogers, or another Electoral Area director, as a delegate of the RDN Board. Please visit the document library for the public hearing notice.

The Board granted second reading and approved additional amendments to Bylaw 2500 at its regular meeting held on September 24, 2024. The amendments can be summarized as follows:

1. To not require heat pumps to meet the minimum setback requirements
2. To remove the prohibition on the creation of rural building stratas.
3. To add the use 'Resort Vehicle Park' back into Bylaw 2500.
4. To update definitions to ensure that all permitted and accessory uses are defined.
5. To permit shipping containers based on zone and parcel size and to limit shipping containers based on maximum shipping container floor area.
6. To increase the maximum floor area for both attached and detached secondary suites from 49% of the floor area of the principal dwelling unit it is associated with to a maximum of 90 m2 to 100 m2 with no requirement related to the size of the principle dwelling unit it is associated with.

In addition to amendments to Bylaw 2500, the Board passed a number of related motions which are summarized as follows:

• To suspend bylaw enforcement for length of stay of existing recreational vehicles located in Campgrounds, Resort Vehicle Parks and Recreational Vehicle Parks until completion of Phase 2 of the Bylaw 500 Review and Update Project.
• To review length of stay in a recreational vehicle during Phase 2 of the Bylaw 500 Review and Update Project.
• To undertake future projects following adoption of Bylaw 2500 in relation to building strata following the adoption of Bylaw 2500.
• To require that phase two of the Bylaw 500 review and update project begin as soon as possible, with a first draft presented by the end of 2025.

For more information, please refer to the staff report for second reading in the document library.

A public hearing will now be scheduled. Details of the public hearing will be shared here in the coming weeks.

The Electoral Area Services Committee passed a number of motions directing amendments to Bylaw 2500 relating to length of stay in a recreational vehicle, shipping containers, definitions, building strata, and secondary suites. Draft Bylaw 2500 has been updated and is scheduled to be considered by the Board for 2nd reading on September 24, 2024. For more information, please see the staff report and draft Bylaw available in the document library.

Should the Bylaw receive 2nd reading, a public hearing will be scheduled.

The Electoral Area Services Committee has directed staff to reinstate Resort Vehicle Park into Bylaw 2500 and to remove the proposed changes that would have prohibited the creation of additional rural building strata. These changes will be considered by the Board at its July 23rd meeting.

The above changes would maintain the status quo in Bylaw 500 with respect to these two topics.

Please be advised that a special Electoral Area Services Committee Meeting has been scheduled for 9:00 am on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 to consider draft Bylaw 2500 for second reading. As a result, draft Bylaw 2500 will not be considered at the June 13th Electoral Area Services Committee.

Draft Bylaw 2500 has been updated based on community and stakeholder input and further staff review. The Bylaw will be presented to the Electoral Area Services Committee on Thursday, May 9th. Should second reading be supported, the bylaw will advance to the Board for consideration at its May 28th meeting.

Thank you to all who participated in the survey. The survey has now been closed to give us time to consider the results in draft Bylaw 2500. We will report out the survey results when the Bylaw is presented to the Board for second reading.

We want to ensure that the community has the opportunity to learn and ask questions about Draft Bylaw 2500 in a way that is most convenient. Residents and community groups who would like to discuss Bylaw 2500 with us may do so by requesting a meeting. We offer different options to meet including online using Zoom or Microsoft Teams, at the RDN office, or subject to availability, out in the community. To request a meeting contact us by sending an email to bylaw500review@rdn.bc.ca.

Residents are invited to provide input on the draft bylaw through an online survey and six in-person open houses. The feedback collected will help develop recommended changes to the draft zoning bylaw that staff will present to the RDN Board for second reading.

The open houses will be held in each of the affected Electoral Areas and an additional open house will be held at the RDN Administration Building. The same information will be provided at all the open houses so residents can choose to attend an open house at a location that is most convenient for them.

The Board, at its January 9, 2024, meeting granted 1st reading to Bylaw 2500 and approved a public engagement plan. Please refer to the Document Library to review draft Bylaw 2500 or try the zoning look up tool.