The island

Housing review draws questions at Denman meeting

About 19 people attended a July 11 meeting on draft housing bylaws, with a public hearing scheduled for September 15.

The Denman Firestarter · reporting 2026-07-16 · compiled 2026-10-09

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Denman’s Local Trust Committee reviewed draft Official Community Plan and land-use bylaw changes at a special meeting on July 11, attended by about 19 members of the public. The public hearing is scheduled for September 15.^[1]

The planner’s presentation described changes including more housing options, required cisterns for new builds and a proposed reduction of 100 dwelling units in overall permitted density. The draft would replace the density cap and density bank with policy supporting affordable secondary suites and rezoning for multi-unit housing.^[1]

Questions at the meeting included how the proposals would affect density, water use and services for a built-out population. The minutes record a participant’s concern that notices were hard to find and posted late, and that the documents were available only on the project page; the minutes do not record a response to that concern.^[1]

The minutes also record a builder’s objection to additional rules and to limits on dwelling size, and a participant’s concern that suites could increase impacts from water and vehicle use. The planner said the proposed changes would result in 100 fewer units than permitted under the existing rules.^[1]

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