Lot sizes and building cottages on Salt Spring Island

Lot Size

When are you allowed to build a secondary residence, cottage house, carriage house on Salt Spring Island? We had that question before we moved to the island and most other people do too. The short answer is…how big is your lot? The Islands Trust Land Use Bylaw (section 3.14) states that “no seasonal cottage may be constructed or occupied on a lot less than 1.2 hectares (2.97 acres). If you meet that threshold, then you can build a cottage of 56 square meters (602 sqf), but no closer than 6 meters (19’8”) from any other building on your lot.

Setbacks

You will also need to consult the bylaw for setback requirements. In general, it is:

• 7.5 m (24’7”) at the front

• 7.5 m (24’7”) at the back

• 3 m (9’10”) from interior sides, and

• 4.5 m (14’9”) from exterior sides.

That being said, consult the bylaw as there are various other situations that need to be considered for setbacks.

Zoning

Now don’t think you can set up your in-laws quite yet. Nor can you warm up that Airbnb account. The land use bylaw has further restrictions on how you can use your seasonal cottage. First - seasonality is key. If your intent is to use the cottage as a full-time dwelling, then you will need to apply for a zoning amendment. Second, if you intend to use your cottage as a guest accommodation you will have to go the home-based business route. Unless you operate as a bed and breakfast. We aren’t fully researched on the accommodation side of things, so you’ll have to do some research here.

It should be noted that the Islands Trust continues to consult with stakeholders on changing the land use bylaw to improve access to housing on the island. We expect amendments to the bylaw next year.

In some legacy situations there are cottages that have been grandfathered into compliance with the Land Use Bylaw. That doesn’t mean, though, that you can go about converting existing accessory buildings into cottages. In fact, accessory buildings and accessory dwelling units are not allowed to have a shower, bathtub, kitchen, or more than three separate rooms. So keep that in mind when you are scheming.