Carriage Houses

CARRIAGE HOUSES - Click here for application

The purpose of this handout is to outline the City's regulations

regarding carriage houses. For further inquiries, please contact

the City of Penticton, Development Services Department at 250-490-2501

What is a carriage house: A carriage house is a dwelling in a stand-alone building on a residential property that also contains a single detached dwelling. The building may be purpose built or may be a conversion of / or addition to an existing garage or accessory building.

A business licence is required: Prior to the rental or occupation of a carriage house a one-time only business licence must be obtained from the City's Business Licence Department.

Where are carriage houses permitted: Carriage houses are permitted on lots that contain a single detached dwelling in any of the following zones:

Rural Zones *

Urban Residential Zones

FG (Forestry and Grazing)

R1 (Large Lot Residential)

A (Agriculture)

R2 (Small Lot Residential)

RC (Country Residential)

R3 (Small Lot Residential: Lane)

* Please note that if your property is in the ALR you will need ALC approval prior to constructing a carriage house

What are the zoning regulations that apply to carriage houses: City of Penticton Zoning Bylaw 2011-23 has a number of regulations which encourage the successful integration of carriage houses into single family areas. Adherence to these regulations must be shown on building plans drawn to scale and including a compliance table:

Development Regulations

Maximum gross floor area in rural zones:

60% of the total net floor area of the principal residence up to a maximum of 150m2, whichever is less

Maximum gross floor area in urban zones:

60% of the total net floor area of the principal residence up to a maximum of 90m2, whichever is less

Maximum building footprint in rural zones:

60% of the total net floor area of the principal residence up to a maximum of 150m2, whichever is less

Maximum building footprint in urban zones:

60% of the total net floor area of the principal residence up to a maximum of 90m2, whichever is less

Maximum height:

7.5m or the height of the principal dwelling, , whichever is less

Setbacks:

Shall be the same as for a principal building for the zone the carriage house is located in except for the rear yard setback, which shall be a minimum of 1.5m in all zones.

Siting:

Carriage houses shall be located to the rear of the principal residence.

Parking:

One (1) space in addition to the required parking for the single detached dwelling.

Vehicular access to the carriage house shall be from a lane only, if the property has lane access.

Owner Occupancy

A carriage houses must not be occupied as a residence except where the owner of the property primarily resides in either the carriage house or principal dwelling unit.

If the registered owner ceases to reside in either the carriage house or principal dwelling unit, the carriage house is not permitted to be rented out.

Limitations

Only one (1) carriage house is permitted per property and is not permitted in conjunction with duplex or multi- family housing.

Sewer Service

Carriage houses must be connected to a community sewer system, unless the lot is 830m2 or larger and meets the requirements for an on-site sewer management system as regulated by the Public Health Act.

Strata Title

A carriage house may not be sited or located on a separate parcel from the principle residence or be created as a strata lot within a single detached dwelling.

Building Permit approval: Prior to constructing a carriage house, a building permit and/or plumbing permit must be issued. Applications for building permit approval are made through the City of Penticton Building Department and must include sufficient information for City staff to evaluate the plans against the BC Building Code requirements, including information on servicing. The Building Department will require the following materials prior to accepting an application for building permit approval:

· A completed application package

· Certificate of Title (including any restrictive covenants and easements)

· Agency agreement (if the property owner wishes to assign an agent to make the application on their behalf)

· Home warranty insurance/Home Protection Office (HPO) documentation. Any questions regarding these requirements or other unique warranty circumstances should be directed to the HPO at 1-800-477-7757. http://www.hpo.bc.ca/

· Two (2) sets of plans including site, elevation and floor plans

An application package may be picked up at City Hall (171 Main Street, Penticton) or downloaded on-line at the City of Penticton website (http://www.penticton.ca/). It is recommended that the applicant speak with a staff member from the Building Department prior to making a formal application to go over the expectations of the application documentation. Building Department staff can be reached at 250-490-2501. Inspections will be conducted to ensure compliance with BC Building Code requirements.

What do I have to do if my property is in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR): The ALR is administered by the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC). The ALC does not consider a carriage house as an accessory use; they consider carriage houses as second dwellings and are dealt with as a 'non-farm use.' As such, an application to permit a 'non-farm use' must first be approved by the ALC prior to being able to apply for building permit with the city. Please contact the City Planning Department, at 250-490-2501, to discuss the non-farm use application process.

Speak with your neighbours: To successfully integrate carriage houses into neighbourhoods that may not have carriage houses currently, adherence to the carriage house regulations is integral. Prior to making plans to create a carriage house, speak with neighbouring property owners to take into consideration any concerns they may have. Integrate parking and amenity areas in a way that will not infringe on the privacy of neighbouring residents or in a way that changes the character of the existing neighbourhood. City staff are available to help with site planning.

Bylaw enforcement: Please be advised that City of Penticton Bylaw Enforcement Officers will be actively enforcing the carriage house regulations. Property owners who operate carriage houses without City approvals in place will be subject to bylaw enforcement, which may include fines.