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Multiple suites: Surrey’s slow-burning issue
The following letter was written by Steve Burke and submitted to The Asian Post by Gary T. Robinson, President, Surrey Civic Coalition.
Surrey Mayor and Council want us to accept multiple suites in designated areas.
If the City is unwilling or unable to enforce a one suite authorization it stretches the imagination to think they can enforce regulations allowing multiple suites in designated areas.
So it will be open season for the law breakers.
Law abiding citizens, yet again, will pick up the tab.
It is estimated that there already over 4,000 multiple suite homes – even though these are not allowed.
There are, by conservative estimates, 20,000 unauthorized single suites and these homeowners are not paying taxes on these. In fact Councillor Gill estimated the number to be in the 30,000 range. At a bargain rate of $240/year in taxes for these suites, a minimum of $7.2 million dollars of additional revenue could be generated.
Enforcement to retrieve this lost revenue would be a fraction of this financial gain but this seems far too expensive for Surrey to even contemplate.
As well, there is no effort by the City to ensure these unauthorized suites are brought up to electrical, gas and plumbing codes through the authorization process.
This puts people at unacceptable risk.
The City has stated more than once that they prefer negotiation versus litigation to bring these homeowners into line. For the lawbreakers this is code for ‘do whatever you want’ because there will be no consequences.
And, for those living outside Surrey the take home message is, if you want to break the law without consequences, the City of Surrey welcomes you.
The consequence of this failed enforcement is visible in our schools. Our children and their teachers are forced into unhealthy and inefficient portables due to overcrowding.
The cost of portables comes out of the school board’s operating budget not the Province’s capital budget for schools.
School capital expenditures are based on anticipated student numbers within defined catchment areas. These numbers are based on planning and zoning.
When the City turns a blind eye on unauthorized suites (single or multiple) this throws all the planning out the window.
I’m calling on law abiding Surrey citizens to:
a) absolutely oppose any move to multiple suites;
b) insist that the City of Surrey enforce authorization of all existing unauthorized suites and ensure these meet all applicable building codes;
c) insist that the City be far more open and transparent to the citizens of Surrey and build the trust that is currently so lacking.
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