GIVING ON BOWEN: we celebrate the island’s generosity
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$1
inc. GST
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2019
VOL. 45, NO. 48
BIUndercurrent
BEAR SEASON: Live bears may be starting hibernation but it’s nearly teddy bear season at the museum
BowUndercurrent www.bowenislandundercurrent.com
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Legal STRs on the horizon COUNCIL PASSES A SHORT-TERM RENTAL POLICY, BYLAWS TO COME
BRONWYN BEAIRSTO
Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
BRONWYN BEAIRSTO PHOTO
THROUGH A CANDY CANE HAZE: Candy Ho and Rebecca Hurst help decorate the Cove for Light Up
Bowen. The annual evening of holiday cheer (and Santa!) is Saturday starting at 6 p.m. in Village Square. The evening also involves a lantern parade, open houses, a live nativity and a sugar plum fairy gathering.
While most Air BnBs on Bowen Island are illegal, they won’t be for long. Council adopted a short term rental policy in principle at Monday evening’s regular council meeting. The policy allows for full-house short-term rentals (shorter than 30 days) but restricts renting to a maximum of 120 nights a year per unit. It also requires that all short-term rental operators obtain a business license. Currently bed and breakfasts, where the operator is a resident and there are no separate kitchen facilities, are the only legal short-term rentals across most of Bowen. The policy says that it “details a regulatory approach to ensure STR use of an entire dwelling unit is kept secondary to the primary use of residence for the community.” Under this policy, BIM is to allow short-term rentals of entire houses, secondary suites and detached secondary suites. Community Planner Emma Chow’s report to council says that the public prevailed on BIM to allow for short-term rental of secondary suites, a sentiment the Housing Advisory Committee supported for fear that restricting this use would lead owners to decommission suites (ie. take out the kitchen so that they could use the suite as a bed and breakfast.) Two guest limit per room, ample parking, an on-island contact person and the requirement of a “good neighbour agreement” are other restrictions under the policy. BIM is also to allow bed and breakfasts on properties with secondary and detached secondary suites, a use currently prohibited. While the policy lays out a framework for amending bylaws to allow short-term rentals, it is not in itself regulation. Next steps for BIM include amending the Land Use Bylaw, the Business Licensing Bylaw and the Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw. Staff and councillors will fine-tune the regulations and policy as they progress through the amendment process (readings, public information sessions and hearings). CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
The Union Steamship Company Store Beginning November 30th, our first Late Night Shop, through to December 24th take 10% off your purchases of $100 or more