July 27, 2010
(Red Deer, Alberta) – City Council has extended the secondary suites application deadline to September 1, 2010. The previous deadline of July 1, 2010, was extended to provide owners of secondary suites more time to get their Development Permit applications into the Inspections & Licensing department for their existing suites.
"We want to give owners of secondary suites the opportunity to get their Development Permit applications in to Inspections & Licensing,” said Joyce Boon, Manager of Inspections & Licensing. “Ideally, property owners with pre-existing secondary suites will recognize the benefits of the extension and will start the application process. After September 1, owners of existing suites will not have the opportunity to apply and we will begin the process of shutting down illegal suites.”
Once the September 1 deadline comes, The City will be enforcing the Bylaw for suites that are illegal. If a secondary suite is occupied without a valid permit, the fines are as follows:
First Offence: $500.00
Second Offence: $1,000.00
Third Offence: $5,000.00
Once a violation ticket, summons or stop order has been issued, and the suite continues to be occupied 30 days after the date of violation, the owner is guilty of a continuing offence.
“The extension is still encouraging: it gives property owners the opportunity to come forward and start the application process,” said Beth McLachlan with Inspections & Licensing. “The City’s number one concern is and has always been residents’ safety, and as long as a suite owner has registered an application with The City, the owner will not be subject to penalties.”
On December 15, 2009, City Council approved changes to the Land Use Bylaw to allow secondary suites. The Bylaw amendments expanded the allowance of secondary suites as a discretionary use into all established and new city residential neighbourhoods, thereby creating more choices in the range of housing options and ensuring that suites meet the provincial fire and building code regulations.
All secondary suite owners are encouraged to make their applications. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work through this process. For additional information, please visit our website at: www.reddeer.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Beth McLachlan
Inspections & Licensing
The City of Red Deer
403-342-8208
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