Sicamous council adopted Zoning Bylaw 1000, allowing short-term rentals in more zones within the district.
At its Jan. 11 meeting, council adopted the bylaw, replacing Zoning Bylaw 101 which was introduced in 1993. The new bylaw has gone through three readings in front of council, with the third reading viewed twice after amendments were made.
READ MORE: Sicamous council gives proposed zoning bylaw third reading for second time
Development services manager Scott Beeching assured council that the Ministry of Transportation’s prior concerns had been addressed and the ministry had approved the bylaw on Dec. 19, 2022. Beeching said it was council’s decision now whether to adopt the bylaw.
READ MORE: ‘We’re being held hostage’: Proposed Sicamous zoning bylaw receives unwelcome feedback
Coun. Malcolm Makayev confirmed the ministry was satisfied with the impact studies that had been done concerning highways 1 and 97A, and that there were no changes since third reading.
There was no further discussion and council voted unanimously in favour of adopting the bylaw.
Business licensing will be utilized to enforce short-term rental rules going forward.
The district defines a short-term rental as the commercial use of a dwelling unit by renting it out as accommodation for tourists, the travelling public or seasonal residents. A dwelling unit includes single family homes, secondary suites, carriage houses, duplex’, apartments, townhouses, condos and mobile homes.
Owners/operators of short-term rentals and bed and breakfasts will be required to have a business licence. They will also be required to remit both Provincial Sales Tax and Municipal Regional District Tax (MRDT) for guest stays.
READ MORE: Business licensing key to enforcement around short-term rentals in Sicamous
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