Allow Shared Driveway Between Residences

On November 9, 2022, I asked questions on three topics to help improve the ability for lot owners to provide housing:

Allow a single driveway to be shared for access to at least two permanent residences.
Provide supports for cottage businesses to convert to year-round homes.
Allow garden suites to be lived in by children of property owners.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGoIbEH75Go&t=1h3m30s Read the full transcript in the PDF file: Hansard-9 November 2022 on page 19 of 61. Also see text of the debate below: Mr. Trivers: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One thing that comes up often in my constituency, if families have a parcel of land, and they would like to just basically subdivide it and have their brother, their sister, or their aunt or uncle live next door. Time and time again, these applications are denied because they say you are not allowed to share a driveway. You have to put in a new driveway, and then the new driveway doesn’t meet sightline requirements, and it’s really hampering the ability to provide more housing, in my district, at least. Allowing shared driveways for residences A question to the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, this is Roads Act, Highway Access Regulations: Would you consider changing regulations to allow at least two permanent residences to access a shared driveway, for access? Speaker: The hon. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Mr. Deagle: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, that’s something I would be willing to look at. I actually do believe that our department can play a role in helping with housing because if you actually look at a lot of the road classifications, they need to be changed. So, we’ve actually hired someone in the department to go through the thousands of roads that we have to work on changing the classifications. It’s going to take a bit of time, but it’s something that we’re going to get done so that there aren’t roadblocks to subdividing, building homes on roads; obviously, not our main arterial roads, but there are side roads and secondary roads that we could easily build on, but right now the regulations and laws don’t allow it. Speaker: The hon. Member from Rustico-Emerald. Mr. Trivers: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the things in the regulations that is perplexing to me and it’s very frustrating to my constituents is, if these are not year-round permanent residences, but in fact there are multiple cottages on that same lot, they are allowed to use that singular driveway and that single access, and they’re given the permit to build these multiple cottages. So, I’m glad to hear you’re open to that. Change regulations re: shared driveways On the flip side, I have constituents who own these cottage rental business subdivisions who are thinking of turning those into permanent year-round housing. Will you commit to helping them do that, and changing the regulations, so that they can be in compliance? Speaker: The hon. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Mr. Deagle: It would be certainly be something I’m willing to look at, Mr. Speaker. Speaker: The hon. Member from RusticoEmerald. Mr. Trivers: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My constituents are really trying to be creative and do everything they can to provide housing on their existing lots. One thing that’s defined in our regulations, this would be the Subdivision and Development Regulations, are what are called garden suites. There are provisions that allow garden suites, less than 800 square feet and less than – they’re smaller single-unit dwellings; that one level. But the most interesting thing is that the regulations limit the use to the parents or grandparents of the owners who live on the lot. If you want to build a garden suite for your children (Indistinct) – Provisions for garden suites So, the question is why are the regulations in place, and when will they be updated to allow garden suites to be used for children of people who own the lot? Speaker: The hon. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Mr. Deagle: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m open to sitting down, perhaps, with the member, and looking at these regulations in particular. I’ll be honest, I’m not 100% familiar with them, but something I’m willing to go back to the department and look into. As I said, we’ve hired someone; I think it’s actually in the minister of agriculture’s department, that in particular. But as I mentioned on the road classifications, we are looking at that, and we’re going to try to change a significant number of our road classifications so we can remove some barriers to people who want to build homes.