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Annoyed with misrepresentation of the facts

Last month there was an article in a local paper that referred to our garage with storage locker as a monster building. And although I acknowledge that it is a large building, it does comply with our current zoning by-law and has a valid permit.

Last month there was an article in a local paper that referred to our garage with storage locker as a monster building. And although I acknowledge that it is a large building, it does comply with our current zoning by-law and has a valid permit.

The part that has annoyed me is the reporter and the paper she works for obviously did not read our application or investigate whatsoever. This is obvious because if they had simply looked at our application they would see that we have simply applied for rezoning from our current zoning R1 to RD zoning. If you call what you did reporting—then maybe you should find a new career.

I have not applied to have a carriage house or secondary suite at this time. The zoning that I have requested has been granted twice in the last 12 months to other individual home owners who had the same zoning we currently have. I would point out that our application is in compliance with the Town’s Official Community Plan for zoning and that the zoning we are applying for is the same as the zoning across the street from our home.

The other thing that annoys me is that the community has been misinformed by the submissions to the paper in regard to our zoning as an application for a carriage house or secondary suite—this is simply not the case. If you have any doubts, please see our application at the town hall.

As a local realtor, there is one thing I am aware of and that is the lack of rental space available in Princeton at this time. So, I do support the town’s own initiative to have carriage houses and secondary suites approved in homes with RD zoning, but believe the community may now be confusing the town’s own proposal and our zoning application, but the point is, they are different issues.

It’s sad that the Town of Princeton is so far behind the times as other communities in our area have already adopted Carriage Houses and Secondary Suites, including Keremeos, Oliver, Penticton and almost every other jurisdiction in the lower mainland. Princeton should have thought about this as soon as the news of the Copper Mountain Mine reopening was announced. I guess better late than never.

The good news is that if the town approves it’s proposal then maybe there will be some affordable housing for those who are less fortunate, so if you are a person that is finding it difficult to find affordable accommodation this is your chance to let the town know you support their proposal.

Also, if you have bought a home recently in Princeton, I am aware that the payments are high. If you would like a suite to act as a mortgage helper then let the town and the paper know you support the town’s proposal.

I find it interesting that people that make applications are given a hard time, but the over 50 illegal suites that I am aware of are not bothered. If you have an illegal suite, I encourage you to let the town and the newspaper know that you support the Carriage House/Secondary Suite Proposal the Town of Princeton has brought forward and hopefully you will all simply be grandfathered in.

In closing, we made the zoning application, so in the event we sell our home it would be easy for any subsequent owner to convert the storage area of our garage or the basement into a suite as a mortgage helper.

Heinz Ebaneau

Princeton, B.C.