A Williams Lake resident brought his concerns regarding a neighbouring property to city council at a committee of the whole meeting June 3.
Dave Moore, who said a house next to his on Ninth Avenue, operated as an assisted living home by Axis Family Resources, is causing him concern. While there is more than one issue at play, Moore said his main concern is over the ability of the organization to essentially operate a business within a residential area without the proper zoning.
City staff information shared at the meeting clarified the use is permitted under the existing single family residential zoning because of provincial legislation in the Community Care Assisted Living Act. Staff reported there are 23 houses in Williams Lake which fall under the community assisted living category, allowing this use of the homes within single family residential zoning.
Moore spoke at the June 3 committee of the whole council meeting to question how the single family home could be operated by a business in the manner it is without any rezoning considerations.
"If the provincial government can override bylaws, then why do we have bylaws," he asked.
Moore said while the house is being used as a home for a young person in care, there are staff coming and going and activity at the home at all hours due to the nature of what Axis does.
For their part, Axis Family Resources said they are happy to engage with nearby residents when there are concerns.
"We always try to encourage residents to reach out to us locally," said Brett Andrews, director of operations for the organization for Cariboo, Quesnel and northwest B.C.
Andrews said he understood there had been some conflict around parking and yard maintenance, but he believed these were addressed.
He said it is important for those in the care of Axis Family Resources to have a home as similar as possible to the homes of other people and the homes are operated much like how a foster home would function.
Children especially deserve to be part of a neighbourhood and community, he said.
"It's a residential home for children. They need to be close to schools, they need to be close to residents, they need to be integrated in the community, said Andrews.
"We want it to be integrated into the community and to provide a safe and welcoming home to children."
Moore said he did not reach out to Axis directly regarding his concerns, but had reached out to both the city, Mayor Surinderpal Rathor and Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson about why the province is allowed to override municipal bylaws and disregard local zoning where it chooses.
"They shouldn't be doing this to communities everywhere," he said.
Moore said if he were to begin operating a business out of his own home, it would result in a response from the city, but in his neighbourhood, he feels what Axis is doing by having staff come and go to provide the support for the person in care next door amounts to the same thing.
"The zoning, that's the biggest kick in the pants," he said, expressing his frustration at what he feels like is government waste in funding these types of facilities when he believes the persons in care often need to be in mental health or medical health facilities.
Some specific concerns regarding parking and yard maintenance were able to be addressed with the help of city staff, but Moore said he continued to disagree with the use of the property.
Council received Moore's verbal report and offered to provide what support they could in some bylaw enforcement. Coun. Joan Flaspohler encouraged Moore to reach out to the organization to potentially address some of his other concerns.
