The City of Kamloops is looking for feedback before deciding whether or not to allow more secondary suites in areas of the Tournament Capital.

A public open house is planned for February 5 where you can have your say before any bylaw changes are made.

While there are numerous legal secondary suites in the city, Community Planner Carmin Mazzotta says others are not, which can raise issues.

“Tenant health and safety and if they’re not built in accordance with zoning regulations, you can have on-street parking issues where there is parking congestion in a neighbourhood,” Mazzotta said.

“Really just trying to look at allowing suites as a permitted use so that you have the zoning. We would just encourage people to apply for secondary suites under a valid building permit.”

He says they’ll be looking at things like basement suites in existing homes as well.

“Another is garden suites, those separate, subordinate detached dwellings that people can have,” Mazzotta added. “What we’re looking at is allowing that as a permitted use in the urban core – so the downtown, North Kamloops, west end of Sagebrush.”

“And then we’re also looking at getting feedback on what residents think about allowing those garden suites in all urban neighbourhoods.”

Currently bylaws, Mazzotta says, allowing secondary suites are fairly limited.

There’s also an online survey available until February 24.

Once the community engagement period is over, Mazzotta says they’ll bring the information to City Council for their input likely in March or April.