Shipping Containers / Sea Cans in Residential Areas

Current shipping containers regulations on residential lots:

Small Lot Country Residential acreage – discretionary
Lake Resort Lots – not allowed
Residential Hamlet Lots – not allowed
 
Where shipping containers are allowed, they are considered to be an accessory use, which means that a primary building (home) is required on the site before a shipping container would be allowed.  An exception to this rule would be if it is a temporary use while the primary building is being constructed. 

Currently, some of the requirements to obtain a development permit are that photographs of one side and one end be submitted with the application.  They must not be placed in the front yard and must meet the setbacks of the Land Use Bylaw.  The maximum number allowed shall be two and they may not be stacked.  Conditions that may be applied to the approval may be that the shipping containers be sandblasted/painted, or screened from view.

As shipping containers become a more popular means of a storage building use, the County has heard some interest in allowing shipping containers in the Lake Resort Districts and Residential Hamlet areas as well as allowing more shipping containers in the Country Residential areas. 

Definitions:

A permitted use means that the applicant applies for the development permit and is approved as long as they provide all required information and meet the regulations defined in the Land Use Bylaw.  This permit can only be appealed by the land owner. 

A discretionary use is approved on a case by case basis, but can be appealed by adjacent land owners.  A discretionary use would have conditions attached to it

Not allowed means that it cannot be approved under any circumstance.