City of Fort St. John issues bylaw contravention for illegal secondary suite [Video]

FORT ST. JOHN –The City of Fort St. John has issued a bylaw contravention for an illegal secondary suite at a home on 81A Street.

Initially, the homeowner was granted a building permit for a single-family home with one secondary unit in the subdivision.

However, after the home’s completion, the city began receiving complaints about an additional suite in the basement. An investigation by Development Services revealed a layout plan for two secondary suites, one of which did not have the proper permits.

The second basement suite, classified at the time as a family room, was converted after the residents moved into the new home, in violation of the current BC Building Code and zoning bylaws.

In a Request for Decision submitted to Fort St. John city council on November 25^th, it was noted that building officials would not have approved the occupancy if the suite had been …