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5,000 flyers protesting secondary suites delivered to Oak Bay homes

A small group against allowing secondary suites in Oak Bay is distributing 5,000 pamphlets explaining its stance to residents this week .

"We're posing questions that were addressed to council in February and we're talking about some of the impacts and the process," said John Foxgord of Friends of Oak Bay Neighbourhoods.

The group, which has about 12 members, was formed in the last few months and some of its members were vocal at an Oak Bay council last month protesting against permitting secondary suites in single-family homes.

Volunteers began hand-delivering the one-page pamphlet to homes last weekend, Foxgord said. The pamphlet sets out questions, which the group feels have not been answered, such as why council is pushing for secondary suites? The legitimacy of a 2010 questionnaire sent to property owners that came up with a slight majority in favour of allowing suites is also questioned.

Foxgord said the group is distributing the pamphlet "because there are a lot of people who don't really know what's going on" with the secondary-suite issue. "Its about getting people thinking and asking questions."

Foxgord said he hopes that after residents read the group's pamphlet there will be "a lot more people questioning the process and essentially why we are violating the official community plan in an all one swoop sort of way."

Oak Bay municipality is planning a series of public information sessions for mid- to late-May regarding secondary suites.

vmoreau@oakbaynews.com