Strathmore Town Council was presented a report on removing garage and garden suites from the town's land use bylaw.
Council discussed the report at their meeting on Mar. 13, ending with a motion to vote on removing the suites at the next committee of the whole meeting. The motion was passed 4-3.
Mayor Pat Fule, who introduced the motion to create the report, said there is no longer a need for garage and garden suites in Strathmore.
"A lot has changed between 2021 and 2025. We are on the cusp of massive growth. We've got at least three of four multi-unit housing projects in different stages of development."
Although Fule believes that the housing market has changed, other councillors such as Denise Peterson remarked that garage and garden suites will bring positive change to Strathmore's downtown core.
"For 19 years, we have been trying very diligently to increase the density downtown, and this is one of the ways we could possibly do this. In fact, it's a very efficient way," said Peterson.
Councillor Brent Wiley claims that he has heard overwhelming opposition to the suites, while Peterson said that she has heard the exact opposite.
"The reason is not because increased housing is going to ever solve the problems that we have, but what it does solve is this issue: A lot of the homes downtown and outlying subdivisions are owned by people who have lived in the community for a long time. The children of these people will not be able to afford homes. This is a way that families could work together to provide their children with homes into the future."
Councillors Denise Peterson, Debbie Mitzner, and Melissa Langmaid voted against the motion to address the bylaw, while Mayor Pat Fule and councillors Brent Wiley, Jason Montgomery, and Richard Wegener voted for it.
The bylaw will be voted on at the meeting on April 9.