Advertisement 1

Squamish homeowners seek court injunction to prevent building of fourplex, citing restrictive covenants

Petitioners say they want to preserve the neighbourhood's 'residential character.' But it appears other projects have been allowed to proceed despite decades-old restrictive covenants.

Article content

Mike Van Capelle purchased a 1960s-era house that was falling apart in the Garibaldi Estates neighbourhood of Squamish with a vision to turn it into a fourplex.

Article content
Article content
Article content

The house has been demolished and the site is prepped. Construction signs and fencing are up. An excavator is in place. He’s ready to pour a foundation.

Article content
Article content

But the site remains quiet.

Article content
Article content

Neighbours who live next door are petitioning the courts for an injunction to halt the project. Their properties, and others, are bound by decades-old statutory building schemes or restrictive covenants on their land titles that don’t allow more than one dwelling per lot.

Article content
Advertisement 1
Story continues below
Article content
Article content

“The existence of the building scheme was an attractive feature to us, as it provided us with reassurance that the subdivision, which was low density residential and made up of modest one- or two-storey single family dwellings, would remain that way in the future and that its trees would be preserved,” Dennis Smith wrote in an affidavit accompanying the court case he filed with his wife, Andrea.

Article content

Article content
squamish
Mike Van Capelle has permission from the district of Squamish to build a fourplex but neighbours are seeking a court injunction to stop this citing a covenant on their properties. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
Article content
Article content
Article content

Van Capelle and his company, Clearwater Park GP Inc., want to build and sell four 2,000-sq.-ft. homes in a townhouse-style layout.

Article content
Article content

They have approval from the District of Squamish and a letter from a Squamish senior director of community development stating they should be allowed to proceed.

Article content
Article content

There have been “many contraventions of the covenant that have occurred over the past 40 years in the neighbourhood,” the letter states.

Article content
Article content

For example, there are already secondary suites and laneway homes that have long been contrary to the restrictive covenants.

Article content
Article content

The letter, dated Oct. 1, 2024, shortly after the district issued a development permit, says that district staff “have no intention to observe the covenant restrictions.”

Article content
Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content
Article content

Reached for comment this week, the district said it was aware a petition had been filed in B.C. Supreme Court and that it would be inappropriate to comment.

Article content
Article content
Stories You May Like
  1. The clause was used to prevent construction of hastily built homes that would
    How a decades-old land title clause almost tanked the sale of a Burnaby home
  2. A sign indicating Airbnb rentals are not permitted is seen at the entrance to a condo tower, in Vancouver, on Thursday, November 23, 2023. The provincial government last month introduced legislation to limit short-term rentals in many cities in British Columbia in an effort to put thousands of units back into the long-term rental pool, with the changes coming into effect in May.
    Over 1,500 illegal short-term rental listings in B.C. targeted as registry gets set to launch
  3. Advertisement embed-more-topic
    Story continues below
Article content

Van Capelle said he’s frustrated over the delays and that the province should have addressed these old covenants before rolling out legislation encouraging more density.

Article content
Article content

“Frustrated that the NDP didn’t think to deal with this in their Bill 44 policy and that old, antiquated covenants can slow down much needed housing from being built and that money that could be spent to build more housing is being spent on legal issues.”

Article content
Article content

Others are closely watching how the case develops.

Article content
Article content

Daniel Winer, executive lead at Small Housing B.C., cited the case in a recent column published online.

Article content
Article content

“The irony?” he wrote. “The same covenant, which dates back decades, has been routinely ignored by homeowners in the neighbourhood for years. But when a gentle-density project — aligned with the province’s goal of creating more housing in existing neighbourhoods — was proposed, it became a vehicle to preserve the status quo and prevent new homes from being built.”

Advertisement 1
Advertisement 2
Advertisement
Article content
Article content

The Squamish case is the latest neighbourhood rift to emerge over decades-old covenants. Postmedia News has reported on similar disputes in Burnaby and Coquitlam.

Article content
Article content

The province has acknowledged that its legislation for municipalities to bring in zoning that allows for multiple housing units on all lots doesn’t override these restrictive covenants. It has repeatedly told property owners to seek legal advice.

Article content

Article content
squamish
Some residents of this neighbourhood in Squamish are seeking a court injunction to stop the construction of a fourplex. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
Article content
Article content

The restrictive covenant at the centre of the Squamish case was registered in 1959. The original grantor of the covenant was a corporation called Garibaldi Park Estates Ltd., which dissolved in the early 1980s.

Article content
Article content

Van Capelle said there are almost 70 properties in the neighbourhood tied to the covenant. He said the petition for the injunction was filed after he tried to meet with the neighbours.

Article content
Article content

“They came down to the lot fairly well-organized and fairly angry about what we were doing. That meeting didn’t really go well. We didn’t see at all eye-to-eye and, then, we left that meeting to let them know that, ‘Hey, we are still intending to move forward with this project,’ ” said Van Capelle.

Article content
Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content
Article content

The Smiths’ petition said they thought the restrictive covenants would be “an important and binding safeguard that would ensure the neighbourhood maintained the residential character it had at the time. We never expected there would be multiple family dwellings on single lots in the subdivision, let alone right beside our home.”

Article content
Article content

Other neighbours who filed affidavits in support of the Smiths’ petition said they were concerned that the fourplex would lead to increased noise and traffic, and reduced walkability and privacy. Some acknowledged that secondary suites and laneway houses have already contravened restrictive covenants, but they don’t see these as having the impact that this project would.

Article content
Article content

jlee-young@postmedia.com

Article content

Article content

Article content
Article content

Article content
Advertisement 2
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top