The first changes in 15 years to rules governing accessory and garden suites will be reviewed at a public hearing on Jan. 27.

A public hearing is being held tomorrow night at the Cochrane RancheHouse in advance of the town council meeting to receive feedback on the proposed amendments.

Proposed are revised requirements and three new definitions to help clarify where they are allowed.

Accessory and garden suites have become increasingly popular in Cochrane, town council was told by Riley Welden, planning services manager. He said the town anticipates this trend will continue.

The town has issued 159 development permits for suites since 2005, 127 of them since 2008.

"Through the number of applications that we've had over the past years, there was also concern over the location of the suites, some concerns about the potential for clustering in particular areas, as well as the time required to process the development permit applications themselves," Welden explained.

The proposed revisions would continue to make suites discretionary uses in four residential areas.

It is proposed garden suites, which are detached dwellings, would only be allowed on properties with a single-detached dwelling. Accessory suites can be located within single or semi-detached dwellings. 

It proposes to remove the current 10 per cent per neighbourhood and instead have specific criteria in considering applications.

Among those is the impact of the development upon existing utility services, traffic, parking and clustering.

It also sets specific parking guidelines.

Council has given the bylaw first reading in advance of the public hearing.