Jess Puddister and Tim Ward will have to wait a little longer to find out the fate of their tiny home, but short-term disappointment is a long-term victory for the couple.
The couple put in an offer on a small piece of land in the town of Pouch Cove to situate their 360-square-foot tiny home in the small town on the northern tip of the Avalon Peninsula.
Council initially deferred a decision on the home to Monday’s council meeting and ultimately decided to defer once again. It’s bad news for Puddister and Ward right now, but Puddister says ultimately, it’s a win.
“Of course, the initial reaction is disappointment. We came so close to starting our lives and getting settled down and moving into our house. That opportunity is not going to be there anymore because our land offer is going to expire at the end of the month,” said Puddister.
“However, if you look at the big picture, this is massive. This is huge. It’s such a big step forward for the tiny house movement in Newfoundland and Labrador. They’re not saying no. If they had said no, that would close the door on this application.”
By deferring a final decision again, council is able to consider specific changes to allow tiny homes as part of their ongoing review of the town’s municipal plan. It also has the added bonus of saving the couple $5,000, since they don’t have to reapply to have their proposal considered by council.
RELATED STORY:
Tiny home needs big decision in Pouch Cove
Pouch Cove development committee chair Greg King says he spoke to every resident on the street where the tiny home would rest and couldn’t find a single voice of opposition. Ultimately, King says the town is supportive, but he wants to be sure they cover all their bases before granting final approval.
“What everybody’s recommending is do it right the first time and make sure it’s right,” said King.
“We know that there’s nothing binding on any other town, but we know that maybe we’ll be the ones that set the bar with tiny homes.”
King says he’s been in contact with municipalities across the Northeast Avalon and the City of St. John’s to learn about the homes and how municipalities can best allow them. St. John’s has been working on its tiny home regulations for over a year, with nothing passed to council just yet. King says to make such progress in comparatively little time shows Pouch Cove is supportive of the homes.
For now, the young couple will have to sit and wait for September, hoping the piece of land they’re bidding on either doesn’t get snatched up or another, equally suitable piece of land becomes available in Pouch Cove, once the regulations are put in place.
Puddister says she and Ward still hope to set down roots in Pouch Cove.
“It doesn’t close the door for us. It may or may not close the door on the piece of land,” she said.
“If they will indeed be the first ones to step up here and show leadership on this issue, then there’s nothing to say it’s ruled out. I don’t have anything against Pouch Cove. I love it there. That’s why we applied to live there in the first place.”
Twitter: DavidMaherNL
