City council took the first steps to bring the city's zoning bylaw into alignment with provincial legislation meant to encourage triplexes and fourplexes on property zoned for single-family residential.
Municipalities have until June 30 to amend their bylaws into compliance and on Monday, Prince George council passed the city's version through first and second reading. A public hearing won't be held on the matter, however there will be a chance to provide written comment prior to third and final reading, once a public notice has been posted.
Passed in early December 2023, the NDP government's Bill 44 aims to increase housing supply and, in turn, make homes more affordable by making it easier and quicker to build so-called "small-scale multi-unit housing" on lots traditionally reserved for single-detached and duplex homes.
On lots no greater than 280 square metres, three units will be allowed and on lots over that size, four units will be allowed without going through the rezoning process.
Exemptions include property not connected to a water or sewer system provided by the city; parcels larger than 0.4 hectares and land protected by the Heritage Conservation Act or under a municipality's heritage designation.
The city is already partially in compliance with the legislation. Since 2018, secondary dwelling on single-detached family residential have been permitted.
Asked by Mayor Simon Yu about the possible impact on servicing the lots, city planning and development directors Deanna Wasnik said staff is predicting the the biggest effect will be on new subdivisions.
"We've noticed that developers are already wanting to upsize just the infrastructure, the pipe size of their development in the subdivision in anticipation for this legislation change," Wasnik said.
"The challenging areas would be areas that are already established but those are areas that would require a house to be demolished and rebuilt or a house being renoed to accommodate the number of units that this legislation is allowing to happen."
Asked by Coun. Garth Frizzell whether the legislation will achieve what it has set out to do and increase the housing supply, land use planning supervisor Kali Holahan said that a consultant working with the city on revamping the official community plan found that a five per cent increase in the city's population would translate into 5,000 more units.
"I think there is some optimism that we will see an increase. What that per cent is in what period of time, I don't know," Holahan said. "We will just have to wait and monitor and see."
Provincial legislation in the form of Bill 46 also gives municipalities the power to expand the use of development cost charges to pay for police and fire protection facilities as well as those dedicated to handling solid waste and recycling. DCCs are currently limited to covering the initial cost of water, sewer and roads.
Municipalities would also be able to impose newly-created amenity cost charges in the name of community and recreation centres, daycare and libraries.
However, council would have to go through the added step of updating the city's related bylaw to put the measure into effect.
A separate Bill 47 requires the city to allow complexes of up to 10 storeys within 200 metres and six storeys within 200-400 metres of so-called transit oriented areas.
However only the bus exchange at University of Northern British Columbia meets the criteria, defined as 15-minute service frequency, two or more unique routes, service seven days per week and one route operating at least 12 hours per day.
The fact caught Coun. Tim Bennett by surprise and received assurance from Wasnik that as part of the OCP review higher density corridors near transit stops in College Heights, PIne Centre and Parkwood are being looked at.
The exchange prompted Yu to say there is a "perfectly good case to build high density housing at Pine Centre. I mean, why not?"
