Burnaby’s multiplex program, proposed in a staff report on April 8 and approved by Burnaby city council on June 10, is much closer to the provincial guidelines than Vancouver’s multiplex program. It treats the guidelines more like a floor than a ceiling.
There’s no restriction on floor area. It’s determined by the maximum site coverage and maximum height.
The maximum height is 12 m above ground level and four storeys, including a below-ground floor. (Provincial guidelines require at least 11 m and three storeys.)
Maximum site coverage: 45% for a four-plex, or 50% within 400 m of frequent transit. (Provincial guidelines are 50%, or 60% within 400 m of frequent transit.)
Minimum parking: one space per two units, zero within 400 m of frequent transit. (Provincial guidelines are one space per unit, one space per two units within 800 m of frequent transit, zero within 400 m of frequent transit.)
Minimum lot size: for a multiplex, the minimum width is 10 metres (about 33 feet) and the minimum lot size is 281 square metres (about 3024 square feet).
The reasoning in the staff report for removing floor area restrictions:
Removing FAR and GFA
Current R District zoning regulations rely on floor area ratio (FAR) and gross floor area (GFA) provisions to dictate the maximum permitted size of single- and two-family dwellings and laneway homes. However, these requirements add complexity and uncertainty for applicants, increase review and coordination time for City administrators, and create unintended design constraints.
As such, the R1 SSMUH District amendments propose to remove FAR and GFA in favour of using height, setback, and lot coverage regulations to define the siting and massing of buildings on a lot, in alignment with Provincial recommendations.
Frances Bula recounts some examples when she and her husband built a laneway house in the city of Vancouver:
One time, Jennifer showed up with her tape measure, saying that whomever she was working with at city hall thought the storage areas under the back and front porches would have to be calculated as part of our floor-space ratio. Spaces that had no proper foundation and that you couldn’t stand up in. But if they counted, we’d have to lower the ceiling or punch a hole in the exterior wall to ensure they didn’t count.
Another time, she was told the size of the laneway house was fine but our existing house was 40 square feet over the limit. So she was remeasuring everything to see if any of the space could be legally excluded.
Then there was the “you might have to take out your basement suite if you don’t want to have to provide parking for two cars” episode.
Fee-simple rowhouses
Burnaby will also allow fee-simple rowhouses, with a minimum lot width of 5 metres (a bit less than 16.5 feet), 6.2 metres for an end lot, and 8 metres for a corner lot. It’s a way of dividing up the land without having to deal with strata: you own the land yourself (“fee simple”), much more like owning a detached house, except that you have a shared wall. It's up to you to decide when to repair or replace things, and you don't have to deal with strata fees and special assessments - you're paying for things yourself. Michael Geller and Richard Wittstock have been talking about this option for a while.
From the staff report:
Rowhouse Dwellings
In addition to small-scale multi-unit forms, the proposed R1 SSMUH District will include provisions for fee simple rowhouse dwelling. This is in alignment with the range of housing forms recommended by the Province; the existing R6 Residential District; and Action 1.1 of HOME: Burnaby’s Housing and Homelessness Strategy, which proposes introducing rowhouse dwellings to all R District neighbourhoods as well as per
Rowhouses are one of several options shown in the summary of what you can build:
Process
I thought this description of Burnaby’s review and update process was interesting - quite a contrast from the city of Vancouver’s approach (do the bare minimum).
Zoning Bylaw Rewrite
In late 2023, the City began the Zoning Bylaw Rewrite project to comprehensively review and update zoning regulations and create a new bylaw to replace the current Zoning Bylaw, first adopted in 1965.
The objectives of the Zoning Bylaw Rewrite include:
• Provide more flexible and modern regulations;
• Reduce complexity to improve ease of understanding;
• Enhance user-friendliness for residents, applicants, and City staff; and
• Implement and align with City plans and policies and Provincial legislationPhase 1 of the Zoning Bylaw Rewrite was developed to address the implementation of the new Provincial housing legislation in a timely matter to meet the Provincial deadlines. The amendments proposed within this report constitute a major amendment to the current Residential Districts (“R Districts”) within the Zoning Bylaw and are a key deliverable of Phase 1. Further phases of the Zoning Bylaw Rewrite will be coordinated with several key City projects, including the Burnaby 2050 Official Community Plan update and amendments to the Rental Use Zoning Policy.
More
It’s the end of days for single-family zoning in Burnaby. Lauren Vanderdeen, Burnaby Now, June 14. Summarizes the changes passed by council on June 10.
City of Burnaby releases details on SSMUH zoning update. David Taylor, Colliers, April 14.
Burnaby did ask for the province for permission to exempt the area near the Brentwood SkyTrain station from the provincial transit-oriented development rules. 'Inevitable decimation': Burnaby residents petition against B.C.'s transit-oriented housing rules, April 26. The province said no. B.C. rejects Burnaby petition for exemption to new transit-oriented development rules, May 6. Both articles are by Lauren Vanderdeen in the Burnaby Now.
On the infrastructure side, BC Hydro is upgrading and expanding capacity in Burnaby, with three substation upgrades and a new substation at Metrotown. Burnaby's population growth prompts $1.25B energy expansion projects. Jess Balzer, Burnaby Now, June 10.
My summary of the obstacles to new housing is that we regulate it like it’s a nuclear power plant and we tax it like it’s a gold mine. Burnaby is loosening its regulations, but unfortunately it’s simultaneously increasing development charges on new housing. Anthem, Polygon, and Canderel voice "deep concern" over Burnaby's new Amenity Contribution Charges. Howard Chai, Storeys, March 26.