Skip to content

Mega homes will be topic of Port Moody town hall Oct. 27

Changing Port Moody's zoning bylaws to prevent the construction of "mega homes" may not be as easy as limiting roof heights or switching to a new way to measure a property's grade.

Changing Port Moody's zoning bylaws to prevent the construction of "mega homes" may not be as easy as limiting roof heights or switching to a new way to measure a property's grade.

At Tuesday's committee of the whole meeting, council discussed a staff report detailing the potential ramifications of each suggestion passed earlier in the summer. The report will also form the basis of a town hall meeting on Oct. 27.

Staff found several of the motions could trigger non-conformity issues, lower property values and cause a host of enforcement issues.

"Staff caution against making broad zoning changes across the city because of a number of negative impacts and non-compliance situations that can cause more problems going forward in dealing with existing homes and existing properties in the community," said James Stiver, general manager of development services.

The "mega homes" issue was raised by a group of residents in the Ioco Road corridor earlier this year as they called on the city to stop the construction of large homes that were blocking neighbours' views and changing the overall look of the community.

Other residents, however, as well as developers, have since raised concerns about how the proposed zoning bylaw changes would affect their property values and their right to build to the maximum allowable envelope.

The report raised concerns around including basements, garages and carports in FAR calculations, stating it could render many existing homes non-conforming to the bylaw, result in obstacles for homeowners wishing to renovate and could significantly reduce the allowable floor area.

As well, staff suggested grade and building height regulations would be more effective in addressing "bulky" construction, rather than regulating podium heights.

Using a more effective grade calculation - taking measurements from a property's four corners - would also be more useful than the current reference to "natural grade" and could prevent builders from adding fill to significantly change the grade before applying for permits. It also notes that other municipalities require a fill permit be obtained before builders can introduce any foreign fill onto a lot.

Coun. Zoe Royer said she agreed with much of the staff report, noting the city should proceed cautiously when it comes to including unfinished basements in floor area ratio (FAR) calculations.

And although she recently built a home on Ioco Road, Royer said she is not in a conflict of interest and intends to stay part of discussions on zoning changes for the Ioco area.

"None of the changes proposed would place my property in non-compliance because my house is well below the maximum size and maximum height," she wrote in an email.

Staff will be distributing information from the report through brochures and postings on the city's website.

A town hall meeting and information session on the proposed "good neighbour" bylaw is on Oct. 27. Full details are at www.portmoody.ca/iocoroadstudy or by emailing iocoroadstudy@portmoody.ca.

@SPayneTC