Updated rules for the size of loading bays at new Coquitlam high-rises and strata complexes will go before city council this month.
A public hearing will be held Dec. 14 to modernize rezoning and official community plan (OCP) policies around off-street loading and garbage pick-up spots on private properties.
Andrew Merrill, the city’s director of development services, told the Tri-City News that the current dimensions go back to the 1970s when there was lots of space to move vehicles in suburban areas.
Now, as the municipality densifies, especially around the Evergreen Line corridors of Burquitlam and City Centre, staff say the bylaws aren’t keeping pace as the living areas get tighter for urbanization and transportation needs.
As a result, staff are proposing three loading bay sizes for new developments to accommodate different sizes of vehicles:
• Type A: 7.5m in length (e.g., cargo vans)
• Type B: 12.5 m in length (e.g., medium delivery trucks)
• Type C: 25 m in length (e.g., garbage trucks)
The number and type of loading spaces for residential, retail, office and industrial buildings will be based on use and size — that is, one Type B loading bay is required for apartment complexes with 81 to 300 units; for retail, a Type A loading dock will be needed for a shop up to 500 sq. m. while a Type B spot is required for stores measuring 501 to 2,000 sq. m.
First reading of the proposed changes passed Nov. 2.
In his report to council, Jaime Boan, Coquitlam’s general manager of engineering and public works, wrote the draft amendments will improve operations and safety, and will ensure loading is staged onsite rather spill over onto city streets.
The Urban Development Institute was consulted about the city plans and other Metro Vancouver civic policies were compared, he said.
• To comment on the proposals on Dec. 14, visit coquitlam.ca/publichearing.
