Coquitlam council is considering limiting the size of new single-family homes in certain parts of the southwest area of the city to encourage the construction of more duplex, triplex and fourplex units.
Staff presented the idea to council Monday afternoon as part of its plans to tweak the Housing Choices program, established in 2011 to diversify the city’s housing stock in the traditionally single-family area.
Jim McIntyre, Coquitlam’s general manager of planning and development, said staff has been disappointed with the take-up of the program, noting the majority of the applications have been for two-lot splits — essentially subdividing one lot into two — rather than the duplex, triplex and fourplex developments they had been hoping for.
“We know there is some difficulties with [the Housing Choices program],” he said. “We are not getting the mix of housing types.”
Lots that are eligible for the Housing Choices program exist primarily between Blue Mountain Street, Brunette Avenue, Austin Avenue and Schoolhouse Street. Some properties in the neighbourhood around Alderson Avenue south of Lougheed Highway and Haversley Avenue west of Schoolhouse are also eligible, along with 175 lots around the periphery of Burquitlam Station.
According to a staff report, 117 projects have been approved under the program in the eight years it has existed:
• 59 narrow-lot single-family subdivisions;
• 26 duplexes;
• 15 cottage houses;
• 13 quadruplexes;
• and four triplexes.
Another 67 lots redeveloped in the Housing Choices area did not take advantage of the program, opting instead to replace the existing residence with an often much larger single-family home.
A staff report noted that by putting limits on the size of detached homes, the city would “‘level the playing field’ between large single-family houses and Housing Choices projects.”
Putting tighter floor area ratio limits on new detached homes “is perhaps the single most effective way to encourage Housing Choices projects and discourage large single family houses,” the report said.
And limiting the size of single-family homes is not the only adjustment being considered for the program.
Community planner Rebecca Chaster told council Monday staff were looking at options for pre-zoning eligible sites to shorten the approval time. The change would mean that instead of council approving projects on a case-by-case basis, “a front-loaded process,” including community consultation, would be initiated to allow duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes on all permitted lots.
“It would remove the rezoning barrier, which we know is a hurdle and a challenge to many applicants taking on these projects,” she said, later adding: “We could potentially take the three- and four-unit projects and add it as a permitted use already.”
But not all at the council table were enthusiastic about pre-zoning such a large number of lots.
Coun. Brent Asmundson raised some concerns, noting that the move could receive a significant amount of pushback from the community.
“There is a risk when you pre-zone everything,” he said. “If it is not working the right way, you don’t have the ability to stop it right away.”
Any changes made to the Housing Choices program would still require significant community engagement, according to city staff.
The next steps in the process include consultation on options in early 2019, followed by a consultation summary at the council table. By mid 2019, staff expect to finalize concepts and draft bylaw amendments.
gmckenna@tricitynews.com
@gmckennaTC
