By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle

Oliver Council has approved staff recommendations to bring forward the work on zoning amendments required by the Province following the passing of four Bills (35, 44, 46, and 47)  recently introduced by the government to increase housing density across BC. 

Also given the green light was early budget approval for the completion of a housing needs report to a maximum cost of $20,000 and the completion of an infrastructure capacity study to a maximum cost of $40,000. 

The sweeping changes to municipal zoning required by the provincial government are intended to address the worsening housing crisis in the most expedient way possible but will have significant ramifications for municipalities large and small across the province.

The province aims to deliver more small-scale, multi-unit housing for people, including townhomes, triplexes and laneway homes, and fix outdated zoning rules to help build more homes faster.

With the province underscoring the disjunct between the accessibility of single-family detached homes and current zoning regulations that exclusively permit these homes, it highlights the fact that the supply of housing is falling further and further behind actual housing needs. 

Single-family detached homes often cover 70-85 per cent of the privately held residential land base in communities, it says.

“Not only are less expensive multi-unit forms of housing not permitted in most areas of our communities but they are also subjected to more layers of process and regulations like rezoning and design requirements,” the province states in its recently released “Provincial Policy Manual & Site Standards”. This document is aimed at supporting local governments with the implementation of the required zoning amendments required by the new Bills. 

It includes recommendations for parking, setbacks, building heights and other provisions that must be considered during the preparation of the required zoning amendments. 

The only mandatory provision is zoning to allow a minimum density of three to four dwelling units per lot. 

Many of these zoning amendments are required by June 30 of this year, prompting Randy Houle, Director of Development Services at the Town of Oliver to get a jump on the work as most of the adjustments can be done in-house he noted.

Houle noted that an official community plan (OCP) amendment will also be necessary to remove the maximum density in the medium and high density residential zones and adjust the multifamily development areas.

“The other important point to tackle right away is an interim housing needs report that has a deadline of December 31, 2024.” He notes that the province is due shortly to come out with a format that all housing needs reports need to look like. 

An interim housing needs report must be completed and projected out to 20 years, he says, adding it must be updated every five years. 

And based on that housing needs report a new Official Community Plan must be adopted and projected out to 20 years by December 31, 2025. It requires updating every five years and must integrate the findings from the housing needs report. 

A zoning amendment bylaw will also be required in parallel with the new Official Community Plan, Houle notes.

And because of the work required “it’s recommended that we start this project right away,” he said.

But key for many municipalities particularly those struggling with aging infrastructure is the Infrastructure Capacity Review which will shine a light on the extent to which the existing infrastructure can support added housing density. 

Some key aspects of Bill 44 include a stipulation that as of November 30, 2023, public hearings are no longer permitted for zoning amendments for residential developments that are consistent with the official community plan. 

“This places more of an emphasis on public input during the creation of an official community plan and not during individual rezoning applications,” Houle noted.

He added that the initial zoning amendments to allow for small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH) will not include a Public Hearing, but rather public consultation will occur during the preparation of the new Official Community Plan in late 2024 and 2025. 

By June 30, 2024, zoning amendments must be adopted to allow for SSMUH in communities greater than 5,000 in population. These units include secondary suites, detached accessory dwelling units, duplexes, triplexes, houseplexes, and townhomes.

Four dwelling units are outright permitted on existing lots larger than 280 m2 (0.069 acres) that are currently zoned for single family or duplex use, with some exemptions. These include manufactured home park zones, lots not connected to both municipal water and sewer, heritage-protected lots, lands in hazardous conditions, and lots larger than 4,050 m2. 

Houle notes that the Town of Oliver has only one existing single-family lot that is less than 280 m2 (0.069 acres) in which a three dwelling unit maximum would apply. 

Houle says the total cost of implementing the amendments will come to an estimated $310,000 over a two-year period ($135,000 in 2024 and $175,000 in 2025) but also highlights that several of the tasks – such as the Subdivision Bylaw Update for instance – would have had to be undertaken anyway.

A total of $175,243 is being provided by the Province to the Town of Oliver through the Ministry of Housing Capacity Funding.