As mentioned in previous updates, on April 22nd, Council approved Bylaw amendments for the Height-Based Development Framework, proposing seven new multi-family R Districts (R2-R8) and two new commercial CM Districts (CM1-CM2). The districts will live alongside the City's existing Districts in the interim but replace them as part of the full rewrite of the Zoning Bylaw and in alignment with the new OCP. 

Multi-family Residential 

The proposed Multi-family Residential Districts are as follows: 

The proposed minimum building setbacks are: 

Commercial 

The building forms for commercial districts include CM1 (up to 4 storeys), and CM2 (up to 8 storeys).  

The proposed minimum building setbacks are: 

Approach to mixed-use 

The scope of permitted commercial uses expands with the intensity of residential development as outlined below: 

More information can be found in the full report by City staff. 

October 22, 2024

On October 7th, Council endorsed City staff’s proposed height-based development framework and revisions to inclusionary rental requirements and density benefit bonusing. The report also included a financial analysis to ensure the proposed inclusionary rental requirements are economically viable. 

Height-Based Development Framework 

Staff proposed transitioning to a height-based framework and away from the current metric of Floor Area Ratio (FAR) to determine allowable development potential, due to its complexity to administer and understand. The proposed framework focuses on building height and form, simplifying development regulations, and improving the quality and reliability of planning and development outcomes: 

• Height Variances and Transfers:
• Variances to the permitted building height may be supported, requiring discretionary approval by the General Manager of Planning and Development, and may be considered for sites that are significantly constrained by environmental features, require a significant amount of dedication, provide publicly accessible open space, or provide voluntary commercial floors or non-market housing;
• Transfer of height agreements for residential uses may also be negotiated by transferring the same number of storeys from one site to another; and
• To maintain the integrity of a height-based development framework, additional height supported on residential sites through discretionary approvals or height transfers would be limited to the permitted height of the next most permissive residential zoning district.
• Height Averaging:
• On master planned sites, or lots where multiple buildings are planned, height averaging may also be considered to maintain variation in the built form where desirable. This is being proposed to ensure that buildings are not all constructed to the same height on sites with a single land use designation or zoning district.
• Draft Land Use Framework and Zoning Districts: 

• Supplementary Regulations and Comprehensive Development Districts:
  • To enable the submission and acceptance of rezoning applications that align with the height-based framework prior to the enactment of the new corresponding zoning districts in the Zoning Bylaw, which is discussed later in this report, the following amendments to the CD Districts are proposed:
    • Remove reference to underlying zoning districts;
    • Allow for custom zoning districts that align with the OCP or Community Plan; and  
    • Define regulations in writing as an alternative or in addition to drawing sets.  

Rental Use Zoning Policy 

The City had a financial consultant test approximately 400 scenarios and iterations of an inclusionary rental program that balances the need for financial viability, supply, and affordability. Three main variables shaped the analysis, including: 

• the percentage of non-market rental units required;
• the rental rates of the units; and
• the location of inclusionary rental. 

Proposed amendments to the policy are as follows: 

• Amendment #1 - Apply inclusionary rental requirements only to new residential strata development.
  • Purpose-built rental housing would be excluded from inclusionary requirements, based on financial viability grounds, noting that rental developments have much longer return on investment horizons, with the same or comparable upfront development and financing costs to strata development.
• Amendment #2 - Apply inclusionary rental requirements only in the R5, R6, R7, R8 and R9 Districts.
  • The analysis showed that the scale of inclusionary housing produced by low-density developments (6 storeys and below) is typically not delivered at an economic scale for non-profit management.
• Amendment #3 – Apply inclusionary rental requirements city-wide with a delayed effective date for the Southeast Burnaby CMHC rental zone.
  • The financial analysis highlighted the challenges of providing inclusionary rental requirements in the Southeast Burnaby CMHC rental zone, which includes the Edmonds Town Centre and the surrounding area, due to the comparatively low development revenue and the same or similar development costs as elsewhere in the City.  
  • During the meeting, Council directed staff to consider market strata density transfer from Edmonds to the rest of Burnaby, to achieve at least 5% of inclusionary zoning (CMHC median) in Edmonds with the goal of equalizing the percentage of inclusionary zoning with the rest of Burnaby; and that Southgate be excluded from Edmonds and aligned with the rest of Burnaby in inclusionary zoning requirements.
• Amendment #4 - Establish the inclusionary requirement at 15% of total units (excluding market rental) within an eligible development, with a range of rental rates for required inclusionary housing.
  • Based on the financial viability analysis, and the desire to balance the supply of rental units, with a diversity of rent rates, it was proposed that new eligible residential developments provide 10% of all housing units (excluding market rental), as non-market rental. However, during the meeting, Council amended the requirement of units to 15% for R6 to R9 districts (10% at 20% below CMHC median and 5% at CMHC median rents). Staff were further directed to explore and report back to Council with tools not yet explored to improve the viability of development. The requirements as amended are as follows: 

• In cases where a non-profit organization is pursuing external funding to operate the required inclusionary rental units, it is proposed that rent averaging be considered to help meet the requirements of external funding programs. Rent averaging would permit a portion of the required inclusionary rental units to be rented at rates higher than the standard bylaw requirement as outlined in the table above, provided that the average rents of the required inclusionary units meet or exceed the bylaw affordability requirements.
• Amendment #5 - Permit inclusionary rental obligation transfer within the same CMHC rental zone as the generating site, and between CMHC rental zones with Council approval.
  • As is currently required, it is proposed that the inclusionary rental obligation be delivered either prior to or concurrently with the market development on the generating site.  
• Amendment #6 - Consider payment in lieu of inclusionary rental at a future date, subject to further analysis.
• Amendment #7 - Inclusionary rental requirements do not apply to sites with rental replacement requirements.
  • It is recommended that rental replacement requirements be decoupled from inclusionary requirements until further review and financial analysis of tenant protections and rental replacement is undertaken to assess the financial viability of requiring additional inclusionary rental on sites with rental replacement.
• Amendment #8 - Consider height relaxations where voluntary non-market rental is proposed.
• Stream 3 Amendments
  • As rental has been excluded from inclusionary requirements, the commercial rental incentive would no longer be applicable. Instead, height relaxations be considered in certain mid- to high-rise residential districts where voluntary commercial is proposed.

Community Benefit Bonusing (CBB) Policy 

• Currently, the anticipated amendments address which districts permit density bonus opportunities, and the maximum number of storeys permitted through bonusing. In no case may additional storeys pursued through height variances, height transfers, height averaging, or CBB combined, exceed the height of the next most permissive residential zoning district. 

Transition for In-stream Applications 

• The transition for in-stream applications is as follows:
  • applications received following the introduction of the new height-based framework to Council, and prior to adoption of the new zoning regulations, will be permitted to pursue CD rezoning.  
  • applications received following the adoption of new zoning regulations will be required to meet the new regulations in their entirety.  
  • complete rezoning applications with fees paid at the time of adoption of the new zoning regulations will have until a prescribed date to reach 1st Reading. The prescribed date will provide a period of approximately six months following adoption of the new zoning regulations where the file manager will work with the applicant to determine the feasibility of reaching First Reading.  
  • active applications that have received First Reading by Council at the time of adoption of the new zoning regulations may continue to be processed under the previously established zoning regulations, provided they are able to achieve final approval within a period of 12 months from the prescribed date.  
  • active applications that do not receive 1st Reading by the prescribed date will be required to meet the new zoning regulations in their entirety.  
  • applicants with an active application that wish to be subject to the new height-based zoning regulations will be required to abandon their existing application and submit a new application. 

More information can be found in the full report by City staff. 

July 18th, 2024 

At the Planning and Development Committee on July 10th, Council authorized staff to undertake public engagement on the City’s Draft Land Use Framework. Staff will conduct public engagement on the Burnaby 2050 Draft Land Use Framework between September 6th and October 4th, 2024. The Draft Land Use Framework includes the Land Use Designation Map, descriptions of Land Use Designations, and general implementation principles. 

The Draft Land Use Framework proposes that each Official Community Plan (OCP) land use designation corresponds with a primary Zoning District in the new Zoning Bylaw. The Framework proposes to have seven non-residential designations and nine residential designations. Residential land use designations will be differentiated by the maximum permitted number of storeys rather than density (FSR), as used previously.  

To minimize complex CD zones, land use overlays will be used to add an additional land use designation to the base primary land use designation.  

The Draft Land Use Map will be brought forward for public engagement in September 2024.  

More information can be found in the full report by City staff, the Draft Land Use Designation Map, and the Draft Land Use Designation Table.  

April 9th, 2024

The City of Burnaby is hosting a series of community partner workshops to share feedback on key ideas for the Burnaby 2050 Official Community Plan (OCP). This will include policy directions and growth scenarios that have been drafted based on input received from the community over the past two years.  

Four virtual workshops for community partners will be held in May, each focused on different policy areas. Registration for the workshops can be accessed here, with participants welcome to register for multiple workshops. The deadline for registration is May 2nd, 2024. 

The workshop dates and topics are as follows:  

• Workshop 1:  
• Date: Wednesday, May 8
• Time: 10 am to Noon
• Topics: Land Use and Urban Design | Heritage and Neighbourhood Character | Economic Development and Industrial Lands | Archaeological and Indigenous Cultural Sites  
• Workshop 2:
• Date: Wednesday, May 8
• Time: 2 to 4 pm
• Topics: Growth Management and Growth Scenarios | Infrastructure | Transportation | Implementation
• Workshop 3:  
• Date: Tuesday, May 14
• Time: 10 am to Noon
• Topics: Housing | Community Well-being | Agriculture and Food Systems
• Workshop 4:  
• Date: Tuesday, May 14
• Time: 2 to 4 pm
• Topics: Parks and Open Space | Environment | Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Resilience   

For more information, please visit the Burnaby 2050: Official Community Plan web page. 

March 26, 2024

At Planning and Development Committee (PDC) on March 13th, two reports were received for information regarding ongoing work on the City’s Official Community Plan (OCP) update.

A Q1 OCP update report presented a timeline for the remainder of the project, and requested Council feedback on the draft Vision Statement, Values, and Guiding Principles to be included.

More information can be found in the full report by City staff.

The City’s objective is to adopt Burnaby 2050 by the end of summer 2025. A workplan outlining the key activities is summarized below:

• Q1 2024 – City staff focused on completing the Policy Direction drafts, conducting the Growth Scenario Modeling, and planning the Phase 3 engagement program. Consulting staff have also been procured to support the technical work;
• Q2 2024 – City staff will engage with the public on the Policy Directions, Growth Scenarios, and a draft OCP Vision, Values, and Guiding Principles;
• Q3 2024 – City staff will draft the OCP text and maps and design the document. The Community and Social Infrastructure Needs Assessment final report will be presented to PDC and Council and the development of the two Development Permit Areas will be completed;
• Q4 2024 – City management will review and revise the draft OCP for the next phase of public engagement;
• Q1 2025 – City staff will conduct the 4th phase of public engagement on the draft OCP;
• Q2 and Q3 2025 - The draft OCP will be revised based on the comments received and a final bylaw will be brought forward for consideration for adoption.

All OCP content will continue to be brought forward to PDC and Council for review before advancing to public engagement. The third phase of public engagement on Burnaby 2050 is scheduled to begin on April 16th, 2024. This phase of public engagement will focus on getting input from the community on the draft Vision, Values, and Guiding Principles, the Policy Directions, and the Growth Scenarios.

A second report included an update on initiation of a Community and Social Infrastructure Needs Assessment. The intended outcome of this work is to provide policy recommendations related to regulatory and land use considerations, improving access and safety to services, criteria/principles to help secure or prioritize infrastructure in Burnaby, and a shortlist of urgent infrastructure needs by geographic area and infrastructure type.

The Needs Assessment has been scoped to inform several City projects, including Burnaby 2050, the ACC/DCC programs, a future Parks, Recreation and Culture (PRC) Master Plan, and a Social Infrastructure Strategy. The goal of the Needs Assessment is to provide an understanding of current and projected community and social infrastructure needs in Burnaby to support the creation of healthy, resilient, and complete communities. The Needs Assessment will assist the City in planning for future community and social infrastructure, projecting costs of the infrastructure, and, after the OCP’s adoption, using that information to help set rates for proposed Amenity Cost Charges. Updates to the Needs Assessment is anticipated to be on an ongoing basis moving forward to ensure timely and relevant information to inform the various City projects utilizing this information.

The Needs Assessment will be completed in three phases over a ten-month period. The first phase, beginning in December 2023, is underway, and includes data gathering, environmental scans of existing internal and external policies, creation of an engagement plan, and developing a methodology to do the complete communities analysis. The second phase (April-August 2024) will assess infrastructure needs, gaps, challenges and opportunities currently and in the future. This will be done by using maps of existing infrastructure, conducting a complete communities spatial analysis and sectoral engagement. The last phase (September-October 2024) will provide recommendations to address the needs and gaps. Public engagement on community and social infrastructure will take place through the broader OCP Phase 3 engagement program taking place in April and May of 2024.

More information can be found in the full report by City staff.

December 4th, 2023
 

At Planning and Development Committee (PDC) on November 8th, Council received two reports for information – a report on key findings from the Spring/Summer 2023 Official Community Plan (OCP) engagement campaign, and a report on Policy Review and Growth Modelling.

Key themes and considerations from the Spring/Summer 2023 OCP engagement included:

• Desire for more complete communities with easier access to daily needs;
• Desire for action on climate change, with support for emission reduction strategies like sustainable transportation investments and switching to zero emission fuel sources;
• Desire to see infrastructure and service expansion keeping up with population growth;
• Lack of housing affordability and choice, and concern about the proportion of new housing being built in high-rise tower forms and lack of medium density, rental housing, or special needs housing;
• Desire for safer, more sustainable ways to get around, such as cycling infrastructure improvements, improved North-South transit connections, separated bus lanes in busy corridors like Willingdon and Hastings, as well as improved bus reliability and frequency through coordination with TransLink.

Next steps include formulating a Vision Statement, Values, and Guiding Principles using engagement findings as primary input. The Growth Scenario Modelling project (more information below) will also draw on the engagement data to select evaluation criteria. The Phase 3 engagement program is being developed, and will be presented to Council in 2024.

The OCP Policy Reviews are policy analysis projects that will involve reviewing existing policy on a given topic, identifying policy gaps, conducting research, and recommending policy directions for the new OCP. City staff have identified 13 Policy Review projects, which will each result in a series of concept-level "policy directions" to consult on during the third phase of public engagement in Spring 2024. Policy directions will be refined based on public input, and then brought forward to PDC and Council before City staff begin the work of developing the specific policy language for a draft OCP. City staff are proposing research projects be initiated with consultant support on the Employment Lands Needs Assessment, Climate Change and Natural Hazards Assessment, and Community and Social Infrastructure Needs Assessment.

The City is also looking to transition its existing Preliminary Plan Approval (PPA) system to a Development Permit Area (DPA) system, to achieve a more consistent standard of design in new and renovated buildings, improve environmental protection, and enhance the City's resilience to hazards. A DPA system will give greater clarity to applicants and residents, and bring the City in-line with other municipalities across the Province. A DPA system can also support a more expedient and efficient approval process. Because this is a significant change, City staff are proposing a phased approach, beginning with the development of two DPAs, with associated guidelines, to be included in the new OCP. This would include a Form and Character DPA and a Streamside Protection DPA (consultants to be hired to develop content for these). The intent is that additional identified DPAs would be developed post-OCP adoption, and be appended to the OCP subsequently through OCP amendments.

The Growth Model being designed by City staff will help estimate and evaluate the impacts of different growth distribution patters called "Growth Scenarios". These will be evaluated and presented as part of the Spring 2024 engagement to help the public to weigh the pros and cons of each Growth Scenario. Feedback received on that engagement will help shape the final land use map in the OCP. In Spring 2024, Phase 3 of engagement will commence with the proposed policy directions from each Policy Review, as well as the Growth Scenarios and associated evaluation outcomes. Public feedback will allow City staff to further refine the work, before presenting it to Council and proceeding to the OCP drafting phase.

More information on key engagement findings and the Policy Reviews and Growth Modelling work can be referenced in the full reports by City staff.