The B.C. government announced new rules on Wednesday that will further override municipal zoning, the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at tackling the housing crisis.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon announced the new legislation, which, if passed, will force some cities to allow towers of up to 20 storeys near certain transit hubs.
“Building more homes near transit is good for people and communities, and helps make the most of transit, infrastructure and services,” said Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon.
“But layers of regulation and outdated rules are preventing this kind of development from becoming a reality in too many communities. That’s why we’re taking action to remove barriers and deliver more transit-oriented communities, faster”.
If passed, the legislation will require cities to designate Transit Oriented Development (TOD) areas within 800 metres of a rapid transit station and within 400 metres of a bus interchange.
These areas will have minimum height and density requirements based on the size of the city and distance from the transit facility.
The legislation would also remove minimum parking requirements in the TOD areas.
“We see case after case where parking minimums have led to overbuilding of parking, leaving costly empty spaces while people struggle to find affordable housing,” said Kahlon.
“We have heard that the cost of parking can add between $50,000 and $100,000 per unit.”
Cities will be allowed to create bylaws that allow projects to exceed both density and parking minimums, but not to go below them.
The province will release full regulations and a policy manual in December to help cities set their own site standards that comply with the legislation.
At that point, areas that cities have already designated for transit-oriented growth will automatically be covered by the new rules. Cities that don’t have such a framework in place will have until 30 June 2024 to designate TOD areas that meet the province’s criteria.
“Transit infrastructure isn’t just about travel times and getting people from point A to point B,” said Transportation Minister Rob Fleming.
“It’s about building greener, better, more livable communities that are compact, that are complete, that have schools, that have things like childcare facilities, public squares and public spaces.”
The proposed legislation follows other efforts by the BC NDP to flex the province’s regulatory muscle to get housing built.
Last week, Kahlon unveiled legislation that will force cities to update their zoning to allow for small-scale density, with up to four units of multiplex housing on a standard single-family lot and up to six units on a larger lot near transit.
In September, the province unveiled five-year housing targets for 10 Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island cities at the top of its so-called “naughty list” of development laggards.