PROVINCIAL HOUSING LEGISLATION (BILL 44-2023 AND BILL 47-2023) – 2024 – 2026 WORKPLAN UPDATE
Staff update on the implementation work plan for new provincial housing laws (Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing and Transit-Oriented Areas).
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REPORT
TO: Committee of the Whole DATE: March 25, 2024 FROM: Stirling Scory, RPP, MCIP, Senior Planner; Leanne Taylor, RPP, MCIP, Director of Development Services MEETING DATE: April 9, 2024
PROVINCIAL HOUSING LEGISLATION (BILL 44-2023 AND BILL 47-2023) – 2024 – 2026 WORKPLAN UPDATE
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report prepared by the Senior Planner and Director of Development Services titled Provincial Housing Legislation (Bill 44-2023 and Bill 47-2023) – 2024 - 2026 Workplan Update on March 25, 2024, be received for information.
PURPOSE:
To provide the Committee of the Whole with an update on staff’s work plan related to implementing the Province’s small-scale, multi-unit housing (SSMUH) and transit-oriented area (TOA) housing legislation, presented to Council on January 16, 2024. The update includes the work completed to date and next steps anticipated ahead of the June 30, 2024, adoption deadline.
TIME CRITICAL:
The Province of British Columbia has established a deadline for municipalities to update their Zoning Bylaw to reflect the SSMUH housing legislation, and adopt a Transit-Oriented Area (TOA) bylaw by June 30, 2024.
BACKGROUND:
In the Fall of 2023, the Province passed several Bills that require most local governments to make significant changes to streamline development applications and approval processes related to housing, including updates to Zoning Bylaws, Official Community Plans (OCP), and Housing Needs Reports; establish Amenity Cost Charges (ACC) bylaw; and for some municipalities, establish TOAs, over the course of approximately two to three years.
The first of the required updates outlined in the workplan is to adopt a TOA bylaw and amend the Town’s Zoning Bylaw to reflect the SSMUH housing legislation (Bill 44) and satisfy changes passed through legislation that affect the Local Government Act. It is anticipated that these two updates will be completed by June 30, 2024, and the remaining required action items in the workplan will be completed over the course of two to three years.
DISCUSSION:
Workplan Update
At the regular Council meeting on January 16, 2024, staff presented the following workplan. Summarized below is a status update on the various action items.
| Housing Initiatives | Lead Department | Anticipated Staff and/or Consultant Time | Approx. Budget | Timeline | Project Description | Status Update | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Update Zoning Bylaw to accommodate SSMUH Zoning (Required) | Development Services | 3 to 4 months | Majority of work completed in-house. $15,000 for scenario testing and community engagement | January 2023 to December 31, 2025 | Permit a minimum of 3 to 4 dwelling units on parcels zoned for single family dwellings and duplexes, depending on lot size. Permit a minimum of 6 within 400m of frequent transit stops. | Work is underway on mapping analysis, SSMUH zoning testfits and draft zoning bylaw amendments. Staff are anticipating a report to Committee of the Whole in May. |
| 2. | Designate TOA and pre-zoning of land within 400m of bus exchange on Hospital Way (Required) | Development Services | 3 to 4 months | In-house | June 30, 2024 | • Pre-zone land within 200m or less of the prescribed bus exchange to allow residential and mixed-use buildings up to 10 storeys and a density of up to 3.5:1 floor space ratio. • Pre-zone land within 200m – 400m of the prescribed bus exchange to allow residential and mixed-use buildings up to six storeys and a density of up to 2.5:1 Floor Space Ratio. |
Draft TOA map and bylaw underway to be introduced at Committee of the Whole in May. |
| 3. | Interim Housing Needs Assessment (HNR) (Required) | Development Services | 6 to 8 months | $22,500 | December 31, 2024 | Update HNR using a standard method to understand local housing needs currently and over the next 20 years. | Work has not commenced on this action item yet. Staff are waiting for guidance from the Province. |
| 4. | Streamline development processes (Recommended) | Development Services | 6 to 12 months | TBD | December 31, 2024 | Streamline and enhance development approval processes in accordance with housing legislation (i.e., delegation bylaw) | Work is underway on potential delegation options as part of implementing SSMUH. |
| 5. | Mandated five-year review of OCP to align with HNR and Zoning Bylaw, update DPA design guidelines, and any other aspects of the OCP (Required) | Development Services | Minimum 24 months | $400,000 (depending on scope of OCP update) | December 31, 2025 | • OCP to be updated every 5 years with public engagement. • Plan for enough homes forecasted growth over the next 20 years (rather than 5) • Include policies that support of range of housing types. • Update form and character design guidelines and DP exemptions • Update other aspects of the OCP, authorized by Council |
Work has begun in-house on establishing design guidelines for detached accessory dwelling units (i.e., garden suites) as part of SSMUH implementation. |
| 6. | Mandated pre-zoning to implement updated OCP (Required) | Development Services | 6 to 12 months | In-house | December 31, 2025 | Require Zoning Bylaw to reflect HNR and OCP. | This work is contingent upon the completion of an updated HNR. |
| 7. | Develop Amenity Cost Charges Bylaw and Updates to DCC Bylaw (Recommended) | Development Services and Engineering | 6 to 12 months | $75,000 | December 31, 2025 | Establish an Amenity Cost Charges Bylaw and updated DCC framework to fund costs of infrastructure and amenities related to increased population. | Work has not commenced on this action item. |
| 8. | Build-out Modelling and Tracking (Recommended) | Development Services | 6 to 12 months | TBD | December 31, 2026 | Calculate incremental and maximum build-out density under SSMUH zoning. | Work has not commenced on this action item. |
Staff have been working diligently to understand and implement the required housing legislation necessary for the June 30, 2024, deadline. Up to this point, staff have achieved many project milestones, including:
- developed a 2024 - 2026 workplan that covers eight required and recommended action items to satisfy the provincial housing legislation requirements;
- completed a thorough review of the housing legislation, manuals and bulletins detailing the requirements and recommended approaches;
- attended several Provincial webinars and workshops with other planning, engineering, building and legal professionals, and participated inter-municipal working groups on the new housing legislation;
- completed mapping and analysis to inform draft updates to Zoning Bylaw No. 900, 2024;
- initiated work on the zoning testfits to illustrate the proposed zoning criteria; and
- drafted amendments for Zoning Bylaw No. 900, 2024.
Given the expedited timeline of June 30, 2024, staff continue to work on refining the draft amendments to bring forward to the Committee for consideration.
Mapping and Analysis
To assist with establishing appropriate SSMUH zoning criteria that fits the Town’s context and meets the Provincial housing legislation, staff have prepared maps and draft zoning criteria based on statistical and geo-spatial analysis using the Town’s up-to-date GIS information. To date, this analysis has included, but is not limited to, a detailed review of lot configuration and dimensions, restricted zones, development permit areas, and a regional comparison of other municipalities’ approach to zoning and regulations. Together, this information helps inform the proposed amendments and testfits, which will be presented to the Committee.
Servicing Review
Staff are undertaking a high-level review of any potential impacts of the required legislation on service delivery, including sewer and water, fire service, and transportation. It is expected that more information may be shared with Council at a later date.
Informing the Public
To ensure that the public stays informed of the ongoing workplan to implement the Provincial housing legislation, staff will create a webpage on the Town’s website dedicated to the workplan. The webpage will include studies, staff reports, maps, draft policies, design guidelines, bylaws, etc.
Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Legislation Impact
Staff have participated in the Mayor’s Task Force on the housing legislation. Staff’s role is to take minutes, provide requested information and updates, and respond to questions from committee members. To date, there have been two committee meetings, which are open to the public to attend.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Some funds approved by Council have be used towards zoning testfits to illustrate and inform proposed zoning bylaw amendments.
ALTERNATIVES:
There are no alternatives for Council’s consideration.
CONCLUSION:
A significant amount of work has been completed by staff over the last couple of months to meet the Province’s June 30, 2024, deadline. The next step is to finalize the proposed zoning bylaw amendments, delegation options and draft design guidelines associated with the implementation of the SSMUH and TOA legislation for the Committee’s consideration in May.
| CONCURRENCE: | Initials | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Administrative Officer | SS | I concur with the recommendation. |
| REVIEWED BY: | Initials |
|---|---|
| Director of Corporate Administration | N/A |
| Director of Finance | N/A |
| Director of Development Services | LT |
| Director of Engineering and Parks | N/A |
| Director of Protective Services | N/A |
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