Council Report: Density Bonus Zoning Bylaw Amendments

DENSITY BONUS ZONING BYLAW AMENDMENTS

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report dated May 25, 2026 from the Director of Development Services titled “Density Bonus Zoning Bylaw Amendments” be received for information.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to provide an update to Council on proposed zoning bylaw amendments related to density bonusing in Zoning Bylaw No. 900, 2014, to align with provincial legislation by June 30, 2026.

BACKGROUND:

At the Council meeting on May 19, 2026, staff presented a report to Council on proposed zoning bylaw amendments related to density bonus provisions in the zoning bylaw. Council passed the following motion:

THAT staff prepare the necessary Zoning Bylaw amendment that would authorize the amendments to Zoning Bylaw No. 900, 2014 with respect to repealing the green roof density bonus provision from the RT-1 Zone: Attached Residential, RM-1 Zone: Ground Oriented Multiple-Unit Residential, RM-2 Zone: Apartment Residential, C-1 Zone: Community Commercial, C-3: Service Commercial, C-4 Zone: Neighbourhood Commercial, C-5: Tourist Commercial, C-7 Zone: Business Park Commercial and C-7A Zone: Business Park Commercial (Automotive);

AND THAT a public hearing not be held for the Zoning Bylaw amendment as the proposed amendments are consistent with the Town’s Official Community Plan;

AND FURTHER THAT staff give notice of the Zoning Bylaw amendment, in accordance with section 467 of the Local Government Act, prior to first, second and third reading of the Zoning Bylaw amendment.

ANALYSIS:

In the staff report and presentation on May 19, it was noted that the current underground density bonus provision in the RM-1 zone should be removed as properties zoned RM-1 are within Official Community Plan (OCP) land use designations that do not support this added bonus density. This amendment would ensure that the OCP and Zoning Bylaw are consistent. There are currently nineteen (19) properties zoned RM-1 and none of these properties have underground parking. Removing this density bonus provision will not create non-conformities.

It was further noted in the staff report and presentation that the current lot density provisions should be renamed to align with the Local Government Act (LGA). These two additional changes have been captured in Zoning Bylaw No. 900, 2014, Amendment Bylaw No. 1172, 2026 for Council’s consideration.

Impacts and implications can be summarized as follows:

Community Impact: The properties impacted by repealing the green roof density bonus provision will no longer have an incentive to install green roofs in new developments. However, the Town has seen no uptake of this density bonus provision likely due to it being financially unviable to build. Later this year, staff will undertake work on a density bonus bylaw. This work would be a comprehensive review that considers a range of amenities that benefit the community through consultation and a financial feasibility analysis.

Financial Implication: Legal fees were incurred as part of this Zoning Bylaw review.

Inter-governmental Relations Impact: N/A

ALIGNMENT:

The recommended option aligns with the Town’s following core guiding documents as follows:

• Strategic Plan: N/A
• Official Community Plan: N/A
• Other Policy Documents: N/A

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GOAL:

The desired level of public participation for the recommended option is:

[X] Inform [ ] Consult [ ] Involve [ ] Collaborate [ ] Empower [ ] N/A

TIME CRITICAL:

This report is time critical to meet a provincial deadline of June 30, 2026.

CONCURRENCE:

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