Public Hearings

Your voice matters

City Council holds public hearings before adopting an amendment to a zoning bylaw, also known as a rezoning application. The hearings allow you to present your views to council if you feel you’ll be affected by a proposed rezoning application.

The City will send a notice at least 10 days before a hearing if you live within a 30 metre (100 feet) radius of the property. The notice will also be published in 2 consecutive issues of the local newspaper.

At the public hearing, council may pass a motion to request for a staff report to provide more information and/or clarification on issues raised at the public hearing. Until such report is received satisfactorily by council, second reading of the bylaw is withheld. 

After the hearing, if council supported the rezoning application, council votes on the second reading of the proposed zoning bylaw amendment at the next scheduled council meeting. If the second reading is approved, the applicant will work with City staff to complete the rezoning requirements set on their application before council grants consideration. This is followed by a third reading when the requirements are substantially met, and final adoption of the bylaw when the requirements are completely satisfied.

If council doesn’t support the bylaw at the second reading, the bylaw is considered defeated.

Public hearings are live-streamed at 5:00 pm on these dates for 2022:

• March 29
• April 26
• May 31
• June 28
• July 26
• August 30
• September 27
• November 22
• December 13

Attend public hearings by

Attending in person

Attend in-person in the Council Chamber, City Hall, 4949 Canada Way. 

Joining a Zoom webinar

Instructions for downloading Zoom

1. Follow the prompts to download and run Zoom. If required, enter the webinar ID, then click "join the webinar".
2. Register with your complete first and last name, especially if you’re speaking to a rezoning application.
3. When you connect, your microphone will be muted. It will be unmuted when it's your time to speak.

During a meeting

1. When you want to speak to a particular rezoning application, click the "raise hand" icon and wait for the clerk to ask you to unmute your microphone. Click accept to unmute yourself.
2. State your name, address and confirm the rezoning application number you are addressing.
3. You will have five minutes for your presentation.
4. After all the speakers have been heard, the mayor will call for any additional speakers. If you wish to speak for a second time, please click the "raise hand" icon again and wait for the clerk to unmute you.
5. Council members may ask questions after you make a presentation.

Additional information and guidelines:

1. A staff member will help you troubleshoot minor technical issues (i.e. unmuting a microphone, raising a hand, etc.) via the chat function in Zoom.
2. Please remember that you should only use the Zoom chat function to communicate with the staff if you’re having technical issues. Don’t use chat to comment or pose questions related to a rezoning application.
3. Please know that the clerk's email—[email protected]—isn’t monitored during the public hearing.

Write to council

You can send in your comments on the rezoning applications on the agenda by 2:45 pm on the day of the public hearing using the online form below. Your submission will be sent to our administrative staff in charge of public hearings. Please note no submissions will be received by Council after the conclusion of the public hearing.

You also have the option of submitting your comments by email, fax or mail. Please include your name and address with your submission. 

Email: [email protected]
Fax: 604-294-7537

Mayor and Council
c/o Office of the City Clerk
4949 Canada Way
Burnaby, BC V5G 1M2

Have questions?

To learn more about the public hearing process, you can call the clerk's office at 604-294-7290 or email [email protected].

For details about a specific application, call the Planning and Building Department at 604-294-7400.