Zoning Bylaw Rewrite
About this project
Burnaby is undertaking a comprehensive update of our Zoning Bylaw to modernize and simplify our existing development regulations for all zoning districts and to implement new provincial legislation and City plans and policies.
The Zoning Bylaw is a tool for regulating land use which communicates technical requirements relating to use, density, and location of development in Burnaby. While the Zoning Bylaw is periodically amended in response to ongoing development needs, it has been nearly 60 years since the document has been comprehensively reviewed. The Zoning Bylaw Rewrite project will create a new bylaw to replace the current Burnaby Zoning Bylaw No. 4742, which was adopted in 1965.
What's happening now
The process
The work for our Zoning Bylaw rewrite will be coordinated with several key City projects and provincial initiatives, including the Burnaby 2050 Official Community Plan (OCP) update and new provincial legislation on small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH) and transit-oriented areas. As these projects progress to important milestones, the phases of the Zoning Bylaw rewrite project will advance alongside them.
The Zoning Bylaw Rewrite project will develop through 4 phases, leading to the development of a new bylaw document to be presented to Council by the end of 2025. Throughout the process we’ll be consulting with subject matter experts and Burnaby residents, some of which will be completed in coordination with the OCP planning process.
Phase 1
A key component of Phase 1 is simplifying our residential zoning districts. This will include preparing 2 major amendments to the existing Zoning Bylaw. One will introduce new housing types and simplify the zoning for all single- and two-family areas of Burnaby. The other will update existing multi-family zoning districts. These changes are driven by new provincial legislation on small-scale multi-unit housing and transit-oriented areas. For more information, see our provincial housing changes webpage.
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Questions and answers
Provide flexible and modern regulations
Develop more flexible regulations that support creative and innovative design opportunities while aligning with the goals of other City policies.
Make zoning accessible and easy to comprehend
Create a document that is easy to access and understand, including making use of more explanatory visuals.
Improve ease of use for applicants and City staff
Make the Zoning Bylaw more user-friendly for applicants, residents, design professionals, and City staff.
Implement and align with policies and programs
Ensure that recent provincial legislation and City plans, strategies, and programs are implemented.
The provincial government defines small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH) as a range of buildings and dwelling unit configurations that can provide more affordable and attainable housing for middle-income families. Examples of SSMUH include, but are not limited to:
- secondary suites in single-family dwellings
- detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs), like garden suites or laneway homes
- duplexes (side-by-side or up/down)
- triplexes and house-plexes
- townhomes
SSMUH offers housing options that are ground-oriented and compatible in scale and form with established single- and two-family neighbourhoods.
New legislation on SSMUH was introduced by the Province in November 2023 and includes the following residential zoning changes required to be adopted by municipalities across British Columbia:
- Permitting up to 3 or 4 dwelling units on all lots zoned for single- and two-family uses, depending on the lot size
- Permitting up to 6 dwelling units on single- and two-family lots when within 400 m of transit stops with frequent service
- Eliminating requirements for residential parking minimums on lots within 400 m of transit stops with frequent service
In alignment with Phase 1 timelines, the Province is requiring that municipalities adopt new SSMUH zoning regulations by the end of June 2024.
In November 2023, the Province set new legislation to introduce changes to residential uses within transit-oriented areas (TOAs), which is those areas within 800 m of SkyTrain stations and 400 m of bus exchanges. The new legislation includes the following mandated zoning changes:
- Increasing permitted residential building heights within TOAs to allow for 8 to 20 storeys, in line with a newly prescribed distance-based framework
- Eliminating requirements for residential parking minimums on lots within TOAs
The Province requires municipalities to identify transit-oriented areas by the end of June 2024, with the adoption of related zoning regulations planned to arrive shortly afterwards, in summer 2024.