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1. What is a Transit-Oriented Area?

Transit-Oriented Areas are defined as areas within 800 metres of a rapid-transit station (e.g., SkyTrain station) and 400 metres of a bus exchange (e.g. bus loop at Coquitlam Central Station) and West Coast Express station.

2. What type of development is allowed in Transit-Oriented Areas through the new provincial housing legislation?

According to the Province, the following densities and heights are intended for residential buildings and mixed-used residential buildings in Transit-Oriented Areas within Metro Vancouver:
 

Transit Hub Type	Distance	Minimum Height (Storeys)	Minimum Density	Type of Building
Rapid Transit Station	< 200 m	20	5.0	Tower
	201 – 400m	12	4.0	Mid-High Rise
	401 – 800m	8	3.0	Mid-Rise

 

3. How is this development different than Coquitlam’s existing density around transit?

Coquitlam has had a Transit-Oriented Development Strategy (PDF) for over 10 years, aimed at insuring new development around rapid transit supported higher density, was pedestrian friendly, and had a mix of land uses (e.g. retail, residential, parks) to ensure people could live, work and play close to high quality transit service. 

The new density mandated by the Province, means that there will be higher density in some areas near SkyTrain where it had not been before. And some areas that were previously identified for townhouses will now allow apartments. 

4. Am I required to redevelop or sell my property?

Just as the Official Community Plan land use designations indicate the potential future development for a given property, the Transit-Oriented Area regulations indicate the minimum allowable density and height for future development for a given property within a Transit-Oriented Area. However, these regulations do not require landowners to sell or redevelop their property. Land development in Coquitlam is initiated by land owners choosing to sell their property to a developer, who submits development applications to the City.

To redevelop individual properties into townhouses, medium-density apartments, high-density apartments, or mixed-use buildings, it's often necessary to combine lots to create adequately-sized building sites. According to the Official Community Plan, these land assemblies must be logical, consider future roads and lanes, and not leave behind properties that can't be fully developed according to their designation.

Should you have questions about selling your property, you are encouraged to seek independent advice from a qualified real estate professional. Should you have questions about redeveloping your property, please reach out to Planning and Development at devinfo@coquitlam.ca.

 

5. What are the parking requirements for developments in Transit-Oriented Areas?

Contrary to the City’s current standards, the City will not be able to require minimum residential off-street parking spaces, except for accessible parking for disabled persons, for buildings within Transit-Oriented Areas. The Province has stated they want parking volumes to be determined by market need and demand. These restrictions do not apply to commercial off-street parking requirements. 

6. Does the City have the authority to exclude or exempt properties and/or neighbourhoods near Skytrain stations that are part of a Transit-Oriented Area?

No. In Coquitlam, all lands currently zoned for residential uses or mixed uses (including residential) that are located within 800 metres of a SkyTrain station must be designated as a Transit-Oriented Area and the minimum densities and building heights that apply to those lands are prescribed by provincial regulation. Transit-Oriented Area exceptions include lands zoned to permit industrial and agricultural uses.

In addition, there are several scenarios where Federal or Provincial statutes are applicable, the provisions of which supersede or have a limiting effect:

• Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR)
• Airport Zoning Regulations under Aeronautics Act
• Federal Crown land
• Flood plains, hazard areas, riparian areas and other environmentally sensitive areas
• Heritage objects and sites that are subject to heritage designation or heritage revitalization agreements

Please also see the responses to Questions 1 and 2.

7. Which Transit-Oriented Area tier is my property located in?

The City will be drafting a bylaw that will confirm what properties are located within each Transit-Oriented Area and what tier.

The tiers are determined based on distance from the SkyTrain station, as shown in the table below. Any parcel which is partially included in a tier is deemed to be wholly within that tier.

Tier	Distance
1	200m or less
2	Greater than 200m to 400m
3	Greater than 400m to 800m

8. Will the City change the zoning for all properties within the Transit-Oriented Areas (i.e. “pre-zone” all properties within Transit-Oriented Areas)?

The City is not required to “pre-zone” properties for the purpose of fulfilling the obligations of the legislation. However, certain properties within Transit-Oriented Areas may be rezoned or “pre-zoned” as a direct or indirect result of other provincial housing initiatives.

 

9. What are the zoning requirements for properties located in Transit-Oriented Areas?

The legislation prescribes minimum allowable densities (expressed in Floor Area Ratio), and heights (expressed in number of storeys) and removes required minimum residential parking rates. The City is not required to make any further changes to zoning regulations; however, further changes may be contemplated in the course of implementing the legislation. In addition, requirements may vary by zone and Transit-Oriented Areas. 

Please also see the responses to Questions 2 and 4 and refer to the Zoning Bylaw for current zoning regulations.

10. My property is located very close to a Transit-Oriented Area boundary. Is it possible to adjust the boundary to either include or exclude my property?

No, station locations are set in provincial regulation with specific geographic coordinates, and boundaries are established as specific distances from each station location. The mandatory densities and heights only apply to the properties within the tiers prescribed by the Province. The prohibition on residential parking minimums applies only to those properties located within a Transit-Oriented Area as laid out by the Province. Also see the response to Question 5.

11. Can I do a land assembly with some properties in Transit-Oriented Areas and some that are not?

Currently, the minimum densities, heights, and removal of residential parking minimums for Transit-Oriented Areas prescribed by the Province do not apply to properties that are not located in a Transit-Oriented Area, even if assembled with properties located in a Transit-Oriented Area. The Transit-Oriented Area boundaries are determined based on property lines, as they existed on December 7, 2023, the effective date of the provincial regulation.

12. Do the allowances for Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing apply within Transit-Oriented Areas?

The City is not required to permit Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) development (i.e., 3 to 6 units on a lot) on properties located within a Transit-Oriented Area; however, changes to current zoning may still occur as a direct or indirect result of the implementation of Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing. Please visit the Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing implementation webpage for more information.

13. What is the timeline for the implementation of the Transit-Oriented Areas?

The City must designate all Transit-Oriented Areas by bylaw and amend the Zoning Bylaw to remove residential parking minimums from Transit-Oriented Areas on or before June 30, 2024. Updates to align the Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw will take additional time to complete.

14. When will the zones be updated to reflect the minimum allowable densities in transit-oriented areas set out by the Province?

Zone updates must consider revisions to the density bonus and rental incentives program and need to be aligned with the DCC program update and new ACC program. The Province will be releasing further information with respect to how municipalities can apply density bonus in the fall of 2024. In addition, the Province has stated that municipalities can still apply current density bonus programs until June 2025. Given this context, the zone updates are targeted for completion in spring 2025, in coordination with the Rental Incentives Program Review.

Zone updates will determine the new density allocations within the minimum allowable densities (i.e. tenure and commercial requirements). This may include provisions for the regulation of tenure through the City’s Rental Incentive Program Review to ensure housing needs are considered in new housing supply.