Kelowna is doubling down on fourplexes
The City of Kelowna prides itself on being a “leader and early adopter of infill housing.”
At least that’s what it says in a report going to Kelowna city council on Monday that calls for an expansion in the number of single-family lots where fourplexes can be built without going through the rezoning process.
That’s what it calls infill housing.
In 2017 it designated about 800 single-family lots in the downtown and Pandosy areas for fourplexes.
That’s resulted in a 10-fold increase in such housing being built each year, reaching an average of 23 projects per year.
Now, staff are suggesting another 3,000 lots get the same designation in older neighbourhoods east of downtown and in areas surrounding the Rutland Urban Centre.
The report says another 50,000 people are expected to live in Kelowna in the next 20 years so this type of housing is an essential bridge between expensive single-family houses and apartment buildings or highrises.
“The challenge is that more than 90 percent of lots within core area neighbourhoods are not zoned to permit infill,” the report says. “This barrier limits housing supply, creates uncertainty, slows production and adds cost.”
While Kelowna may be a leader in opening up zoning rules in this way, the province announced on April 3 that it was going to force the same kind of thing throughout the province.
It’s just not clear how that will be done since the legislation won’t be introduced until this fall.
“Later this year our government will introduce legislation that will allow up to four units on a traditional housing lot,” Housing Ministry Ravi Kahlon said at an April 3 news conference. “This will be province-wide policy. This means no more long zoning processes just to build a duplex, a triplex or a row home.”
READ MORE: Premier Eby clearing local government hurdles for more housing
While that gave the clear impression there would be a blanket policy covering all single-family lots in all parts of the province, other government documentation gives them plenty of wiggle room.
One document says the legislation will allow up to four units on a traditional single-family detached lot (or three depending on the size/type of lot).
Another document says the legislation will apply to “many areas of the province,” a term echoed in an email to iNFOnews.ca from the Ministry of Housing.
“To ensure we are taking unique local circumstances into consideration, Ministry of Housing staff has been meeting with local governments, the Union of BC Municipalities and the development industry to gather their input on the proposed legislation,” the email says.
The City of Toronto, on the other hand, passed legislation this week that will allow duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes – which it refers to as multiplex housing – to be built, without special permission, in all Toronto neighbourhoods, according to the Toronto Star.
That’s a major change in a city that has a “yellowbelt” that prohibits anything but single-family homes on 70% of its residential land.
The City of Kelowna report says it’s impossible to tell what impact the expansion will have but estimates 50 to 75 projects could be built each year, adding 200 to 300 new housing units.
Before implementing any changes, staff have to study the effects on water supplies, especially for firefighting purposes and on streetscape improvements like sidewalks, curbs and trees, without increasing development cost charges.
Staff plan to bring proposed bylaw changes back to council in the early fall, well before the provincial legislation is tabled.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
