After months of work, the City’s Community Planning team is sharing an update on how provincial housing legislation announced at the end of 2023 will affect two overarching bylaws related to development and long-term community planning in our city.
The City is amending KAMPLAN: City of Kamloops Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw No. 55 to comply with BC legislation passed in November 2023, which is intended to support increased housing density and supply across the province.
Key changes are outlined below, with detailed information and an interactive zoning map available on LetsTalk.Kamloops.ca/BylawUpdates.
Transit-Oriented Areas
Under Bill 47, Housing Statutes (Transit-Oriented Areas) Amendment Act, local governments must designate transit-oriented areas, which are areas within 400 m of transit exchanges that must not prohibit the legislated minimum residential height and density within this area.
To comply with this legislation, KAMPLAN is being amended to designate the Lansdowne Transit Exchange, the North Shore Transit Exchange, and the Thompson Rivers University Transit Exchange as transit-oriented areas.
Small-Scale, Multi-Unit Housing
Under Bill 44, Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, local governments must amend their zoning bylaws to allow the required minimum residential densities in all restricted zones, as defined in the legislation (typically single- and two-family zones).
To comply with this legislation, the City’s Zoning Bylaw is being amended to permit additional dwelling units on residential lots. The maximum number of units depends on factors such as lot size, location, availability of municipal water and sewer services, and other specified exemptions.
Off-Street Parking Requirements
In addition to the mandatory zoning updates, the City proposes reducing the minimum required number of off-street parking spaces for small-scale, multi-unit residential development permitted by Bill 44. For consistency, staff also propose going beyond what is required for multi-unit residential development.
Visit LetsTalk.Kamloops.ca/BylawUpdates to learn more about the bylaw updates for housing and related amendments and how these amendments affect residents and the development community. An interactive map is available to view current and proposed zoning.
Through the page, the Community Planning team is collecting any questions or comments that will allow staff to understand the prevailing thoughts in the community about the updates. Staff will then create FAQs and any future resource material accordingly.
Staff will present a report to Council at the Tuesday, May 28, 2024, regular Council meeting to outline the proposed bylaw changes. It is anticipated the changes will be adopted in late June.
