The City of Burnaby recently released it’s 2050 Community Plan. Below are some of the highlights.
Summary of Changes to Land Use
- More land has been designated for low-rise apartments, row homes, townhomes and multiplexes.
- Higher densities have been allocated around stations and frequent transit bus stops
- New neighbourhood centres have been designated at strategic intersections for greater access to local services and amenities
- More land has been designated for parks, open spaces and urban plazas
- A Form and Character Development Permit Area has been established to apply best practices in urban design for new buildings and public places
- Framework established to support gradual transitions between higher and lower density areas
- Commercial use permitted in all residential designations to support home-based businesses such as local repair shops, barbers and daycares.
5 Key Zoning Areas Identified
Downtown: Metrotown is Burnaby’s Official Downtown and features the highest form of development. Residential development will primarily consists of high-rise buildings.
Town Centres: Brentwood, Lougheed and Edmonds are identified as town centres. These areas feature high to medium density forms of developments.
Rapid Transit Urban Village Rapid Transit (RT) Urban Village: Includes areas such as Bainbridge, Broadview, Garden Village, the Heights, Holdom, Lake City, Lochdale and Royal Oak. They are located in the regional Major Transit Growth Corridors (MTGCs) centred around SkyTrain stations and along future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes. RT Urban Villages centred around SkyTrain stations generally feature medium- to high-density forms of development. Those along BRT corridors include forms of development that are low to medium height.
Urban Village: Burnaby Mountain, Cascade Heights, Montecito, Deer Lake and Sixth Street are included. These locations may intersect regional growth corridors but are not focused around rapid transit stops. Their core areas feature mostly low- to medium-density buildings, with an overall focus on low-rise and ground-oriented residential development.
Neighbourhood Centres: These are lower density residential areas throughout the city. They will have minimal change to existing densities. Housing forms are a mix of row homes, townhomes, sixplexes, fourplexes, triplexes, duplexes, single-family homes and laneways. Neighbourhood “hubs” function as local-serving village centres, with opportunities for small mixed-use buildings with ground floor shops and services.
Density Details
High-rise Apartment 2 – 40+ storeys*
High-rise Apartment 1 – Up to 30 storeys*
Mid-rise Apartment 2 – Up to 20 storeys*
Mid-rise Apartment 1 – Up to 12 storeys**
Low-rise Apartment 2 – Up to 8 storeys**
Low-rise Apartment 1 – Up to 4 storeys**
Townhouses/ Rowhouses – Up to 4 storeys
Multiplex – Up to 4 storeys
Fourplex – Up to 4 storeys
Triplex – Up to 4 storeys
Single/Two Family House – Up to 4 storeys
* Community Benefit Bonus (CBB) heights may extend to the height permitted in the next designation.
** Discretionary CBB heights may be available for these designations.
*** Commercial uses could also be in stand-alone buildings like office towers.
Map Depicting City’s Breakdown into Key Areas (Source: Burnaby.ca)
If you would like a complete breakdown of how this new community plan will affect the value of your property, please contact us for a full home assessment.
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