Members of city council’s Governance and Priorities Committee on Oct. 25 discussed changes they’d like to see to the municipality’s new zoning bylaw draft ahead of its first reading.
City staff presented a first draft of the bylaw in August and will hear feedback from residents prior to its second reading by council.
Coun. Shauna Morgan said she’s heard from residents who are concerned the city’s plan to change density in transitional areas — like areas close to downtown but outside the core — will only serve to further “hollow out” the downtown core.
She said she wondered whether the city had considered trying to limit concentration of new business or higher-density buildings in these transition zones.
The city’s director of planning and development, Charsley White, replied that the city didn’t need to further regulate density of new businesses or higher-density housing because the market would decide.
“What I think will limit it is the current use and real estate values of those homes right now,” she said.
Morgan told the meeting there’s been past confusion around variances and how and when they apply.
“There is among residents a severe distrust (of city hall),” she said.
Morgan said she wants to see thresholds and limits on variances included in the bylaw to create greater transparency and try to rebuild the public’s trust in city hall.
She wants to see limits placed on certain types of variances, such as building height or site density, she added.
Mayor Rebecca Alty said she’s comfortable with what administration has brought forward, and said she believes the range of topography within city limits means more prescriptive language would “hamstring” the zoning bylaw permitting process.
She asked city staff whether character, design and appearance as used in the proposed draft, refers to the building itself or its use.
White said that question is an ongoing topic of discussion in the planning community, but said she’s hesitant to create a standalone definition of these factors because the building’s location and neighbourhood would change how they are weighted and assessed.
“We’re trying to get away from the zoning of users,” she said.
More information including the draft bylaw is available on the city’s website.