District plans bylaw change to allow six-plexes near transit

Single-family streets near Squamish’s main bus routes could soon accommodate six-unit buildings under a rezoning plan heading to council this month. A six-plex is defined as a small-scale residential building that includes six homes on a single lot. These can take various forms (houseplex, row housing, cottage cluster, etc.) to create more housing options.

District staff have prepared a zoning amendment that would let property owners build up to six dwellings on lots located within 400 metres of the community’s future Frequent Transit Network (FTN). The proposed corridor will link Downtown Squamish, Dentville, North Yards, Garibaldi Estates and Garibaldi Highlands.

The move responds to B.C.’s new Bill 44, which compels municipalities with more than 5,000 residents to allow “small-scale, multi-unit housing” in neighbourhoods previously limited to single-family or duplex construction. District says it will also advance the District’s 2024 Squamish Housing Action Plan (SHAP) and commitments made under the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.

A 2023 housing-needs report projects Squamish will require about 6,840 new homes by 2031, with strong demand for smaller, more diverse options. District says sixplexes near transit will add to the supply, promote walkable neighbourhoods, and make better use of existing roads, pipes, and community services.

How the zoning would change

• Residential 6 (R-6) zone: A new designation applied to current R-1 lots that lie inside the 400-metre transit buffer and outside high flood-hazard areas. Apart from permitting six units, R-6 mirrors today’s R-1 rules.

• Residential 4 (R-4) update: The existing R-4 zone—already mapped across secondary floodways—is slated to rise from a maximum of four units (five with a suite or coach house) to six units per lot. All current R-4 parcels fall inside the FTN catchment.

In practical terms, owners could build house-plexes, row homes or cottage clusters, provided each project meets the District’s form-and-character guidelines. Council will receive the draft bylaw for first reading in an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting.