Squamish council voted 5-2 to advance a zoning bylaw that will allow up to six units but eliminate off-street parking requirements in certain areas located near a frequent bus route. However, nothing has been finalized yet: It’s a transit goal in the planning stages.
“This change would only come into effect if frequent transit is achieved,” said District planner Bryan Daly. Right now, no frequent bus route exists in Squamish. The proposed bylaw amendment has not taken effect yet. Councillors Eric Anderson and Lauren Greenlaw voted against the amendment in the Sept. 16 meeting.
With the other five in support, the council voted for the first three readings of a by-law amendment to allow up to six units on certain properties within 400 metres of a frequent bus route. This would eliminate off-street parking requirements and apply only to R-1 and R-4 properties, which currently permit up to four units.
District staff said approximately 100 properties would be affected by the amendment if it were to be implemented today; however, this number could change in the future. According to the bylaw, the threshold for a frequent bus route is “at least one bus route that is scheduled to stop at least every 15 minutes on average between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.”
While the planning of a frequent transit network (FTN) is well underway, it is still years in the making. District staff pointed out that a lot could change before this occurs, “given how far out frequent transit is at this point.” According to a June 24 council report, “the vision for the initial FTN is a single frequent route connecting Downtown to Garibaldi Estates and areas in between; future phase(s) could connect to areas beyond the Estates.”
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Coun. Jenna Stoner called the bylaw “a gift to future councils.”
“I think this sets us up well for advocacy conversations to the province to say that not only have we continued to put money in our budget for transit expansion but we are also ready from a zoning perspective,” she said. “As soon as they’re ready to match our funding, we’ll be happy to accept those buses on our roads.”
Off-street parking requirements were also removed for multiple dwelling residential use once the threshold for a frequent bus route is met.
‘It can be a consumer choice not to park a car if it works for them.’
Coun. Andrew Hamilton commended the parking changes, calling it “an important step for us as a community to move forward…accepting the idea that it can be a consumer choice not to park a car if it works for them.” “Let’s reduce the pressure on the housing stock in our community, increase the housing stock in our community, and make it more affordable for folks to live here,” he said.
Coun. Lauren Greenlaw did not support the amendment, citing the elimination of off-street parking requirements.
“It could be really problematic in some of these neighbourhood, many of which are already experiencing parking discomfort, and 400 metres in Squamish is pretty far,” she said. “That is quite a high benchmark.” Coun. Eric Andersen said, “I am in alignment with Councillor Greenlaw’s concerns, in particular with the 400 metre distance. I’m uncomfortable with how far it goes.”
