The District of Squamish council will meet today to consider zoning changes that could open the door for small businesses along The Boulevard in the Garibaldi Highlands. Council will discuss the proposal for allowing small shops, a commercial node, in the neighbourhood at a Committee of the Whole meeting today.
The proposal is part of a broader effort to modernize local commercial zoning across Squamish. The most significant change would apply to a stretch of The Boulevard where homes currently sit on Residential 1 (R-1) lots. Staff are recommending that these properties be allowed to host small-scale commercial uses, such as hair salons, fitness studios, counselling clinics, or other similar services.
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According to the staff report, Garibaldi Highlands is the only neighbourhood in Squamish without either an existing commercial hub or future plans for one. Despite a population of nearly 4,000 people, the area has no walkable access to shops or services. The Official Community Plan calls for “complete communities” where residents can easily reach essential amenities on foot or by bike.
Staff say The Boulevard is the most suitable place to introduce commercial space. It is one of the busiest roads in the neighbourhood, centrally located, and served by two transit routes. It also has bike lanes and on-street parking on both sides, features staff believe would support the viability of small businesses.
All properties along The Boulevard are already developed with homes, so any future commercial activity is expected to be modest.
“Given the relatively small lot sizes along The Boulevard, staff anticipate that neighbourhood commercial uses will be small in scale, limited by parking constraints, and include residential uses on-site,” the report notes.
Under the proposal, neighbourhood commercial uses would require two on-site parking spaces per 100 square metres of floor area, the same standard used in the downtown core. Staff expect most businesses to remain small due to this constraint and note that residential parking would still need to be accommodated.
To support the change, staff are recommending updates to the definition of “neighbourhood commercial” in the zoning bylaw.
However, entertainment uses would be removed, and drug stores and bookstores would also be removed from the definition, because they already fall under general retail uses. Meanwhile, “indoor recreation” would be added to allow low-impact uses such as art studios and fitness rooms.
Council will discuss the proposal at a Committee of the Whole meeting at 6 pm.
