City aligns growth areas with new provincial mandates
The City of Coquitlam is advancing to Stage 2 of its Transit-Oriented Development Areas initiative, focusing on aligning existing growth areas with new provincial mandates.
Coquitlam’s plan, presented to the city council for input, aims to integrate provincial mandates into City Centre and Burquitlam-Lougheed and complete plans for related shoulder areas and key Southwest corridors.
Community engagement around these changes is planned for the fall, with completion targeted by next spring. More information can be found at coquitlam.ca/TransitOrientedAreas.
Under Bill 47, the Province requires all areas within 800 meters of SkyTrain stations to be designated as Transit-Oriented Areas, meeting specified density and building height minimums.
Coquitlam’s history of designating Transit-Oriented Development Areas includes the Burquitlam-Lougheed Neighborhood Plan and the City Centre Area Plan, but the city must now update these plans to align with provincial mandates.
Changes in building forms are anticipated, with single-family areas adjacent to Transit-Oriented Areas potentially transitioning to townhousing or mid-rise forms.
An opportunity also exists to examine shoulder areas and Southwest corridors previously identified in the Southwest Housing Review for potential development.
Key corridors such as Austin Avenue, Como Lake Avenue, and parts of Blue Mountain Street show potential for redevelopment, and studies will focus on minimizing financial impacts while supporting complete communities.
In unplanned areas within the 800-meter radius, Coquitlam will undertake comprehensive planning in a future implementation stage.
The city is preparing to update its development finance system to support growth, as required by new provincial mandates, which includes restructuring the Amenity Cost Charge program.
Coquitlam’s implementation of Transit-Oriented Development Areas is structured in three stages, addressing designation, alignment with existing areas, and a comprehensive future review.
Media inquiries can be directed to Renee De St. Croix, Director Urban Planning and Design, at DevInfo@coquitlam.ca or by phone at 604-927-3430.
The city acknowledges that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, meaning ‘Red Fish Up the River’, and recognizes the traditional lands of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, q̓ic̓əy̓, and other Coast Salish Peoples.