All land use contracts (LUC) in B.C. will automatically end this year on June 30.
And in Port Coquitlam, the legislative change-over will affect the owners of 239 properties who are under the remaining 14 agreements with the municipality.
Introduced in the 1970s, LUCs are an arrangement between landowners and local governments that are designed to have more flexibility than traditional zoning on such matters as layout, parking, servicing, infrastructure and building design.
Port Coquitlam had 30 LUCs in place; however, over the years, the agreements became complex to administer and resulted in outdated policies and property development, according to PoCo staff.
On Tuesday, April 23, the city’s committee of council heard how the 239 properties will fall under the city zoning rules and policies once the LUCs are terminated. The properties not meeting zoning standards will be protected as “non-conforming.”
The existing LUCs in PoCo apply to the following properties:
- 2425 Shaughnessy St.
- four-storey apartment building with 15 strata dwelling units
- 2381 Bury Ave.
- three-storey apartment building with 43 strata dwelling units
- 3120/3150/3156 Coast Meridian Rd.
- Metro Vancouver housing development consisting of 130 townhouse units, 72 apartment units in two buildings and a group daycare for 83 kids in a separate building
- Chester Place
- 11 lot fee-simple subdivision with single-family residential homes
- 3397 Hastings St.
- strata development with 27 detached dwelling units (Maple Creek runs through the northwestern portion)
- 2957 Oxford St.
- three townhouse buildings with 16 strata units
- 2719 St. Michael St.
- bare land strata development with 60 semi-detached dwelling units
- Lombardy subdivision
- fee-simple subdivision consisting of 206 single-family residential lots, six duplex lots and Evergreen Park
- 2986 Coast Meridian Rd.
- bare land strata development with 42 detached dwelling units
- 3091 Flint St.
- five-unit strata townhouse development
- 2540 Shaughnessy St.
- three-storey multi-tenant commercial building
- 2334/6/8 Marpole Ave.
- three-storey mixed-use strata building with two commercial units at grade and 10 residential units above
- 2548/50 Shaughnessy St.
- two-storey multi-tenant commercial building
- 1750/60/70/80 McLean Ave.
- four lots, each with a multi-tenant industrial building
PoCo elected officials did not comment on the LUC terminations at the committee meeting.
“In general, staff expect the LUC termination will benefit property owners who are subject to outdated or restrictive regulations contained with the contract or have been constricted to making minor building or landscape alterations without a substantial process to amend the contract,” wrote Bruce Irvine, PoCo’s director of development services, in a report.
Details on the LUC change will be posted on the city’s website.
Coquitlam and Port Moody began to phase out LUCs in 2022 when early termination was permitted by the provincial government.
