Planning staff at Port Coquitlam City Hall are now updating the Official Community Plan (OCP) to meet the deadlines set by Victoria for the new housing mandates.
This week, city managers spoke to the city’s committee of council about the new Housing Needs Report they must file with the provincial government by Dec. 31, 2024, as well as subsequent work needed to revise the OCP by Dec. 31, 2025, as required under bills 44 and 47 that were adopted by legislators in the fall of 2023.
The new OCP will need to align with the projections in the Housing Needs Report, as well as other policies and documents introduced since the last OCP in 2013.
Senior planner Jennifer Little said that, since 2016, the current OCP has been updated to include language around adding coach houses, duplexes and small-lot residential development; encouraging the creation of affordable, special needs and family-friendly housing; and fostering transit-oriented development, among other things.
As well, more documents focused on the growth of the downtown core, transportation, parks and recreation, the environment and child care spots have since been included with the blueprint.
Little said the city will also have to draft a new regional context statement for Metro Vancouver, as part of Metro 2040, to change PoCo’s population goals.
Budgeted at $295,000, the OCP update was supposed to happen during the COVID-19 pandemic year of 2020; however, it was “delayed by changing priorities,” the city said.
The provincial housing mandates are speeding up the timelines, Little told the committee, noting special consideration will be given to policies and land-use designations for mixed-use and apartment-growth areas like the downtown, Westwood/Woodland, Fraser/Maning and the northside, as well as areas designated for townhouses.
Little said the OCP update will include stakeholder and resident consultation.
Planning director Bruce Irvine said city staff “have to stay on our toes” as they grapple with different numbers from various agencies to align the housing targets.
And he lamented about the tight schedule from Victoria to update the Housing Needs Report and OCP, saying the “provincial work has taken away the community voice” as the city doesn’t have time to delve into neighbourhoods.
He said PoCo residents can expect “intermittent planning” from city hall over the next two years as staff rush on reports to meet the provincial housing legislation.
📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected].
📲 Want to stay updated on Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
💬 Words missing in an article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.
