The City of Burnaby is considering zoning bylaw changes that could have an impact on parking in Metrotown.
Council is recommending expanding the payment-in-lieu of parking program, currently only available for comprehensive development (CD) rezoning requests, to all commercial developments and non-CD district commercially zoned sites in Metrotown. The program may later be expanded to include Edmonds, Lougheed and Brentwood Town Centres.
According to the staff report, expanding the zoning “would help facilitate the adaptive reuse of existing commercial buildings, assist local businesses undergoing expansion that may be constrained by existing parking, and support the City’s ability to offset costs of shared parking facilities.”
This program is already being used on Hastings Street.
The Metrotown payment-in-lieu of parking program currently requires developers to provide $10,000 per parking space, allowing a reduction of up to 20 per cent of spots from the standard requirement. Right now, there are 200 public parking spaces under the Metrotown Civic Square and the public library, and there is parking available at small lots and on-street.
According to the staff report, the program has been used sparingly, but is helpful when parking can’t be located on site.
