Commercial Zones Review
City Council adopted bylaw amendments to implement the recommendations of the Commercial Zones Review on July 6, 2020. These bylaw amendments are now in effect. You may review the report to Council or watch a recording of the Council meeting online here.
The City initiated the Commercial Zones Review to make commercial zoning regulations
- more flexible for users;
- more user-friendly;
- easier to administer; and
- more responsive to the changing needs of Coquitlam’s business community.
The City’s Zoning Bylaw has 13 commercial zones that permit a wide variety of commercial uses across Coquitlam. These uses range from local shops in residential areas, to large-scale retail and service stations in vehicle-oriented areas, to offices and restaurants in higher density pedestrian- and transit-oriented areas.
View the summary graphic about the Commercial Zones Review (PDF) and the approved changes.
Based on direction received from Council, along with feedback from residents, businesses and other stakeholders, the following key changes to the Zoning Bylaw were made in July 2020:
Improve Flexibility
- Combine long lists of very specific uses into broader categories that are more flexible and easier to understand
- Make definitions more flexible by allowing for uses similar to the ones listed
- Add permitted uses to some commercial zones where reasonable
Consolidate Zones
- Combine zones together where they are very similar to each other, including the high-density mixed-use zones (C-4 and C-7), Service Commercial zones (CS-1 and CS-2) and Service Station zones (SS-1, SS-2 and SS-3)
- Remove zones where they are very restrictive and apply to only a few properties, including the C-3 Medical Commercial zone and CS-4 Cabaret Commercial zone
Modernize the Zoning Bylaw
- Draft a new low-rise, mixed-use commercial zone to accommodate modern forms of development
- Revise or eliminate regulations that are outdated
Streamline the Zoning Bylaw
- Reduce redundancy by moving regulations to Part 5 General Regulations
- Re-organize C-5 Community Commercial zone to make it easier to understand
While existing commercial regulations are working well for many businesses, changing commercial needs and preferences present an opportunity to review the Zoning Bylaw for possible improvements.
The Review covered the Commercial, Service Commercial and Service Station zones, as well as other relevant regulations and definitions in the Zoning Bylaw. The Review does not cover industrial zones, parking and loading requirements, signage, business licensing costs and procedures, or commercial taxation rates.
- What parts of the city are covered by the Review?
- What sort of changes are you going to make?
- What kinds of businesses are included in the Review?
- Are you going to make any new commercial areas?
- Will the Review make new regulations for non-medical (recreational) cannabis?
- I own a commercial property or business. Are my property taxes going to go up?
- What kind of impact is the Commercial Zones Review going to have on my business?
- I heard the City is already studying office uses in the City Centre. How does the Commercial Zones Review relate to that?
- What else can the City do to help my business?
- Infographic – Commercial Zones Review and Proposed Improvements
- Report to Council (June 15, 2020) - Commercial Zones Review – OCP Amendment Bylaw No. 5046, 2020 and Zoning Bylaw Amendment Bylaw No. 5047, 2020 (PROJ 19-075)
- Report to Council-in-Committee (April 6, 2020) - Commercial Zones Review - Summary of Proposed Improvements and Public Consultation Round 2
- Report to Council-in-Committee (December 16, 2019) – Commercial Zones Review – Public Consultation Summary and Opportunities for Improvement