91原创 Township will start talking to the developers of 356 proposed single-family houses to determine which ones will still be built as single family homes, and which ones might change into fourplexes or other forms under incoming provincial regulations.

Council voted 8-1 on Monday, Jan. 29 to refer all 23 development applications involved back to their staff for discussions with the developers.

The 356 planned single-family homes have already passed the third reading of bylaws to approve the development.

However, under provincial regulations that take effect at the end of June, single-family zoning will be eliminated across much of British Columbia, allowing anything from a single house, to a duplex, triplex, or fourplex to be built on most lots.

Mayor Eric Woodward said that some of the homes may still be built as originally approved.

鈥淭he process here is to provide as much flexibility for staff and proponents as possible, to come forward on a case-by-case basis, and see if some can say that they are so far along in the process they鈥檙e not going to build fourplexes,鈥� Woodward said. 鈥淧erhaps in some cases we鈥檒l simply take their verbal assurance.鈥�

In other cases, they鈥檒l work with staff on developing other forms. When the issue was first raised before Christmas, Woodward suggested that some projects could become townhouses, which allows the Township to control parking requirements.

The deferrals will affect those homes that would not have rear-lot lane access.

Stephen Richardson, director of development services, noted that sites allowing lanes and rear-lot access may be more accommodating for the type of multi-unit forms allowed under the new provincial rules.

鈥淚 see this motion as a compromise and a step in the right direction,鈥� said Councillor Michael Pratt.

The youngest member of council, Pratt noted that at his current stage in life, he鈥檚 personally pleased to see the province doing something about the housing crisis. But as a councillor, he鈥檚 seeing municipalities having to deal with drastically different density levels.

The bulk of the homes at the third-reading stage are in various parts of the fast-growing Willoughby neighbourhood, but there are also 72 proposed homes in Aldergrove, nine in Murrayville, and 83 in the Booth neighbourhood of Brookswood.

Council鈥檚 debate followed another motion affecting neighbourhood planning in Brookswood, where recently-completed neighbourhood plans were significantly affected by the provincial legislation.

Council voted to hit pause on considering any new single-family housing developments in November.

READ MORE: Single-family rezonings on hold in 91原创 Township

READ MORE: Hold considered on approving 256 single-family homes in 91原创 Township

In the fall, provincial Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon announced several sweeping measures aimed at increasing B.C.鈥檚 housing supply.

Any serviced lot zoned for single-family can be developed into a fourplex, or a sixplex if it鈥檚 close enough to frequent transit routes.

None of the sites affected by the Township鈥檚 planned pause are in a frequent transit zone, the staff report said.

While fourplexes might gradually fill in existing single-family neighbourhoods 鈥� if they prove popular 鈥� for undeveloped areas zoned for single-family housing, after July 1, developers could build while subdivisions of fourplexes from scratch.