WCEL > Issues > Urban Growth and Development > Smart Bylaws Guide > Part 3 > Mixing Uses > Comprehensive Development Zoning > Burnaby

Smart Bylaws Guide – Mixing Uses – Comprehensive Development Zoning – Burnaby

The City of Burnaby is able to achieve all of its site-specific environmental and community development goals through the use of comprehensive development zones (CD). For example, the Lougheed Town Centre Plan, as an OCP sub-plan, emphasizes an ecosystem-based approach to future development. Proposed redevelopments within the plan are generally rezoned to CD. Once designated, municipal staff are able to tailor the development to site-specific constraints and opportunities, including best management practices for stormwater management, integrated pest management (IPM), watercourse protection, retention of vegetation, and landscaping. While support exists for environmental design guidelines and practices at the political and planning level, more examples of built works and site details would assist the development community in implementing such requirements.

The Oaklands Development, on Royal Oak Avenue, is an example of a Burnaby CD-zoned complete community and environmentally sensitive development. The 33 hectare site, formerly part of the old Lower Mainland Regional Correction Centre (Oakalla) and owned by the B.C. Buildings Corporation, is adjacent to Deer Lake Park, and close to the Metrotown commercial core and Royal Oak Skytrain station. Oaklands is a relatively dense, ground-oriented, multifamily development with easy access to commercial, recreation, and transportation services. A linear parkway bisects the site and acts as a link between Metrotown and Deer Lake Park. Stormwater from the site is treated through a biofiltration pond/engineered wetland constructed in Deer Lake Park which is recognized by DFO and MELP as a model. A vegetated swale, following the old existing drainage pattern, facilitates infiltration through a meadow area, provides additional stormwater treatment and acts as a flood bypass system during peak storm events. The ponds are considered Park amenities and provide additional wildlife habitat which can be viewed from the wildlife viewing platform. Through monitoring of nutrients and loading, the ponds have proven to be very efficient in dealing with sediment control and water quality concerns. The developer also provided additional park land to the City, in part to accommodate the stormwater management facilities.

A development that followed the Powerhouse Creek Development Plan was successful in rehabilitating a degraded riparian area which also increased the quality and marketability of the development. The 6.1 hectare redevelopment adjacent to Powerhouse Creek was rezoned from industrial to CD (multiple family residential, neighbourhood commercial, park and public use). Underground parking was required for the 453 ground-oriented, multiple-family residential units to maximize the area for landscaping, pedestrian circulation, activity areas, and outdoor living space. The portion of the site that the developer purchased from BC Hydro, the riparian lands, were protected and transferred to the City as Sample’s Parkway. The redevelopment also included an east-west greenway spine on a statutory right-of-way though the site as a pedestrian/bicycle street, traffic calming circles at the intersections with the greenway, pedestrian and bicycle links to the Highland Park Line trail and to the BC Parkway along Skytrain, and stabilization of Powerhouse Creek with appropriate natural landscaping and rehabilitation.