WCEL > Issues > Urban Growth and Development > Smart Bylaws Guide > Part 3 > Mixing Uses > Quesnel

Smart Bylaws Guide – Mixing Uses – Quesnel

The OCP and zoning regulations contain a number of policies aimed at gradually increasing density and reshaping the urban mix of commercial and residential uses in the downtown core and in neighbourhood commercial centres.  This includes a Commercial-Residential Transition Zone adjacent to downtown, and limited commercial uses in neighbourhoods that include live/work arrangements.  The OCP has a primary focus of retaining commercial uses centrally in the downtown core.

Official Community Plan

Quesnel Official Community Plan
Bylaw No. 1460 1999

Council’s mixed-use policies include (beginning on p.18):

5.3 Downtown

.1 Direct business, finance, government, advanced education, retail trade, personal service, tourist accommodation, recreation, cultural entertainment and multi-family residential uses to those areas designated “Downtown” on Schedule B, the Land Use Map.

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.3 allow multi-family residential development within the Downtown Designation only when the ground floor contains commercial uses.

.4 Discourage office uses from locating in areas other than the Downtown area, except for small scale office uses in the West Quesnel area or ancillary office uses in conjunction with industrial enterprises.

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.13 Prepare a Downtown Plan that will consider business retention and expansion, parking, traffic circulation, sidewalk widths, urban design, beautification and landscaping, and further institutional development as initiative to ensure the Downtown remains healthy and vibrant.

5.4 Commercial-Residential Transition Area

.1 Direct single family residential and small-scale commercial uses that are compatible in a residential setting to those areas designated “Residential-Commercial Transition Area” on Schedule B, the Land Use Map.

.2 Limit commercial uses to those that do not pose any adverse impacts on surrounding residential properties such as noise, traffic and operating hours that extend late into the evening.

.3 Promote re-use of properties in these areas for small-scale commercial development.

.4 Encourage and promote a mix of residential and small-scale commercial services in areas designated as Commercial-Residential Transition Area which border the Downtown designation, where such uses are supported by residents and property owners.

.5 Consider a mix of residential and small-scale commercial services in areas adjacent to the West Quesnel commercial area if demand exists for such uses and uses are supported by residents and property owners, subject to redesignation to the Commercial-Residential Transition Area.

.6 Encourage good design that retains the residential appearance for commercial buildings within the Residential-Commercial Transition Area that is in keeping with the predominantly residential character of the area.

5.5 West Quesnel

1. Direct neighbourhood-oriented retail trade, personal service, service commercial, small scale office and multi-family residential uses to those areas designated “West Quesnel Commercial” on Schedule B, the Land Use Map.

2. Allow multi-family residential development within the West Quesnel Commercial designation provided that the ground floor contains commercial uses.

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6. Allow live-work uses, where people can live in the same building in which they work, within the West Quesnel Commercial Designation.

5.6 North Fraser Drive Commercial

.1 Encourage a mixture of commercial, residential, institutional, and recreational uses in the area designated as North Fraser Drive Commercial on Schedule B. The uses should take advantage of the unique location along the Fraser River, adjacent to the West Quesnel Commercial Area and immediately across the river from the Downtown.

.2 Retain the institutional uses in the area including the Child Development Centre, the Friendship Centre and Riverview School.

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.4 Encourage redevelopment of the existing single family residences to other uses;

.5 Encourage mixed use developments with commercial uses on the ground floor and residential uses on the upper floors.

.6 Consider a mixture of uses in the Elliot Street Area including multifamily residential, commercial and institutional.

Zoning Bylaw

See the Quesnel Zoning Bylaw for regulations pertaining to:

• Central Business District Commercial (Section 21 – to allow multifamily residential uses attached to commercial uses in the downtown core and West Quesnel area, with zero lot lines in the Downtown and West Quesnel area)
• Commercial-Residential Transition Zone (Section 25 - to allow limited commercial development of the fringe of community or town centre commercial areas or as a transition to residential zones)
• Local Commercial Zone (Section 18 - to provide for a range of local smaller scale commercial conveniences in a neighbourhood with a mixture of single detached or multifamily residential on the second floor)
• West Quesnel Local Commercial (Section 20 - to allow within West Quesnel a range of local neighbourhood commercial conveniences with a mixture of single detached residential on the second floor.  Lot sizes and setbacks are smaller than usual)