The City of New Westminster is considering bylaw changes that may give it more control over mini-storage facilities.
Currently, mini storage is a use that’s permitted as a right in several light-industrial zoning districts in New Westminster, but staff is recommending applicants be required to submit a zoning application that would be considered by council. At its Feb. 24 meeting, council voted 4-2 in favour of directing staff to bring forward a bylaw for its consideration.
“What the bylaw would do is remove the use as a right,” said Jackie Teed, the city’s director of planning and development. “Applicants could come forward and request a rezoning. What that would allow is for council to consider the specific qualities of that application in that location.”
As an example, Teed said the city would be able to consider stepping back the upper levels of a building to create a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape at the street level. Other examples could include requiring buildings to have active uses at grade (with the storage above) or requiring access for the storage to be off of the main street.
“So, it would allow us to have those kinds of controls over the use,” she said of a proposed bylaw.
Teed said the proposal would not completely disallow mini-storage uses but would give the city the ability to “massage” applications so they fit better into the community where they are to be located.
“We certainly would want to be able to look at each on a case-by-case basis and determine how it would best fit into the community,” she said. “So again, staff really supports the use as being important, but from a city building perspective, we're suggesting that we might want a little bit more control over what those particular developments look like and how they fit into our community.”
Mayor Patrick Johnstone and councillors Ruby Campbell, Tasha Henderson and Paul Minhas supported having staff bring forward a bylaw for council’s consideration. Councillors Jaimie McEvoy and Daniel Fontaine voted in opposition.
“The motion before us right now is a bylaw, is asking staff to develop a bylaw that will allow us to further reduce the number of spaces where a self storage can be built in the city without coming to us with a rezoning application. That is what is before us,” Johnstone said. “We are not making a decision on that right now. We are asking staff to prepare the bylaw.”
McEvoy said there is “a social issue perspective” related to this issue in that many people who need to rent extra storage facilities live in multi-family housing dwellings. He said some of the future housing units to be built in the city are expected to be quite small.
“I think that we're on the wrong track here,” he said. “I would look to the mayor and council for guidance about sort of where to go with this. But I don't think that this bylaw adequately considers that this is like a legitimate business, a legitimate public service in this community and a legitimate need that's going to have to be served in the future given changes in housing and our growing density.”
McEvoy said he is “perfectly fine with what the majority does” but noted he would be voting against the recommendation; he thinks there's quite a difference between recognizing a need for a service in the city and allowing that service to come into the city without a rezoning application — compared to requiring them to go through a rezoning process.
“Having to go through a rezoning application discourages a potential applicant because it introduces risk and uncertainty,” he said. “I would much rather that we had an approach that these businesses were permitted, but with whatever restrictions we wanted to place on them.”
As someone who no longer lives in a single-family home, Fontaine said he doesn’t know what his family would do without its large storage locker. He said he was “torn” about the proposal and wants to hear what the public has to say about the bylaw when it comes forward for council’s consideration.
Henderson said there are many reasons why people need storage, but noted this proposal would not preclude that from occurring but would give the city more of an ability to be “thoughtful and intentional” about the way it fits into the neighbouring community.
“I like us having more tools at our disposal to … have a bit more control about how these look and interact with the built environment around them,” she said.
Campbell said the proposed bylaw would allow storage to be created in the city but would also ensure the city has an ability to activate commercial areas. She said the city’s retail strategy is trying to activate street corners and street fronts.
“We know that a lot of businesses might need storage,” she added. “So, it's great that this is not off the table, that there would be an option for that.”
Johnstone said council and members of the public will have an opportunity to express their thoughts on what is proposed zoning bylaw when it comes back to council for its consideration.
“The devil is in the details, and the details are not included yet,” he said.
