Low Carbon & Neighbourhood Incentive Policy Background

The creation of the Low Carbon & Smart Growth Neighbourhood Incentive Programs is supported by two major District of Squamish plans: the Official Community Plan and the Community Climate Action Plan.

The District of Squamish adopted the current  Official Community Plan  (OCP) on June 5, 2018. The OCP contains numerous policies which either directly or indirectly relate to zoning regulations.

Following the adoption of the OCP, the District initiated a comprehensive update to the Zoning Bylaw. As part of this OCP implementation project, the development of an incentive program has been undertaken to address a number of Official Community Plan policies.

One policy which this is a focus of this work is 19.6.c. which relates directly to the development of an incentive program: 

19.6.c

Consider options for encouraging, incentivizing or mandating energy efficiency practices in the design, construction, retrofitting and renovation of building such as: i. amending the Zoning Bylaw to encourage energy efficient building construction for multi-family and commercial development through the provision of density bonuses for energy efficient construction;

The development of an incentive program is also intended to address several other Official Community Plan policies including: 

13.4.a.

Encourage development of identifiable small-scale neighbourhood nodes, identified on Schedule C, to concentrate local commercial activities, institutional uses, recreational amenities, transit connections, or other compatible uses within existing and new residential neighbourhood development.

20.19.b.

Progressively increase transit mode share to 2.5 % by 2020, 5% by 2025 and 10% by 2040 (Sea to Sky Transit Future Plan).

20.20

Promote transit-supportive land use planning and transit-oriented design in cooperation with BC Transit that encourages: i. high density residential and mixed-use developments near jobs and services along the District’s core transit network identified in Figure 20-1, and within easy walking distance (400 metres or less) of an existing or proposed transit stop.

On April 7, 2020 The District of Squamish approved the Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP). The CCAP sets out a vision for Squamish that in 2030, emissions in the District of Squamish will be reduced by at least 45% from 2010 levels, and the community will be on track to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. This is in line with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warning that global warming must be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Six Big Moves have been established to guide District actions to align with limiting warming to 1.5°C. Decarbonizing existing buildings and constructing better buildings are two of the Big Moves that address greenhouse gas emissions stemming from, in part, natural gas usage. Natural gas is estimated to account for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions in Squamish. Shifting beyond the car is a third Big Move that aims to address the 53% of community greenhouse gas emissions stemming from mobility fuels such as gasoline and diesel used in transportation. 

Three actions that fall under these Big Moves relate to the development of an incentive program in the Zoning Bylaw:

Big Move #2: Shift Beyond the Car

Support and incentivize high density infill development along the core transit networks, around neighbourhood nodes and in mixed use areas through additional housing forms (plexes, row housing, suites), density bonuses, and reductions in parking requirements.

Big Move #5: Build better new buildings

Utilize a density bonus system to incentivize net zero, higher step code, or more efficient construction in exchange for additional residential density or reduced parking standards.

Incentivize low carbon energy sources or net zero construction through either a) a density bonus structure and/or reduced parking standards (preferred option if feasible), or b) allowing construction to a lower step code if a low carbon energy source is provided.

Incentivize low carbon energy sources or net zero construction through either a) a density bonus structure and/or reduced parking standards (preferred option if feasible), or b) allowing construction to a lower step code if a low carbon energy source is provided.