What’s happening with laneway homes in Burnaby?

Earlier this week, we published an article on cellar suites, which had some readers asking about the status of laneway homes being permitted in Burnaby.

Laneway homes are part of Burnaby’s larger plan to build more types of “missing middle” housing.

The city’s Housing Choices Program intends to introduce new housing options to Burnaby to bridge the gap between single-family homes, apartments, and condos.

The first options the city is looking to prioritize are laneway homes and secondary suites in semi-detached homes (suites in semis).

According to the city’s latest update, a draft of the program will be reviewed by Burnaby city council in “early 2023” and public open houses for the project will take place in spring 2023. Official bylaw changes are expected to be implemented by fall 2023.

The city told the Beacon that a “detailed report” regarding laneway homes is set to be presented at the Feb. 8 planning and development committee meeting.

Until we get those details, here’s a quick update on Burnaby’s laneway homes to get you up to speed.

This past summer, the city hosted workshops in person and online to connect with residents and gather their input on laneway homes as well as suites in semis.

The results were documented in an October 2022 report. Over 250 people registered for four workshops and an additional 100 people attended the drop-in open house in-person workshops, according to the city.

Additionally, 2,550 respondents completed the Housing Choices Survey.

The October report highlighted the workshop participants’ preferences for laneway homes in the city.

Overall, participants expressed interest in flexibility for the design and construction of laneway homes.

Affordability and feasibility were also top of mind, with participants expressing the need for reduced permitting and servicing costs, flexible design options, and clarity for the approvals process to reduce red tape and building delays.

As for laneway height and size, there was support for designs with more living space that maximize the liveable amount of floor area and for homes with more than one storey (preferably a second storey the same size as the first).

Accessible design features were also noted as important, with an emphasis on single or no-step entrances, wide entrances, and living spaces on the main floor.

There was interest shown in entrances facing the lane, allowing for efficient emergency access. There was some concern that direct lane access could draw safety concerns due to traffic, and to avoid that issue, side entrances could be used instead.

While below-grade living spaces were prosed as an option to add this additional building height, some participants noted that this could reduce natural light in the homes.

Three-storey options were considered potentially too tall for neighbourhoods, and some participants shared concerns about the height of the laneway home not being proportionate to that of the principal dwelling.

As for setbacks (how far the laneway is set from other areas), there were mixed opinions. Some preferred minimum setbacks from the principal residence, lane, and neighbouring homes. Others preferred the laneway home to not be as wide as the principal residence, to optimize open space.

Reduced setbacks were seen as more suitable for urban areas with smaller lots, and less suitable for larger, less urban lots.

Participants also voiced a desire for green space between the laneway home and primary residence and private outdoor areas.

There was also a strong desire expressed for laneway homes to actually look like homes (and not garages). Participants generally wanted to see “welcoming spaces” that include windows facing the lane, and social spaces that face the laneway to encourage neighbourhood interaction.

The city’s housing choices survey was conducted over three weeks starting in late March 2022 and received a total of 2,550 responses, which came mostly from homeowners, but also renters across the city.

Sixty-nine per cent of homeowners expressed interest in building a laneway home on their property, and 59% of renters were interested in living in one.

The main reason for laneway homes (79%) was for the owners’ families to live, followed by building to rent it out (66%).

We’ll be following Burnaby’s developments on laneway homes, and will be sure to keep you updated on the city’s next steps.

With files from Dustin Godfrey.