Commercial Zones Review

Coquitlam is conducting a review of commercial zones to make them

more flexible for users;
more user-friendly;
easier to administer; and
more responsive to the changing needs of Coquitlam's business community.

The City’s Zoning Bylaw has 13 commercial zones that permit a wide variety of commercial uses across Coquitlam. These uses range from local shops in residential areas, to large-scale retail and service stations in vehicle-oriented areas, to offices and restaurants in higher density pedestrian- and transit-oriented areas.

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Why is the City reviewing Commercial Zoning?

While existing commercial regulations are working well for many businesses, changing commercial needs and preferences present an opportunity to review the Zoning Bylaw for possible improvements.

The Review covers the Commercial, Service Commercial and Service Station zones, as well as other relevant regulations and definitions in the Zoning Bylaw. The Review does not cover industrial zones, parking and loading requirements, signage, business licensing costs and procedures, or commercial taxation rates.

Next Steps

Commercial Zones Review - Process

Beginning in mid-2019, staff initiated consultation with key internal and external stakeholders, as well as a public online survey. Results of the consultation, along with opportunities for improvements to commercial zoning regulations, were presented in a Report to Council-in-Committee on December 16, 2019. Taking into consideration feedback from Council-in-Committee, staff are continuing to work and undertake additional consultation on the zoning improvements outlined in the Report. More detail about potential zoning changes is expected to become available in early Spring 2020..

Frequently Answered Questions

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What parts of the city are covered by the Review?

The Commercial Zones Review covers all 13 commercial zones in Coquitlam. This includes the major commercial areas of the City Centre, Austin Heights, Burquitlam-Lougheed and Maillardville, as well as smaller commercial areas and properties throughout the city.
What sort of changes are you going to make?
Potential improvements to the Zoning Bylaw will incorporate research, analysis and feedback from business stakeholders and members of the public. Potential improvements could include:
- Clarifying language
- Consolidating very similar or underused zones
- Revising or eliminating outdated regulations
- Simplifying lists of permitted uses
What kinds of businesses are included in the Review?
The Zoning Bylaw categorizes businesses into defined uses. The Review is looking at how to improve the definitions and regulations for each one of the 13 commercial zones in the city, which include commercial uses like:
- retail (e.g. grocery, clothing, electronics or jewelry stores)
- personal services (e.g. hair salons, spas)
- medical services (e.g. massage therapy, medical or dental clinics, pharmacies, optometrists)
- professional services (e.g. notaries, lawyers, counsellors, insurance brokers)
- entertainment (e.g. movie theatres, casino)
- food services (e.g. restaurants, pubs, cafes)
- automotive services (e.g. service/gas stations, auto repair)
- financial services (e.g. banks, credit unions)
Are you going to make any new commercial areas?

The Commercial Zones Review is not going to propose any new commercial areas beyond the ones already envisioned in the Citywide Official Community Plan (CWOCP). The location of current and future (planned) commercial areas can be viewed on the QtheMap web application, under the Designated Land Use layer.
Will the Review make new regulations for non-medical (recreational) cannabis?

Currently, medical cannabis grow operations are permitted in the M-2 Industrial Business zone; all other cannabis-related uses (including non-medical cannabis retail stores and commercial grow operations) are prohibited. The City has not yet determined how non-medical cannabis may be regulated in the future, and there is no defined timeline as to when regulations may be developed.

If you would like to be kept updated on non-medical cannabis regulation in Coquitlam, you can register to receive email notifications here. You’ll also find our most recent information related to Coquitlam’s Cannabis Regulation Framework at coquitlam.ca/cannabis.
I own a commercial property or business. Are my property taxes going to go up?

Commercial property taxes are outside the scope of this Review. However, it is unlikely that any of the changes to the Zoning Bylaw will affect the classification of your property for taxation purposes.
What kind of impact is the Commercial Zones Review going to have on my business?

That depends on the changes proposed, the kind of business you own, and where it is located. Some zones are likely to have few changes, so there should be very little impact on the businesses located in those zones. In other zones, potential adjustments to the permitted uses could make it easier for certain types of businesses to locate there. The biggest impact should be on businesses that want to open a new location in Coquitlam: the Review intends to make it easier to understand where your business is allowed, and may expand the number of properties where it could locate.
I heard the City is already studying office uses in the City Centre. How does the Commercial Zones Review relate to that?

The Office Development Strategy is a project that started in 2017 to develop more office space and attract more office users to Coquitlam. One of the recommendations of the Strategy was a new Business Enterprise (B-2) Zone to encourage office uses in the City Centre. Work on the B-2 Zone is currently ongoing through the City Centre Area Plan update, which is being coordinated with the Commercial Zones Review to make sure that new and existing zoning regulations are properly aligned.
What else can the City do to help my business?

The City offers a number of services and resources to help new, existing and prospective businesses seeking to operate in Coquitlam. Check out the information on the Starting a Business web page, or visit Business LinQ, your one-stop business resource centre at City Hall.