High-rise buildings could be on Chilliwack’s horizon

CHILLIWACK — When Chilliwack City Council meets Tuesday, it will consider amendments to a zoning bylaw that limits the height of buildings within the Downtown Land Use and Development Plan (DLUP). If council follows the recommendation from staff, the plan will go to a public hearing at the next Council meeting on December 5.

Back in 2010, the Council adopted the DLUP to support the long-term transformation of the downtown into a vibrant and sustainable centre for the community. As part of DLUP, the Urban Quarter designation was created to support mixed-use high-rise developments within the city core.

The goal was to support efforts to densify the area by allowing structures up to a height of 18 storeys. However, now that height is seen as a limitation and reduces the viability of tower development in the Urban Quarter downtown. Instead, the report suggests an amendment that would allow structures that would stand as high as 30 to 35 storeys.

The report says the developers have recently provided the city with proposals to create new mixed-use high-rise development. The changes proposed by staff would potentially support more interest from high-rise developers in the area.