Bill 44, Gentle Infill, and What We Know So Far
By David Babakaiff, Co-Founder of VanPlex
I spent last week walking the quiet streets around Grand Boulevard, looking up at the North Shore mountains while crews trimmed the last of the summer hedges. On paper, it is still all single-family RS-1—but the mood feels different. The City of North Vancouver has just taken its first formal step into the gentle infill era, and everyone—from builders to homeowners—is trying to read the tea leaves.
Where the City Stands After First Reading
On October 6, 2025, the City of North Vancouver (CNV) Council gave First Reading to a major package of Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendments. It is part of the province-wide alignment with Bill 44 (2023), better known as the Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) legislation.
First Reading is not law yet—it is the opening pitch. The bylaw still needs a public hearing (November 17) and a second reading (December 8) before council can lock anything in. Until then, RS-1 technically stays under its legacy limits: a detached home, secondary suite, and possibly a coach house.
Back on June 9, CNV had already loosened a few bolts, allowing coach houses on 35 properties and adjusting 19 zones. This fall’s alignment takes the bigger swing—making room for three to four units on typical lots, and up to six units near frequent transit.
City planners call it “gentle infill.” In plain terms: it is how single-family streets evolve without scraping the skyline. You will still see pitched roofs and leafy setbacks—but beneath the cedar trees, lot math changes.
What We Know—and What We Are Still Waiting For
What is not yet public: final text spelling out the updated RS-1 density (FSR) or detailed unit-by-lot rules. The council materials point toward the direction, but we are all waiting for adoption. Think of this moment as the calm between surveyors measuring and excavators moving in.
How VanPlex Is Stress-Testing RS-1
At VanPlex, my team and I model these shifts parcel by parcel. We overlay the City map with provincial SSMUH triggers—transit proximity, frontage, lot depth—to see which properties might unlock multiplex potential once the new bylaws pass. Then we run two-track pro formas:
- Scenario A: Legacy RS-1 (house + suite + coach)
- Scenario B: Multiplex concepts (3–6 homes)
That stress-testing tells us which sites stay viable under today’s rules and which ones to queue for permits right after council’s final vote.
Owner and Investor Playbooks
- Homeowners: If your RS-1 project pencils under current limits, proceed—but keep a second set of drawings ready for a post-adoption multiplex. Timing will matter more than speculation.
- Investors: This First Reading window is where the edge hides. When zoning certainty meets construction readiness, value compounds fast.
We will keep updating the VanPlex Multiplex Index as CNV releases draft standards. For now, North Vancouver is signaling a gentle but decisive transition—from detached exclusivity toward small-scale community growth.
Sources
- City of North Vancouver Council Agendas (October 6 and June 9, 2025)
- City of North Vancouver Provincial Housing Legislation Updates
- Urban Development Institute Brief
- BC Bill 44 text
- North Shore News coverage
