Infill Housing Phase One: Review

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Consultation has concluded

Townhouses that are an example of an infill housing development

Project Update: July 25, 2023

Council’s new Strategic Priorities Plan identifies homes and housing options as a key priority for the City. This, combined with anticipated changes in provincial regulations, has changed the scope and timeline of the infill housing program review. 

As an interim measure, to ensure that the feedback from community members and past applicants is acted upon, we are implementing the pilot Streamlined Guidelines for laneway and carriage houses. 

These guidelines do the following:

  • Focus in on guidelines most important to achieving the intent of the program, and remove some of the detail that was resulting in longer review timelines;
  • Clarify which guidelines “must be met” and which are offered “for consideration”;
  • Provide more clarity on definitions and expectations.

The intent of piloting these guidelines is to allow for rapid implementation of improvements to the program, and to allow revised guidelines to be tested and evaluated. The program implementation will continue to be monitored. 

Next Steps:

Stay tuned for a Builders’ Breakfast in the fall, where we will walk through the Streamlined Guidelines and ask for feedback from the builders that deliver these infill projects.

These guidelines, or the next iteration of them, are anticipated to become part of the Official Community Plan in the future. As part of broader infill housing work, zoning changes will also be considered which could implement additional findings of this review. 

The rest of the infill housing review program, as well as the next phases of work around other infill forms such as duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes, will be outlined in a future work program for Council’s consideration.


The City of New Westminster is reviewing the successes and challenges of the Phase One Infill Housing Program. Launched through adoption of the Official Community Plan in 2017 after considerable community engagement, the goal of the program is to provide more housing choice for New Westminster in the form of laneway and carriage houses, and infill townhouses and rowhouses. These types of housing are important to us! Laneway houses provide much needed rental housing and aging in place opportunities in our city, while infill townhouses are often more achievable to own than single detached houses.

With your help, alongside our technical review process, we will make recommendations to Council to refine the program and encourage more of these housing options by reducing the cost of these projects, speeding up the approvals process, and encouraging more energy efficient buildings.

Community Engagement

Thank you for taking the time to participate in our community survey! The infill housing program review will be informed by the perspectives of City of New West community members and those who have participated in a laneway house or infill townhouse project. Your feedback will be included in a report to Council towards the end of the year.


What are laneway and carriage houses? 

Example of carriage houses (yellow structures)


Laneway and carriage houses are small, detached, ground-oriented dwellings located in back yards. Laneway houses are located on properties that are accessible from a lane. Carriage houses are located on properties without lanes. Laneway and carriage houses can be used for family or as rental units.

Laneway and carriage houses are permitted on most single detached properties in New Westminster, outside of Queensborough. Laneway houses are not permitted on any Queensborough properties due to the neighbourhood’s unique circumstances (e.g., the floodplain). A separate process is needed to determine the potential for laneway houses in Queensborough.

Interested in building a laneway or carriage house? Click here to learn more.



What are infill townhouses and rowhouses? 

Example of infill townhouses 


Townhouses and rowhouses are attached, ground-oriented units. The units are side-by-side, not stacked.

Townhouses are strata title developments, which means that owners own their individual unit (or “strata lot”) and together own the common property and common assets as a strata corporation. Parking for townhouses is typically located at the rear of the property.

Rowhouses, like most single-detached properties, are fee-simple developments, which means that one property owner owns the land and the buildings or structures on the land. Parking for rowhouses is accommodated on individual lots.

Infill townhouse and rowhouse projects provide smaller and fewer units than standard townhouse projects, which helps them fit better in established neighbourhoods. The Official Community Plan permits these projects in areas outside of Queensborough. In that neighbourhood, larger, standard sized townhouses are permitted in select areas.


Interested in building infill townhouses or rowhouses?

Project Update: July 25, 2023

Council’s new Strategic Priorities Plan identifies homes and housing options as a key priority for the City. This, combined with anticipated changes in provincial regulations, has changed the scope and timeline of the infill housing program review. 

As an interim measure, to ensure that the feedback from community members and past applicants is acted upon, we are implementing the pilot Streamlined Guidelines for laneway and carriage houses. 

These guidelines do the following:

  • Focus in on guidelines most important to achieving the intent of the program, and remove some of the detail that was resulting in longer review timelines;
  • Clarify which guidelines “must be met” and which are offered “for consideration”;
  • Provide more clarity on definitions and expectations.

The intent of piloting these guidelines is to allow for rapid implementation of improvements to the program, and to allow revised guidelines to be tested and evaluated. The program implementation will continue to be monitored. 

Next Steps:

Stay tuned for a Builders’ Breakfast in the fall, where we will walk through the Streamlined Guidelines and ask for feedback from the builders that deliver these infill projects.

These guidelines, or the next iteration of them, are anticipated to become part of the Official Community Plan in the future. As part of broader infill housing work, zoning changes will also be considered which could implement additional findings of this review. 

The rest of the infill housing review program, as well as the next phases of work around other infill forms such as duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes, will be outlined in a future work program for Council’s consideration.


The City of New Westminster is reviewing the successes and challenges of the Phase One Infill Housing Program. Launched through adoption of the Official Community Plan in 2017 after considerable community engagement, the goal of the program is to provide more housing choice for New Westminster in the form of laneway and carriage houses, and infill townhouses and rowhouses. These types of housing are important to us! Laneway houses provide much needed rental housing and aging in place opportunities in our city, while infill townhouses are often more achievable to own than single detached houses.

With your help, alongside our technical review process, we will make recommendations to Council to refine the program and encourage more of these housing options by reducing the cost of these projects, speeding up the approvals process, and encouraging more energy efficient buildings.

Community Engagement

Thank you for taking the time to participate in our community survey! The infill housing program review will be informed by the perspectives of City of New West community members and those who have participated in a laneway house or infill townhouse project. Your feedback will be included in a report to Council towards the end of the year.


What are laneway and carriage houses? 

Example of carriage houses (yellow structures)


Laneway and carriage houses are small, detached, ground-oriented dwellings located in back yards. Laneway houses are located on properties that are accessible from a lane. Carriage houses are located on properties without lanes. Laneway and carriage houses can be used for family or as rental units.

Laneway and carriage houses are permitted on most single detached properties in New Westminster, outside of Queensborough. Laneway houses are not permitted on any Queensborough properties due to the neighbourhood’s unique circumstances (e.g., the floodplain). A separate process is needed to determine the potential for laneway houses in Queensborough.

Interested in building a laneway or carriage house? Click here to learn more.



What are infill townhouses and rowhouses? 

Example of infill townhouses 


Townhouses and rowhouses are attached, ground-oriented units. The units are side-by-side, not stacked.

Townhouses are strata title developments, which means that owners own their individual unit (or “strata lot”) and together own the common property and common assets as a strata corporation. Parking for townhouses is typically located at the rear of the property.

Rowhouses, like most single-detached properties, are fee-simple developments, which means that one property owner owns the land and the buildings or structures on the land. Parking for rowhouses is accommodated on individual lots.

Infill townhouse and rowhouse projects provide smaller and fewer units than standard townhouse projects, which helps them fit better in established neighbourhoods. The Official Community Plan permits these projects in areas outside of Queensborough. In that neighbourhood, larger, standard sized townhouses are permitted in select areas.


Interested in building infill townhouses or rowhouses?

Consultation has concluded

  • Key Engagement Findings: Laneway and Carriage Houses

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    Engagement on the Infill Housing program involved two separate surveys and in-person interviews with past program participants.

    • A community survey was posted online on the City’s Be Heard New West site from May 10 to June 12, 2022. 152 respondents participated in the survey.
    • A survey specifically for Infill Housing program participants (owners, designers, builders) was emailed to applicants and owners, and open from May 10 to June 12, 2022. 38 respondents participated in the survey.
    • Staff also interviewed five past laneway and carriage house program participants (owners, designers, builders).

    Click here to review the Laneway House and Carriage House What We Heard Report. A summary of the key findings is provided below.

    Community Survey

    • The community survey found predominant support for the laneway and carriage house program, and an interest in seeing more projects come online, through a relaxation of regulations, streamlining of process, and reduction in costs.
    • Some survey participants remain concerned about overlook and traffic impacts from laneway and carriage houses.
    • Respondents are interested in the City providing laneway house plans for purchase, as well as examples of successful past projects.
    • When asked about which regulations are too restrictive, respondents listed a wide range, including the restriction on stratification, the limitation on the size of the dwelling, the Development Permit review process, the servicing requirements and tree-related requirements. Respondents called for permitting larger, more livable laneway and carriage houses.
    • Most respondents were not sure whether the program is successfully balancing creating livable housing with buildings that are good neighbours, but those that feel this balance has not been struck suggest: more laneway houses need to be enabled, the massing of principal dwellings needs to be reduced, sufficient parking needs to be provided, and greenspace better protected.
    • Similarly, most respondents were not sure whether the program is improving the safety and walkability of lanes, making them more vibrant spaces. Those that had concerns about this suggested that more lighting be added to lanes, parking in lanes be further restricted, and expressed their concern about traffic in lanes.


    Infill Housing Program Participant Survey

    • Most Infill Housing Program participants who responded to the survey describe their experience with the City’s application and approval process as challenging. Key concerns were the length of the process, high utility and servicing costs, and the feeling that guidelines are subjective, submission requirements overly complex, and tree requirements too onerous.
    • Infill Housing Program participants who took the survey appreciate the staff support provided, including from the Planning and Building divisions, and Energy Save New West. Those surveyed also appreciate the removal of the requirement for neighbour consultation given the extensive consultation that occurred through the development of the program.
    • Respondents expressed that the time and cost of developing a laneway house could be best reduced by reducing the Development Permit review time, and allowing Building Permit applications earlier in the process. Respondents also requested earlier utility and servicing upgrade cost estimates, simplified submission requirements (including simplified landscape drawing requirements), and more flexibility on substitution of materials during construction.
    • Infill Housing Program participants requested more flexibility in the design guidelines, including allowing for more clear eye-level windows, and more flexibility on planting strips, permeable surfacing, and trees.
    • Regarding zoning regulations, Infill Housing Program participants requested loosened floor area regulations, permission for a larger enclosed garage, and permission for taller bicycle storage areas.
    • Respondents suggested higher Step Code levels could be reached through allowing more relaxations to the laneway house design guidelines. Respondents noted achieving air tightness is challenging, as is meeting higher tiers in the Step Code for smaller buildings.
    • Respondents noted that the Supplemental Guidelines for Accessible Laneway and Carriage Homes are difficult to achieve and suggested flexibility could allow for designs that supports aging in place.


  • Key Engagement Findings: Infill Townhouse and Rowhouse

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    Engagement for the Infill Housing Phase 1 review involved two separate surveys.

    • A community survey was posted online on the City’s Be Heard New West site from May 10 to June 12, 2022. 152 respondents provided comments.
    • A survey of past program participants (owners, designers, builders) was emailed to applicants and owners, and open from May 10 to June 12, 2022. 10 past participants completed the infill townhouse and rowhouse portion of the survey.

    Staff are also interviewing past participants, and the results of these semi-structured interviews will be shared separately.

    Click here to review Townhouse and Rowhouse What We Heard Summary. A summary of the key findings is provided below.

    Community Survey

    • Several respondents emphasized that infill townhouses and rowhouses should be allowed in all neighbourhoods and could be designed to fit in well next to single detached dwellings. However, there are also concerns about further densification, traffic congestion, and services for additional population.
    • Some respondents noted that the regulations and approval process are restrictive and too long. Others indicated that the process is straightforward.
    • There is interest in allowing larger, more family-oriented infill townhouses and rowhouses. Others suggested that pre-approved designs and building plans could be provided.
    • There is general support for parking pads and carports as they are more cost effective, create less bulk, and prevent conversion into storage or living space. Some respondents were interested in garages for added security.


    Infill Housing Program Participant Survey

    • Survey participants noted that strict regulations and long approval processes impact the financial viability of smaller infill projects, and create challenges for consultant team work-plans.
    • Most respondents highlighted pre-zoning and reducing the review time as key strategies for increasing the viability of infill townhouse projects.
    • There is also interest in increasing the maximum floor space ratio.
    • Respondents noted that allowing relaxations to the Zoning Bylaw and the Design Guidelines could incentivize exceeding the minimum Step Code requirements.