Condo and apartment builders in Langley Township may soon have to build more ‘family friendly’ units into their developments.
On Feb. 26, the council voted to unanimously approve the first readings of a new policy that would require 10 per cent of all units in any building of six storeys or less to have at least three bedrooms. Any building of seven storeys or more would need to set aside five per cent of its units for three-bedroom spaces.
There would also be a requirement for an overall average unit size of 750 square feet.
A report from staff noted that in the Township, the majority of three-bedroom units are currently found in townhouses, and that three bedroom apartment units are a very small proportion of the total.
If given final approval, the policy will apply across the Township for all new projects.
Before the new rules are finalized, there is to be a public hearing, likely on March 26, and opportunities to hear from members of the home construction industry.
After that, the council will consider whether to give the new policy final approval, or to modify it or to vote against it.
“Unlike some people, I’m well aware that kids do live in condos these days,” said Coun. Michael Pratt, who noted there were a number of families with children in the building where he lives. “For a lot of people, condos are no longer starters, they’re where you’re going to be for a long time.”
Coun. Misty vanPopta said she hoped that some of the recommendations in the new policy would remain recommendations, including guidelines on preventing noise between floors. Some changes to how apartments are built could dramatically increase the cost of housing, she noted.
In Langley in January, the benchmark price for a condo was $596,700, townhouses were going for $849,800, and a single family house cost $1.58 million.
Over the last 10 years, the price of a condo in Langley has gone up by more than 200 per cent, townhouses have gone up by 174.8 per cent, and single family homes have risen by 169.7 per cent.
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