Zoning changes spark debate over future of Prince George green spaces

City council first directed administration to proceed with implementation of a standardized housing catalogue during its July 20, 2026 meeting, following a presentation by administration and Small Housing BC.

According to the city, standardized housing plans can reduce delays by allowing builders to use pre-reviewed designs that already comply with zoning and building regulations. The approach is intended to shorten permitting timelines, provide greater certainty for homeowners and developers, and reduce municipal review workloads.

Among the proposed changes is an amendment to the definition of “secondary suite.” Currently, the city’s zoning bylaw limits secondary suites to single-detached homes. The proposed amendment would expand that definition to align with recent provincial housing legislation, including Bill 44, allowing secondary suites within a wider range of housing forms such as duplexes and row housing.

Administration says the amendment also clarifies that secondary suites must comply with all applicable standards under the B.C. Building Code.

Supporters argue that the changes are largely administrative and are intended to ensure the city’s regulations align with new provincial requirements while opening additional opportunities for modest housing development.

Councillor Cori Ramsay says some public concerns have focused on amendments affecting agricultural and forestry-designated lands. However, she maintains the changes do not open the door to widespread development of existing green spaces.

“Within the AG and AF zones currently, where housing is already allowed to exist, there are some small changes that would allow some increased height, the removal of some parking requirements, as well as inclusion for using the city’s new pre-approved plans for housing,” Ramsay explained.

She emphasized that the amendments apply only to parcels where residential development is already permitted under existing zoning.

“So this is really just clean up on the bylaw, to implement some of those strategies for development,” she said. “And it’s only applicable to those parcels that are already zoned for housing.”

Despite those assurances, some residents and environmental advocates remain unconvinced.

Among them is University of Northern British Columbia professor emerita Dr. Annie Booth, who has emerged as a prominent voice among those questioning the broader implications of the proposed changes.

Booth argues that even modest amendments involving agricultural and forestry lands can create precedents that become difficult to reverse.

“The more you change how you build in green space or AG land or forestry-zoned land, the more the justification becomes, ‘We’ve already changed. Why can’t we change a little more?'” she said.

The concern, she says, is not necessarily about the immediate impact of the current amendments but the cumulative effect that incremental changes can have over time.

Environmental advocates often point to a phenomenon commonly referred to as “development creep,” where small adjustments gradually lead to more significant land-use changes.

Booth believes Prince George’s natural surroundings are among the city’s greatest assets and deliver economic benefits that are often overlooked because they do not appear directly on municipal balance sheets.

“The city has never met a development that they didn’t love because they think it brings in tax revenue,” Booth said.

“And it certainly does. What they are missing is that green space, while it is not directly taxable, it actually is tax-adjacent.”

She argues that parks, trails, forests, and natural recreation areas contribute to quality of life and play a significant role in attracting residents and investment.

“People come here to live, and buy houses and pay taxes and municipal fees because this is a green space, because they have places to recreate,” Booth said.

The debate highlights a challenge currently facing municipalities across British Columbia. Communities are under increasing pressure from provincial housing targets and legislation intended to expand housing supply, while residents continue to advocate for environmental protection and preservation of community character.

In Prince George, that balancing act is becoming increasingly visible as council works through housing reforms required under provincial legislation while also responding to strong public interest in parks and green space.

One area where both supporters and critics of the zoning amendments appear to agree is the level of public engagement generated by the issue.

Ramsay says council has heard clearly from residents concerned about protecting green spaces.

“Yeah, we got a ton of responses from our community,” she said. “I think it’s one thing we’ve learned about Prince George is that they are fiercely protective of green spaces, and so is council. We totally understand that. It’s important.”

Booth agrees that the public reaction has been significant and sends a strong message to elected officials.

“In a week’s space, we generated 90-some responses,” she said. “People went to council, people were tuned in.”

She says the speed with which residents organized demonstrates the importance the community places on environmental stewardship.

“You saw the councillor shock at how many people and how quickly they organized. That’s an important political message,” Booth added.

As the city continues to refine its approach to housing development, council will ultimately decide whether the proposed zoning amendments strike the right balance between encouraging new housing and safeguarding valued green spaces.

For now, the discussion has underscored a broader reality in Prince George: residents care deeply about both housing affordability and environmental preservation.

The proposed amendments are expected to return to council for fourth and final reading at the August 31 council meeting, where elected officials will make a final determination on whether the changes move forward.

Until then, debate over the future of development, housing, and green space protection is likely to remain front and centre in the community conversation.

by Cheryl Jahn

Zoning changes spark debate over future of Prince George green spaces

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