THE City of Delta’s first-ever Plan-A-Thon welcomed approximately 300 residents to the North Delta Recreation Centre on Saturday, November 23, marking a successful milestone in the City’s ongoing efforts to engage the community on housing opportunities. The event offered residents a chance to speak directly with Delta’s development team about options for building coach houses or secondary suites on their properties.
“Small-scale housing solutions, like coach houses and secondary suites, play a vital role in addressing the growing demand for housing within our community,” said Delta Mayor George V. Harvie. “It was inspiring to learn so many residents were eager to explore ways to enhance housing opportunities in their neighbourhoods.”
Earlier this year, Delta introduced amendments to its Zoning Bylaw to meet provincial requirements for additional housing units. These changes balanced new density targets with existing zoning parameters, such as height, setbacks, and lot coverage, to maintain the character of Delta’s neighbourhoods.
“It’s still early days for these zoning amendments, and the Plan-A-Thon provided a valuable opportunity to assess how these policies perform in practice,” said Doreann Mayhew, General Manager of Development. “Our team is reflecting on the feedback gathered and will explore potential adjustments to better support homeowners interested in adding small-scale housing options.”
To raise awareness about small-scale multi-unit housing and the Plan-A-Thon, the City prepared a mailout for residents. However, its distribution was delayed by the ongoing Canada Post strike and will reach Delta households once service resumes. Despite this setback, the strong turnout demonstrated significant community interest, and City staff are now considering additional events and engagement opportunities to keep the conversation about housing solutions in Delta moving forward.
A copy of the mailout and other relevant background information about Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing are available at: delta.ca/Housing-Our-Future.