Coquitlam may boost commercial space on Barnet despite zoning concerns

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There may be some new businesses on Barnet Highway if Coquitlam council switches the zoning for two industrial buildings – a decision some councillors suggested might set a bad precedent.

In summer 2023, Coquitlam council approved a pair of light industrial strata buildings at 2660 Barnet Hwy. Consisting of 33 units, the buildings totalled a bit more than 100,000 square feet.

However, after opening the doors in the spring of 2025, developer PC Urban found the market conditions weren’t quite what they expected and came to city hall about allowing more commercial uses on site.

Staff initially rejected the change, explaining that more parking demands could mean: “major operational problems and an inability for the site to function for the businesses that could be located there.”

However, the more recent request, which would allow for retail, office space, or a commercial kitchen, among other uses, would boost the local economy by allowing a “carefully curated range of employment-generating uses,” stated a city staff report.

While he ultimately voted to give the project first reading and send it to a public hearing, Coun. Brent Asmundson said he was “very concerned” about the change.

While the city only requires one parking spot for every 100 square metres of industrial floor space, Coquitlam mandates one parking spot for every 40 square metres of commercial space. That parking requirement likely would have resulted in an approximately 40 percent smaller building, according to city staff.

The applicant seems to be looking for the “best of both worlds,” Asmundson added.

Coun. Steve Kim also described being challenged by the request.

“What pains me on this is that I also believe that we need the businesses that would be in here,” he said.

While stipulating there may be work to be done on city policy, Coun. Dennis Marsden was strongly in favour of the change.

“Let’s face it, the industry, the market has changed,” he said. “How do we portray the open-for-business attitude that we profess to have? I think we could support this, get there, recognizing there’s future work to be done.”

Coun. Robert Mazzarolo expressed “deep concerns” about council setting a precedent with their decision on the site.

Council unanimously voted to give the project first reading.