Township of Langley - Regional Growth Strategy Presentation

Community Development

Regional Growth Strategy

Presentation to CouncilFebruary 4, 2008

•History and Background

•Purpose

•Key Issues

•Proposed Vision and Goals

•Strategies and Options

•Summary

•Next Steps


• Regional growth management going back 40 years

• Successive plans aimed at guiding growth

• Livable Region Strategic Plan was adopted in 1996 by metro Vancouver Board

History and Background


• Metro Vancouver reviewing 1996 Strategy

• A plan to address the multiple challenges of today’s realities

• Looking 25 years ahead

• Regional context for alignment of local plans

Purpose


• Managing the challenges related to “growth” - land use and transportation

• Living with nature

• Housing density and affordability

• Economic perspective

• Moving along the path of sustainability

Key Issues


• Livable and sustainable region

• Well-designed, connected and diverse communities

• Conservation of land, water and energy resources

• Protection of valuable farmland and natural areas

• Affordable and efficient transportation system to support economic prosperity, healthy living and community well-being

Proposed Vision


• Accommodate growth in a sustainable and compact metropolitan structure

• Offer diverse and affordable housing choices

• Support and strengthen a diverse regional economy

• Protect and enhance the region’s natural assets

• Create a sustainable regional transportation system

Proposed Goals


• 11 proposed strategies

• 2 or 3 options for each strategy ranging from general guidelines to regional regulation

Proposed Strategies and Options


Strategy 1 - Focus regional growth in centres and along transit corridors


• Option B - Identify the centres and transit corridor

locations and provide general guidelines • Recognize other community centres as municipal centres

• Recognize Carvolth Business Park as a centre

Strategy 1 - Focus regional growth in centres and along transit corridors


• Option B - Designate Urban and Green Zone areas on a

regional map. • Subject to recommendations related to the Green Zone

(Strategy 7)

Strategy 2: Establish defined areas for urban growth


• Option B - Require municipalities to prepare Municipal Housing Action Plans identifying specific objectives and actions for increasing housing supply, diversity and affordability .

• Metro Vancouver adopted Affordable Housing Strategy last year

• Housing Action Plans

Strategy 3: Increase housing supply and diversity, including the supply of housing for low and moderate income households


• Option C - Designate industrial land as a regional land use

category with specific guidelines on permitted uses. • Allow offices and retail and mixed uses subject to a

development plan

Strategy 4: Maintain an adequate supply of industrial land


Strategy 5: Facilitate the location of major commercial activities in centre locations


• Option B - Designate the Metro Core, regional town centres and other strategic economic growth centres and identify general development objectives.

• Include all municipal town centres and the Carvolth Business Park

Strategy 5: Facilitate the location of major commercial activities in centre locations


• Option A - State the general goal of protecting agricultural land.

– the existing Provincial ALR designation should be reflected as an information schedule; and

– municipalities should be required to define policies to protect/enhance their agricultural/urban interface.

Strategy 6: Maintain the agricultural land base for food production


Strategy 7: Ensure the long-term protection of critical environmental areas, parks and agricultural lands.


• Option A - Designate a Green Zone in the Regional Growth Strategy

1. delete lands that are not in the ALR and are not critical habitat areas, watersheds or forest lands.

2. ensure continued harmony between the Green Zone and the Agricultural Land Reserve.

3. clarify the implications of routing services through and servicing lands within the Green Zone.

Strategy 7: Ensure the long-term protection of critical environmental areas, parks and agricultural lands.


• Option A - State the general goal of integrating ecological values into land use development processes and providing ecological and recreational greenways.

• overall guidance leaving detailed design to local government

Strategy 8: Ensure the protection and enhancement of ecological and recreational connectivity


• Option C - Identify a transit network that provides frequent service on a regional map, provide density guidelines, and set targets for each subregion for increasing transit ridership and trips made by cycling and walking.

• transit is a critical component to sustainable development in Metro Vancouver.

• Provision of adequate density along transit routes to support that use is essential to provision of an effective and efficient transit system.

Strategy 9: Increase transit supply throughout the region and promote walking and cycling


• Option C - Identify the regional roads and highways network and provide guidelines for prioritizing users.

• Important for maintaining reliable goods movement and transit to support economic development and transit use by residents

Strategy 10: Advance a regional network of roads and highways that prioritizes goods movement, transit operations and HOVs


• Option B - Identify specific strategies for managing demand on the regional transportation network

• Transit priority measures at a local level may include bus lanes and parking supply measures.

Strategy 11: Manage transportation demand


Strategies Recommended Option Comments

Goal No. 1: A Sustainable, Compact Metropolitan Structure

1. Focus regional growth in centres and along transit corridors

√ Option B:Identify town centres and transit corridor locations on a regional map and provide general guidelines

Similar to the existing plan and growth management strategy;States general goals and clearly identify regional and municipal town centres and transit corridors and provide municipalities with adequate direction to develop centres that are suitable and unique to their communities

2. Establish defined areas for urban growth

√ Option B:Designate Urban and Green Zone areas on a regional map

Similar to the existing plan and growth management strategy;Green Zone preserves region’s natural assets and acts as boundary for urban growth;This option is supported provided the Green Zone map is amended as discussed under Goal 4, Strategy 7;Land use decisions within the urban area left to individual municipalities to determine.

Goal No. 2: Diverse and Affordable Housing Choices

3. Increase housing supply and diversity, including supply of housing for low and moderate income households

√ Option B:Establish targets for housing supply and affordable housing by sub-region and require municipalities to prepare Municipal Housing Action Plans

Provides a more flexible balance between municipal and regional interests;Establishes overall housing supply and affordable housing targets by sub-region;Would require completion of a municipal Housing Action Plan, included in the 2008 work program;Measures could include identifying specific areas for increased density and applying appropriate zoning, including creative zoning strategies such as density bonusing, to promote required housing stock.

Goal No. 3: A Strong Diverse Regional Economy

4. Maintain an adequate supply of industrial lands to meet the needs of the regional economy

√ Option C – Modified:Designate industrial lands as a regional land use category with specific guidelines on permitted uses

A modified strategy is recommended to be supported to enable stand-alone office and retail uses within industrial designated areas, subject to completion of comprehensive development plans confirming capability for sustaining/improving jobs/resident relationships;

5. Facilitate the location of major commercial (retail, office and entertainment) activities in centre locations to enhance access for workers and customers and build prosperous, attractive centres in sub regions

√ Option B - Modified:Designate the Metro Core, regional town centres and other strategic economic growth centres in the regional growth strategy and identify general development objectives

Regional and municipal town centres would be identified on a map and designated in the Regional Growth Management Strategy;The strategy should be structured with flexibility to allow municipal interpretation to accommodate business and office park uses, such as the Township’s Carvolth NP area.

6: Maintain the agricultural land base for food production through supportive land use and development policies

√ Option A - Modified:State the general goal of protecting agricultural land

It is recommended that consideration be given to the Provincial ALR in a similar manner in any revised/updated regional plan – for information/contextual consideration;The proposed strategy for an agricultural/urban interface policy harmonizes with the Township’s current policy position/direction.


Goal No. 4: Protect and Enhance the Region’s Natural Assets

7. Ensure the long-term protection of critical habitat areas, drinking watersheds, riparian areas, parks and recreation corridors, forests and agricultural lands

√ Option A:Designate a Green Zone in the

Regional Growth Strategy

Similar to the existing approach; General guidance provided for Municipalities to decide areas to include,

as well as permitted uses within the Green Zone; This option is recommended for support subject to an amendment of the

current Green Zone map, as well as establishment of provisions within the proposed plan for subsequent amendments including servicing.

8. Ensure the protection and enhancement of ecological and recreational connectivity across the region

√ Option A:State the general goal of

integrating ecological values into land use development processes and for the provision of ecological and recreational greenways in the region

This option is similar to the current plan; Provides broad overall guidance leaving detailed design to local

government.

Goal No. 5: A Sustainable Regional Transportation System - Recommend Amend Goal To: “A Safe, Convenient and Efficient Regional Transportation System”

9. Increase transit supply throughout the region and promote walking and cycling

√ Option C:Identify a transit network that

provides frequent service on a regional map, provide density guidelines, and set targets for each subregion for increasing transit ridership and trips made by cycling and walking

More specific on the desired level of transit service in each sub-region; Identification of transit routes with adequate density to support intended

use is essential to provision of an effective and efficient transit system; Guidelines on minimum densities in transit corridors are included.

10. Advance a regional network of roads and highways that prioritizes goods movement, transit operations and high-occupancy vehicles

√ Option C:Identify a regional roads and

highways network on a regional map and identify specific management principles

Provides specific management guidelines for prioritizing users at critical locations;

Maintains reliable goods movement and transit to support the economic development of the region and promotes transit use.

11. Manage transportation demand.

√ Option B:Identify specific strategies for

managing demand on the regional transportation network

would provide a regional growth strategy that identifies demand management strategies to assist in managing demand for transportation;

Transit priority measures at a local level may include bus lanes and parking supply measures.


• Metro Vancouver Land Use and Planning Committee will review Draft Strategy

• Metro Vancouver Board will release Draft Strategy for consultation

• Final Strategy will be prepared• First and Second Reading of Regional Growth Strategy

Bylaw• Referral to “affected local governments” for 120 days

Next Steps


End of Presentation … Questions?

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Township of Langley - Regional Growth Strategy Presentation

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