Housing in the Fraser Valley subject of UDI panel Wednesday
Credit to Author: Joanne Lee-Young| Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2020 01:38:50 +0000
Alleviating traffic gridlock in Fraser Valley communities will be a major challenge as more people flee the high cost of buying and renting homes in Vancouver and there is surging pressure on infrastructure that hasn’t changed much in decades.
Politicians representing Langley, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Surrey and Mission said they are focused on efforts to widen major routes into the Fraser Valley, such as Highway 1. There is also a push to relax some Agricultural Land Reserve restrictions on land that isn’t arable anymore so it can be put toward keeping residents closer to their jobs. And lastly, as developers look to build around transit hubs, there will be wrangling over zoning and protections to ensure residents who are most in need of the benefits don’t get displaced.
“The highways are a bit of a gong show,” said Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove. “It’s an issue that is happening. With growth, there comes more folks moving into our region. Employment lands are important for us in our community. Keeping people in our community, working in our community, and off the highways.”
“The freeway needs to be widened,” said Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun. “Truck transport on that freeway has increased over 40 per cent in just the last two years….Think of Highway 1 as a trade corridor. It’s feeding into our ports in Metro Vancouver, Fraser Surrey Docks and on and on.”
Langley Township Mayor Jack Froese, who is also on the TransLink Mayors’ Council, said Fraser Valley communities are together advocating in Ottawa for funding that is integral to major projects such as SkyTrain extensions.
“We can’t just build highways. People need to have a way to get around,” he said.
He also explained a need to build density where there are transit options. However, he pointed out the complexity.
“One of the other things we, as municipalities, need to be aware of is that, and we have seen this in the States, seen it all around, and in our local region, is that when you bring good transportation in, the idea is to assist people to get around to where they want to go. It’s almost part of poverty reduction. It’s helping people move about the region. But when you put a SkyTrain station in, development comes in, (and) it displaces the people that need it the most.”
“That is something we are wrestling with. we have to make sure there is the proper zoning and proper protections so there is housing for everybody. (It’s) not just the high rise comes in, and it’s high-end, and you find (residents) are not using transit so much as people who have lower incomes. So (you need) zoning and protection to ensure your billions of dollars in investment are benefitting people who need it the most and can access it.”
The politicians gathered Wednesday at a luncheon in Langley hosted by the Urban Development Institute, which represents the development industry, to discuss coming opportunities and challenges.
They are planning ahead for increased SkyTrain service in Langley and Surrey, downtown revitalization in Chilliwack, and more mixed-used housing and commercial spaces near the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford. In Mission, there is a proposal for a 296-acre waterfront project that will be more than eight times the size of Granville Island.
The prospect of this will mean many more people and trucks in the area, and Mission Mayor Pam Alexis said a land-use plan is being conducted.
“The issue is we are growing very quickly. We need to be able to find places for people to work locally so they don’t have to empty out on these corridors to find employment,” said Alexis, adding that 38 per cent of the working population in Mission is in trades where heavy tools and equipment mean they can’t use transit.