The proposed Official Community Plan (OCP) is on the agenda for Delta Council’s consideration at the April 8 Regular Meeting. Staff are recommending Council give first and second readings to the new OCP Bylaw which will initiate a Public Hearing before the plan is given further consideration.
“This OCP update is focused on providing a framework for housing in Delta that will meet the needs of our growing community,” said Doreann Mayhew, General Manager of Development. “The City embarked on updating the OCP in order to achieve the requirements ordered by the province, while also providing guidance to ensure this growth happens responsibly and sustainably. Staff are looking forward to hearing if the proposed plan meets that threshold for Council and the community.”
The new OCP Bylaw was completed following a multi-week engagement process that invited residents to learn more about the need for the plan and provide their input into the direction being considered. Over 44,000 homes and businesses received two mailouts informing them of the proposed updates. Staff also connected with nearly 1,600 residents through online information sessions and open houses and received formal feedback from more than 1,000. Feedback showed that residents are open to growth in the community but highlighted the need to address potential impacts to infrastructure capacity, traffic and transportation, and community character amongst other concerns.
Highlights from a selection of the key recommendations that were incorporated into the proposed plan based on findings from the engagement process include:
- Develop Neighbourhood Servicing Plans to address infrastructure needs: Participants want to feel confident that services will remain reliable for all residents and would like more information about planned and future investments. Policies have been incorporated to undertake neighbourhood-level servicing plans to identify sewer and water system upgrades required to support development. These plans will also address traffic and transportation.
- Plan for expanded public services and amenities: Participants believe government services are strained and want to understand how Provincial and Regional services - such as health care and education - and City services – especially recreational amenities – will keep pace with growth. New OCP policies supporting childcare have been included and policies regarding collaboration with Delta School District have been updated. Policies regarding the provision of parks, recreation, and cultural facilities have also been proposed.
- Recognize community character: Participants want to see development that respects the character of Delta communities. The new OCP generally proposes six storeys in the Urban Centres, with some opportunities for up to 24 storeys in Tsawwassen and North Delta and 32 storeys along Scott Road where a significant community contribution is provided. Rental and non-market housing contributions will be encouraged in all projects over six storeys and will be expected for projects that include buildings that are 18 storeys or higher. In response to concerns about community character, the proposed OCP contains Development Permit Area Guidelines for the Tsawwassen Urban Centre, similar to what is in place for other parts of the city, to guide decisions on siting, streetscape, massing and landscaping.
Through the engagement process, the City also received suggestions for changes to the Land Use Designation Maps for specific properties. Staff reviewed and considered the suggestions and made adjustments where it aligned with the principles of supporting density around transit-oriented areas. No increases to density were included in the revisions to the Land Use Maps.
A summary of the engagement process and findings has been included with the report to Council and the complete results are available at letstalk.delta.ca/HousingOurFuture along with links to view the updated Land Use Designation Maps.
To learn more about Delta's OCP Update, visit letstalk.delta.ca/HousingOurFuture.
For more information on this news release, please contact media@delta.ca.