B.C. hits Township of Langley with deadline to approve density near SkyTrain site

The B.C. authorities is calling retired different municipality complete what it says are delays successful approving caller density requirements adjacent transit hubs.

This clip nan target is nan Township of Langley, which nan state has fixed until Oct. 31 to greenlight a caller Transit-Oriented Density (TOD) area astir nan tract of nan early Willowbrook SkyTrain Station.

Under nan legislation, introduced past fall, municipalities must instrumentality TOD areas wrong 800 metres of accelerated transit stations, which group minimum tallness and density requirements based connected a city’s size and nan proximity to nan station.

In a caller missive to nan township, Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said nan municipality had missed nan June 30 deadline to designate nan TOD area, arsenic required nether provincial legislation.

The missive warns that nan state whitethorn measurement successful and instrumentality nan zoning alteration connected its ain if nan township fails to act.

The informing is getting a cool reception successful nan municipality, pinch Mayor Eric Woodward arguing nan state has grounded to admit Langley’s unsocial circumstances.

“These things whitethorn beryllium needed successful Vancouver wherever we person seen single-family homes surrounding SkyTrain stations for 30 years, but that’s not nan business here,” Woodward said.

“We do person a important infrastructure shortage we are trying to drawback up connected pinch truthful overmuch growth.”

Woodward said nan township was already scheduled to update its Willowbrook organization scheme starting successful 2025, but it’s a process nan province’s instruction will compromise.

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He added that pinch nan SkyTrain not scheduled for completion until astatine slightest 2028, nan caller density is premature.

“I’d for illustration to corroborate pinch nan curate SkyTrain connected way and connected fund to beryllium completed by that timeline. I don’t consciousness nan urgency to do this,” he said.

In a abstracted missive to nan municipality, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon denied Langley Township’s exertion for an hold connected caller laws requiring small-scale multi-unit lodging connected single-family lots.

In July, nan state said 90 per cent of B.C. municipalities had complied pinch that caller legislation, designed to effort and tackle B.C.’s ongoing lodging crisis.

West Vancouver is among nan fistful of municipalities that person rejected nan measure, and nan state said it has been issued a non-compliance announcement and could look a ministerial order.