Official Community Plan

Hello Parker, thank you for your question.

The City of Surrey is committed to integrating strategies from the City’s Sustainability Charter, Climate Change Action Strategy, and other applicable policies and plans to mitigate stormwater and environmental impacts from development and re-development. For example, the Sustainability Charter commits to demonstrating sustainable best practices such as:

• Reviewing current practices and regulations and removing any unnecessary barriers to the provision of green infrastructure;
• Implementing sustainable green infrastructure on public land, in public rights-of-way and in private developments;
• Minimizing environmental impacts of development by re-creating the natural environment to the extent possible in drainage, landscaping, sewer and water projects, and
• Implementing demonstration projects, including monitoring, refining of future best practices and distributing lessons learned.

Stormwater management practices are guided by the City's Integrated Stormwater Management Plans (ISMPs), which outline comprehensive strategies for managing stormwater across various land uses and development types. These plans are designed to meet regulatory requirements while promoting sustainable and resilient stormwater management practices. Additionally, the City’s Engineering Design Criteria Manual (DCM) outlines stormwater design standards and best management practices (BMPs). The DCM provides engineers and developers with specific guidelines and requirements for implementing BMPs effectively to manage stormwater runoff, reduce pollutants, and minimize impacts on receiving waters.

The City also conducts flow and water quality monitoring programs to assess the effectiveness of stormwater management efforts. These programs help track key indicators and identify areas for improvement to ensure that the City’s stormwater practices are achieving the desired outcomes.

Hello Nicholson, thank you for your question.

The City's Biodiversity Design Guidelines, provide some language regarding on-site lighting of development projects. This includes mention of adherence to the International Dark Sky model to limit light pollution and overspill into adjacent residential areas. But, current policy does not speak to environmentally sensitive areas or reducing light pollution to wildlife. 

In regards to sound, the City has undertaken noise consideration studies to assess the impacts of SkyTrain and traffic on adjacent neighbourhoods. Additionally, TransLink's SkyTrain Noise Assessment Study provides information on the noise impacts of SkyTrain. Principles from these initiatives can be applied universally for the OCP, with consideration for wildlife as well.

As we continue to develop the OCP, supportive policy to address this issue may become a priority. The OCP will work to integrate the objectives and priorities of various City departments as well as stakeholder groups and residents. In this way, a representative and comprehensive vision for the future of Surrey will be established and supported.

Hello Jake, thank you for your question.

The OCP update will work to integrate the objectives of the Climate Change Action Strategy (CCAS) to address the management of greenhouse gas emissions in Surrey. Emissions from greenhouses and farm vehicles and equipment are captured in the City’s greenhouse gas inventory and addressed by the Climate Change Action Strategy (CCAS), however emissions produced directly from livestock and agriculture-associate land use changes are not included. This is in accordance with the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories Basic reporting requirements. 

To better understand emissions produced from diets as well as emissions generated from other materials and goods used in Surrey, the City identified undertaking a consumption-based emissions inventory (CBEI) as an action in the CCAS. The CBEI will help to support residents and businesses in reducing lifecycle emissions from products and materials. These emissions are not currently captured in the City’s GHG inventory which is territory-based, tracking emissions that take place within the City’s boundaries. 

Vehicles are the largest source of Surrey’s community carbon emissions, accounting for 45% of total emissions. This is followed by buildings, which account for 42% of total emissions, mainly due to burning gas for heating and cooking. The CCAS provides guidance on how the City will address these cooking-related carbon emissions. This includes the City exploring updates to policies and bylaws for new construction to rapidly phase out operational carbon pollution and improve energy efficiency.

Hello Charlie, thank you for your question. 

The OCP Update will work to integrate the objectives of the Social Action Plan and other City and Provincial initiatives to address poverty and homelessness in Surrey. The City of Surrey’s Social Action Plan envisions a City where all people have equitable opportunities to thrive. The plan will identify key social priorities impacting Surrey residents and the community, and actions to address these priorities. It will replace the 2006 Social Plan and guide the work of the Housing and Social Development Division over the next five years. 

The City’s ability to address and improve social conditions, such as poverty, is a shared responsibility and depends on the actions taken by all levels of government (Federal, Provincial and Local), our partners, such as Fraser Health, Surrey School District, post-secondary institutions, and by the rich network of non-profit organizations that serve the Surrey community. The Social Action Plan is an opportunity for the City of Surrey to be innovative and lead by working in partnership and with the community to create actions that are fair, equitable, and achievable. 

Further, the Housing Accelerator Fund also holds an initiative to increase the supply of below market affordable housing. 

Hello Dave, thank you for your question. As it relates to agriculture, the main purpose of the OCP is to identify Surrey’s agriculture land base. The OCP may also include policies to promote the viability of farming and the continued use of these lands for a variety of agricultural practices, including organic farming, in the long-term. It is beyond the scope of the OCP to establish specific requirements for specific farming practices, rather the OCP will aim to create a supportive environment for the agri-food sector, generally.

Hello Stephen,

The City’s Climate Change Action Strategy (CCAS) aims to reduce carbon pollution and increase resiliency to climate impacts, including extreme heat. The CCAS identifies a number of actions to prepare for heat waves including ensuring new buildings and civic facilities are able to maintain comfortable temperatures, developing a comprehensive existing buildings strategy for resilient, zero-carbon building retrofits, and building capacity in the community for managing climate-related emergencies like heat waves. To protect pedestrians and transit commuters from high temperatures, the CCAS identifies integrating green infrastructure such as rain gardens and street trees with active transportation infrastructure to provide cooling and shading along walking and cycling paths, and retrofitting public plazas and parks with built and natural features that provide cooling, refuge and shelter from heat. Key objectives and policies from the CCAS will be integrated into the OCP update, including those that aim to increase resiliency to extreme heat.

Hello Josh,

The World Wildlife Federation defines the cause of the earth’s sixth mass extinction as: “…driven by human activity, primarily (though not limited to) the unsustainable use of land, water and energy use, and climate change”. The City of Surrey’s actions are a part of larger regional and national efforts to address these issues. 

The City has undertaken a number of strategies to combat climate change.  The Official Community Plan will work to align land use and policy updates with these strategies to create a holistic framework of City action in combatting climate change. These strategies include but are not limited to: the Sustainability Charter 2.0, the Climate Change Action Strategy (CCAS), the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, and the Transportation Plan.

The City has taken steps to conserve biodiversity through implementing a new Development Cost Charge (DCC) which will be used specifically to fund acquisition of the Green Infrastructure Network (GIN), the foundation of the City’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy. Work is ongoing to implement key recommendations within the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and recently completed Urban Forest Management Strategy. Integrating biodiversity objectives is also being explored at the neighbourhood planning scale through tools like the City’s Biodiversity Design Guidelines.

Hello Valerie,

Understanding the costs and potential economic benefits of climate change is essential for the City and the community. The City is reviewing options for measuring and reporting on climate risks and actions, including the Climate Related Financial Disclosure guidelines, a Quick-Start action identified in Surrey’s Climate Change Action Strategy to further embed climate action in the City’s financial decision-making and reporting.

Hello Allen,

The OCP is statement of objectives and policies that guide the city’s long-term planning decisions. Amongst other many variables, the plan outlines provision of city services and amenities, such as recreation centres and libraries. Libraries have undertaken long-range planning for their services and facilities (Surrey Libraries Strategic Plan 2024-2028 and Surrey Libraries Facilities Master Plan 2021-2041). The work will be be factored into the updated OCP.

Hello Joe,

The updated OCP will build on and align with regional and City initiatives and strategies, like the Surrey Transportation Plan and the City of Surrey Walking Plan. One of the key targets of the Surrey Transportation Plan is having 50% of all trips made by walking, biking and rolling, and transit. The City of Surrey Walking Plan identifies actions and priorities to make walking safer and more accessible for residents.