FAQs

The City creates land use plans for areas that are experiencing growth and development pressure. A plan determines what can be built and where. It guides the City when considering future development applications. 

Typically a land use plan will aim to:

• Designate future land uses;
• Guide density and height of buildings;
• Increase employment space;
• Address housing affordability;
• Upgrade streets and add connections;
• Improve parks and public spaces; and,
• Renew and add public amenities.

Without a plan, development can occur haphazardly and can lead to speculation and a lack of community amenities and infrastructure. A land use plan provides more certainty for residents, developers, and the City about the community’s future.

No. When the plan update is complete it will only indicate the future potential for land through a designation. Designations describe the general form that can be built on a property. For example, “commercial,” “mid-rise mixed use,” or “park” are all designations. Development applications such as development permits and rezoning applications are still typically required before anything can be built. During a development application process, a public hearing and Council approval are required.

A land use plan is simply a tool to provide certainty for residents, developers, and the City about the community’s future. However, development is in large part market driven, meaning that it will occur when and where there is a demand for new housing, commercial space, etc.

The South Westminster Plan provides a long range vision for the community. The pace of development is dependent on individual property owners redeveloping or choosing to sell their property.  If there aren’t willing buyers, sellers, and developers, then not much will change. In some parts of South Westminster it will take decades for changes to occur, and in some areas change may not take place. In other areas redevelopment will occur much more quickly. 

Many public facilities and services are essential to the day-to-day lives of residents, such as parks, community centres, cultural spaces, public art, childcare facilities, fire halls, and libraries.

The City is typically responsible for providing many of these community amenities. When new development occurs in an area that has a land use plan, financial contributions from new development help fund these amenities. These are called Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) and are collected from developers as part of rezoning applications.

The South Westminster NCP was approved by Council in 2003. Despite some success, the plan has not realized its vision of intensified industrial uses or transit-oriented development. There are several reasons to revisit the plans at this time. 

• The 2003 plan did not full consider several challenges in the plan area. This includes geotechnical conditions, increased flood level and risks, and site contamination.  
• The plan update will ensure transit-oriented development principles are incorporated around the Scott Road SkyTrain Station.