91大黄鸭 city council has approved a series of updates to its Official Community Plan (OCP) to meet new provincial housing legislation.
At Monday鈥檚 (July 7) meeting, staff shared how the revisions will help accommodate up to 45,000 new homes by 2041, around 20,000 more than originally planned. The update is required under provincial legislation passed in 2023. Municipalities must revise their OCPs by the end of this year.
The legislation aims to ensure municipalities can handle future housing needs and have policies supporting affordable, rental, seniors鈥�, and family housing.
City staff say 91大黄鸭鈥檚 existing plan is strong, but a refresh is needed.
鈥淭he key message coming out of this update is to share with the province that the existing OCP through future land use and zoning has the capacity to meet the anticipated housing needs without significant changes,鈥� said Robert Miles, the city鈥檚 long-range planning manager.
91大黄鸭鈥檚 growth is happening faster than expected, he said, with more development and building permit applications being submitted in urban centres.
鈥淲e are seeing those results on the ground,鈥� Miles told council. 鈥淭his process helps us set new targets and then work towards further planning to meet the needs of that growth.鈥�
The updated strategy shows the city can fit all 45,000 new homes within existing growth areas, meaning no major land use changes are required. Of those homes, 65 per cent will be apartments, and 35 per cent will be ground-oriented homes like townhouses and duplexes.
Coun. Mohini Singh raised concerns about the mix of housing.
鈥淗ave we reached sort of the threshold and now on condo-style developments, and should we be focusing on encouraging the development of townhouses?鈥� she asked. 鈥淭o get to 45,000 total units by 2041, that's pretty ambitious.鈥�
Miles said that while the city is generally meeting its housing mix targets, more progress is needed.
Council also questioned how the city plans to keep up with the infrastructure needed for this level of growth, things like roads, water and civic services.
鈥淚f we don't have the infrastructure, we have to go to the province and say, well, you want us to put in this density, we need your assistance,鈥� Coun. Ron Cannan pointed out.
Miles clarified that the current update is focused on land use capacity and zoning, and that planning for infrastructure upgrades will follow.
鈥淎s we move forward with future amendments, we are going to be looking at opportunities to update our infrastructure and transportation plans,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut to be clear, the capacity here that we're speaking to鈥� is what鈥檚 signalled in OCP future land use and zoning.鈥�
The city plans to launch an online platform where residents can learn more about the changes and offer feedback.
Coun. Luke Stack praised city staff for their foresight in crafting the original OCP.
鈥淲hen I look at the proposed changes鈥� it tells me that staff, when they developed this plan, had a pretty good foresight looking to the future,鈥� he said.
Council unanimously voted to adopt the proposed updates.
