In the category of Marketing: District of Maple Ridge: Town Centre Investment Incentive Program

In January 2011, Maple Ridge launched a comprehensive three-year investment incentive program designed to accelerate private residential and commercial investment to meet forecast demand. The program – “Right Time. Right Place,” included a print ad, brochure, business card and website information. In the first year, the program generated 30+ projects valued at over $100 Million. These projects will result in an estimated 1,200 new residential units and over 27,000 square metres of commercial space.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/2012-british-columbia-economic-development-awards-winners-1657764.htm

The Council Work Matrix is a list of projects and issues that are of particular interest to Council. The Matrix is used as a means to track the status of these items. The Matrix presented covers the period of January 1, 2012, through September 30, 2012. Staff will make every effort to meet the dates outlined on the 2012 Matrix, but it should be noted that the dates listed may be altered depending upon availability of information and personnel.

Council reviewed the Matrix and adopted the schedule as presented

Charles Goddard, Manager of Development and Environmental Services-Approving Officer, advised Council that this work is currently underway; however, one of the issues identified in the upcoming report, namely, the practice of limiting through design the potential for illegal secondary suites on small lots, has some currency. Mr. Goddard spoke to the staff report [PDF, 174KB], which considered that amendment of the District’s Zoning Bylaw for small lots to codify the current practice with regard to external basement doors. The idea being that elimination of construction of external side doors in the basements of new homes on specifically zoned small lots would limit the potential of illegal secondary suites.

There have been concerns about this issue raised by some developers and builders, but most understand the Zoning Bylaw prohibition and the problems relating to unregulated suites in some areas. They contend that the basement side door is an issue of convenience to the buyer and that the District can still enforce against the owner who installs an illegal secondary suite through the normal enforcement avenues. As such, staff is seeking Council direction on this issue.

Council discussed the issue at length and noted the pros and cons of various approaches to this issue. Given the significance of the issue, Council moved that the issue be discussed at the next regular Council meeting on May 22, 2012.

In May 2011, Council first discussed the topic of zoning for amenities and the potential use in Maple Ridge. A staff report prepared for Council included an overview of Local Government Act provisions, Amenity Zoning principles and Maple Ridge Context. At that time, Council thought it to be prudent to defer the discussion to 2012 Business Planning as part of the Planning Department’s work plan.

As part of the Planning Department’s 2012 work plan, Council approved a review of Amenity Zoning; subsequently, a contract has been awarded to CitySpaces Consulting, the same consultant engaged in completing the District’s new Zoning Bylaw, to complete this work

The staff report [PDF, 303KB] provides Council with an update on the process, scope of work and timeline for the review. Input from the discussion on this report will be forwarded to CitySpaces.

A report will be coming back to Council at the June 18, 2012, Workshop, which will contain the feedback from the development community and the issues that were raised in the Council discussion. At that point, Council will determine what direction they wish to take on Amenity Zoning.

Council received the report as information.

Mr. Steiner explained that this project would update the plan that was adopted in 2003. The plan looked at four major areas:

• The road network within Maple      Ridge and connectivity to neighbouring communities
• The issues related to transit      within the community and to points outside Maple Ridge
• The development and      connectivity of cycling routes
• The development and      connectivity of pedestrian routes within the community

The 2003 plan had a 20 year focus, and Mr. Steiner noted that the community had achieved the greatest accomplishments on the cycling and pedestrian portions of the plan, and that some progress had occurred in the road network. The new plan seeks to reset the plan based on the current needs identified by Council, staff, other government agencies and an engagement with the community to look at specific needs by various demographic and neighbourhood groups.

Mr. Steiner went over the process for updating the Transportation Plan providing context for the update and a reflection on the 2003 Plan aspirations and features. There are four phases involved in the update.

Mr. Steiner noted that we are currently at Phase 2 of the project and that the community and stakeholder engagement will occur throughout the late spring and summer with Council receiving a report in the fall of 2012.

Council provided Mr. Steiner with some feedback on issues that should be looked at as part of the review with the community.

http://www.mapleridgenews.com/community/150683465.html

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The Alouette Home Start Society’s Route 29 program is getting underway this month, and will offer temporary housing for up to six months for people aged 17 to 24 at risk of ending up on the streets at a new four-bedroom facility in Maple Ridge.  Click on the link below to read the full story.

http://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/150658545.html

Council voted to have Mayor Daykin sit as the representative for Maple Ridge on the Board of Directors of E-Comm.

Metro Vancouver-Notification of a Proposed Amendment to the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy

Letter [PDF, 2.3MB] dated April 4, 2012, from Paulette Vetleson, Manager/Corporate Secretary, for Metro Vancouver providing notification of a request from the Village of Anmore requesting a Type 2 amendment to the Regional Growth Strategy in order to re-designate a school site from Rural to General Urban.

Council received the letter as information.