Sp 7 -aldergrove Planning Committee

ALDERGROVE PLANNING COMMITTEE INAUGURAL MEETING Thursday, May 28, 2009, commencing at 7:09 p.m. Rotary Field House Aldergrove Athletic Park

PRESENT: Maureen Robinson, Chair B. Bailey, D. Bloomfield, R. Daems, H. Hogeterp, L. Hollaar, K. Hunt, S. Janda, A. McDougall, CJ Phan, A. Robinson and B. Thomasson COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES: Mayor R. Green Councillor B. Long and Councillor C. Fox STAFF REPRESENTATIVES: J. Chu, P. Crawford, Inspector R. Konarski, S. Palmer, R. Seifi and Fire Chief D. Wade OTHERS PRESENT: J. Karakas and F. Ducote, HB Lanarc INTRODUCTION OF MEMBERS R. Seifi welcomed those present. Roundtable introductions were then held. A.

TERMS OF REFERENCE 1.

Terms of Reference R. Seifi presented an overview of the Aldergrove Planning Committee Terms of Reference, noting that Council approved an amendment on May 25, 2009 allowing for two voting Youth members.

B.

ELECTION 1.

Nominations For and Election of Chair - Aldergrove Planning Committee Nominations for Chair were received from the floor for Maureen Robinson and Kieron Hunt. A silent vote was conducted, votes were tallied and Maureen Robinson was duly elected as Chair.

May 28, 2009 Aldergrove Planning Committee Minutes C.

-2-

PRESENTATIONS 1.

Aldergrove Core Planning Program P. Crawford and J. Chu provided background information related to the Aldergrove Community Plan Update. Main points of the presentation: • Metro Vancouver has prepared a draft Regional Growth Strategy, which designates Aldergrove as a Municipal Town Centre to reflect the current policy in the Livable Region Strategic Plan. • Aldergrove is an area for Designated Urban Growth and Designated Industrial Growth in the Township Official Community Plan. • An attempt was made to update the Aldergrove Community Plan in 1994/95 with an application to take about 500 acres of land out of the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). The Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) did not approve the application. • In 2004, a Community Vision was developed to maintain the unique small town character and rural setting of Aldergrove, while continuing to develop a small community with a vibrant local economy, a vital downtown core meeting the needs of residents and offering an attractive rural character. • In 2007/08 the Aldergrove Task Force reviewed and prioritized issues in the community. The top priorities included: (1) long term water and sewer servicing, (2) transit and transportation, and (3) downtown Aldergrove. One of the actions was to undertake a design charrette (workshop) with a focus on mixed commercial / residential use for the Aldergrove downtown area. • On March 9, 2009, Council received a staff report which outlined the main components of the current effort to update the Aldergrove Community Plan, including: (1) Aldergrove Core Planning Program, (2) Engineering, Servicing and Environment Assessment, and (3) Rural Bylaw Review. Resolution of issues relating to the ALR are on-going with the ALC and the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands and form part of broader discussions in the content of harmonizing the policies of the three agencies.

2.

Workshop No. 1 – HB Lanarc HB Lanarc, one of the leading consulting companies in sustainable community development, was contracted to work on the Aldergrove Core Planning Program. J. Karakas, Planner/Project Manager, and F. Ducote, Urban Designer, of HB Lanarc, provided a presentation on the Aldergrove Core Planning and Urban Design Program and led an interactive workshop with the Committee What is a charrette? A charrette is an intense collaborative session in which professional designers work with community stakeholders on a design solution to an area. The materials produced at the charrette (drawings, plans, diagrams, etc.) will not be highly refined, but will form the foundation for subsequent stages of the design and planning process. Such charrettes serve as a way of quickly generating a design solution while integrating the aptitudes and interests of a diverse group of people.

May 28, 2009 Aldergrove Planning Committee Minutes C.

-3-

PRESENTATIONS Process of the Aldergrove Core Planning Program A Visioning and Design Charrette will be held on June 6. The purpose of the charrette is to put forward ideas on how a vibrant downtown may look. A subsequent workshop will be held to refine concepts at the end of June and a meeting will be held with the APC for feedback. A Council workshop will be held during the summer to present preliminary concepts. Public open houses will be held in September; after which an APC meeting will be held to discuss key elements in the preferred concepts. The preferred concept plan will be prepared followed by two more workshops for further refinement. Detailed land use maps and massing study will be provided showing the form and shape of the concept; a final report with the illustrated concept plan, policy recommendations, design guidelines would be provided in January – March 2010. Charrette Directives Using information from the Community Visioning Program in 2004, the consultants confirmed the following charrette directives with the Committee: • reinforce downtown as the social, cultural and commercial heart of the community; • increase housing choice and density in the downtown while ensuring a high degree of livability; • incorporate mixed-use developments in the downtown including housing located above commercial uses; • focus on (and potentially reduce) the extent of commercial uses to create a vibrant commercial core; • consider re-orienting commercial development in a north/south alignment (don’t continue linear development along the Fraser Highway); • incorporate built form, layout and open space design that supports transituse and cycling for everyday travel needs; • prioritize pedestrian activity in the core area to create a walkable downtown; • create options for vehicles and goods movement traveling through the downtown core to minimize vehicle impacts on Fraser Highway; • create an attractive and distinct public realm and interconnected open space network that emphasizes pedestrian comfort and safety and reinforces the small town/rural identity of the community; • create a greener downtown that that provides parks, street trees and protects and enhances Bertrand Creek as a focal point; and • incorporate built forms, open space treatments and innovative infrastructure that reduces overall environmental impacts. Discussion • L. Hollaar asked the question of what population density numbers are required to support the need for medium and high density development. F. Ducote responded that there is no clear answer; existing built areas and centres are the best places to locate future growth. There may be some small scale infill in the form of duplexes and multiplexes, bringing more energy and customers to revitalize the commercial core area. This will, in turn, trigger other forms of development in the mid-rise (4-6 storeys) residential buildings adjacent to the core area. Finally, over the medium to long-term, gradual intensification will

May 28, 2009 Aldergrove Planning Committee Minutes C.

-4-

PRESENTATIONS

•

•

stimulate mixed-use development along Fraser Highway and 272 Street. Councillor Fox suggested an addition to the study area to include a commercial strip mall and a trailer park to the west. J. Chu commented that the study area was based on the 1997 downtown revitalization efforts to underground overhead wires along Fraser Highway and the five-minute walking distance. The study area boundaries could be revised by the Aldergrove Planning Committee from its current boundaries of Bertrand Creek, and the intersection of Fraser Highway and 272 Street, if necessary. K. Hunt commented on housing above commercial space and the lack of office space. He noted that there is a need for certain services and there should be a discussion on what the mix should be for the downtown area.

In addition to the discussion, Committee members completed a questionnaire on the charrette directives. Feedback on the charrette directives will be incorporated into the design brief, which will be used as a guide for the charrette on June 6. D.

OTHER BUSINESS 1.

2009 Meeting Schedule Aldergrove Core Visioning and Design Charrette Date: Saturday, June 6, 2009 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Location: Rotary Field House - Aldergrove Athletic Park Aldergrove Planning Committee – Workshop #2: Develop Concept Options Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009 Time: 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Location: TBA Aldergrove Planning Committee – Workshop #3: Review Concept Options Date: Thursday, July 23, 2009 Time: 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Location: TBA Public Open House Date: TBA (mid-September) Aldergrove Planning Committee – Workshop #4: Develop Preferred Concept Date: Thursday, October 22, 2009 Time: 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Location: TBA Aldergrove Planning Committee Date: Thursday, November 26, 2009 Time: 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Location: TBA

May 28, 2009 Aldergrove Planning Committee Minutes K.

ROUND TABLE

L.

NEXT MEETING Date:

Aldergrove Core Visioning and Design Charrette Saturday, June 6, 2009 Location: Rotary Field House - Aldergrove Athletic Park Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. M.

TERMINATE Moved by A. MacDougall, Seconded by R. Daems, That the meeting terminate at 9:31 p.m. CARRIED CERTIFIED CORRECT:

Chair, Maureen Robinson Aldergrove Planning Committee

-5-