Kelowna 2030 - City of Kelowna

Welcome to Kelowna 2030:
The Greening Our Future initiative seeks broad community and stakeholder input to focus the City of Kelowna’s Official
Community Plan on sustainability.
A Two Phase Process
This OCP review has two phases.
Phase 1 will clarify community goals and
will review policies related to land use and
development, using a sustainability filter to assess
and update that policy.
Phase 1 began in April and will be completed by
October 2008.
The City of Kelowna OCP Review
The City of Kelowna’s “Official Community Plan” is
now being reviewed and updated, and comments
are invited from all who wish to participate.
The new OCP will provide strong direction on
future land use and development patterns, with a
focus on growth management and sustainability.
The OCP review process will:
• Clarify the City’s vision and sustainability goals
• Establish principles for land use and development
as they relate to sustainability goals
• Identify existing policies that are consistent with
the land use and development focus of this OCP
• Consider and develop new policies, as needed
• Integrate public and stakeholder input into all
phases of the review
Phase 2 will begin in late 2008, with completion
planned for late 2009 / early 2010.
Phase 2 will generate detailed policies to ensure
that land use, development, transportation, and
infrastructure patterns are shaped to help achieve
the goals and objectives identified in Phase 1.
The Kelowna OCP Review will help us answer the
following questions:
•
What will Kelowna look like in 2030?
•
Will we grow upward or outward?
•
Will there be enough affordable housing?
•
Will we have ample green space?
•
How can we provide sustainable transportation?
What other questions should we focus on?
Place a post-it note here with your ideas:
What is
An Offical Community Plan is a guiding document that provides vision, goals, strategies, and policies for future
community development.
How will we ensure OCP policies relate to
sustainability?
Throughout the OCP review, staff, council, and
the consulting team will examine relationships
between sustainability goals and land use,
development, and transportation. By thoroughly
exploring these relationships we will assess the
relevance of existing OCP policies, make necessary
revisions, and develop new policy.
Official Community Plan
An Official Community Plan (OCP) is a City bylaw
that defines policies for land use and development.
An OCP takes a long range view, through to 2030, to
ensure that the needs of current and new residents
can be accommodated in that period.
Who uses an OCP? Who does it affect?
Council, city staff, developers, citizens and
professionals use the OCP to understand what
the community wants as it relates to the delivery
of housing and other land uses (types, character),
transportation services, infrastructure and amenities.
An OCP also indicates which areas are suitable for
development and which are not (environmentally
sensitive areas, steep slopes, hazardous areas, etc.).
Why is there such a focus on land use and
development policy?
How does an OCP help us reach community
goals?
Provincial legislation (Local Government Act)
outlines the purpose, required content and
discretionary content of an OCP. The purpose
of an OCP, under this legislation, is a “statement
of objectives and policies to guide decisions on
planning and land use management.”
All municipal policies, plans and regulations must
be in alignment with the OCP Bylaw, so it is a
powerful guide to City decision-making.
This OCP Review seeks to integrate or “hardwire”
sustainability into all decisions and create greater
alignment of relevant City policies, programs, and
projects.
Why is Kelowna’s OCP being updated now?
This is a regularly scheduled OCP review, looking
forward to 2030, updating policies to reflect current
challenges related to climate change, growth,
affordability concerns and sustainability.
The Planning Process
Stay Involved! We want to hear from you. Check www.kelowna2030.ca for opportunities to provide input.
The review of the Official Community Plan (OCP) Phase 1 started in late April and wraps up in October.
Vision
Our first step is to clarify the community’s vision and goals for a more sustainable future. The second step will be to
determine how land use, development and transportation policies can help achieve the vision and goals.
Kelowna’s Vision
The City’s vision statement states:
“Kelowna is a vibrant city where the agricultural and beautiful natural setting,
community spirit, economic stability, and stewardship of the environment
enhance the quality of life for residents.”
(from the City of Kelowna’s Strategic Plan 2004)
If you do not think the vision statement is complete, tell us what is missing.
Place a post-it note here with your ideas:
City of Kelowna’s Definition of Sustainability:
“Providing services and infrastructure to our community in a way
that improves the capacity of future generations and other species,
people and places to meet their own needs”.
A clear set of sustainability goals help to outline future direction
for Kelowna’s development.
Sustainability
Draft Goal 1. Natural Environment: Protect, maintain, or enhance
natural areas, biodiversity, and ecosystem values.
Draft Goal 2. Energy, Climate Change, Air Quality: Address
the causes and impacts of climate change and poor air quality.
CHALLENGES:
CHALLENGES:
• Ecosystem productivity is in decline worldwide, largely due to human practices.
• Climate change may result in unusual rainfall events (causing winter floods) and
summer droughts (causing water shortages).
• Species at risk are predominantly related to historical loss of wetland, forest and
grassland habitat to urbanization, cultivation and invasion of alien species.
• Pests (e.g. pine beetle) can destroy local ecosystems & natural resources.
• City policy stresses protection of the natural environment. However, increased
growth and development could threaten natural areas and ecosystem function.
SUSTAINABILITY:
Land use and development patterns - such as urban
sprawl - deteriorate green space and ecosystem
function if encroached upon. Compact and dense
development can limit impacts on natural areas.
Natural areas are impacted by climate change. Climatesensitive transportation and energy policies are also
beneficial to local ecosystems
Innovative urban design can increase the amount
of green space in our cities through green roofs,
waterwise gardens, and boulevards for street trees.
• The region’s agricultural systems and economies face changes caused by disruptions
to the length of growing seasons.
• Increasing costs of oil are expected to affect communities that are heavily dependent
on the automobile as a primary transportation mode.
• Higher energy costs impact residents through increased home heating and cooling
costs and businesses (e.g. farming) using fuel and fertilizers.
SUSTAINABILITY:
The amount and type of energy used in transportation
and buildings has a significant impact on both climate
change and air quality.
Energy sources used influence the construction, cost,
and location of infrastructure for generating and
delivering energy.
A community’s economic development is strongly
influenced by energy costs.
Land uses determine the distances and movement
patterns between homes, jobs and recreational spaces.
Post your ideas here regarding goals, challenges, or sustainability issues:
Sustainability
Draft Goal 3. Resource Use & Disposal:
Conserve resources and reduce waste.
Draft 4. Water:
Maintain water quality and ensure long-term water supply.
CHALLENGES:
CHALLENGES:
• Despite recycling programs, the volume of waste continues to increase due to
growing populations and a robust economy.
• Water supply shortages may occur due to increasing demand and/or climate change.
• As land values increase, sites for new landfills become more difficult to find.
• More emphasis on reuse and recycling of waste materials is likely, as population
and consumption growth exert pressure on limited natural resources.
• Landfills and transportation for waste disposal contribute to greenhouse gas
emissions and poor air quality.
SUSTAINABILITY:
Household and commercial recycling and composting
programs contribute to a signficant reduction in
landfill waste disposal.
Environmental protection policies promote the
regulation of waste disposal through prohibiting toxins
and other pollutants from disrupting ecosystems.
Various small and large scale infrastructure systems
are available for converting waste into raw materials,
energy, or nutrients.
Post your ideas here regarding goals, challenges, or sustainability issues:
• Water shortages and more complex treatment may lead to higher water service costs
and encourage a rise in personal water conservation.
• With an increase in urban development, groundwater quality may be at risk if urban
stormwater runoff is not treated or infiltrated.
• As population grows and the number of residents serviced with sanitary sewer
increases the impact to Okanagan Lake will continue to increase.
• Local economies are dependent on a consistent water supply. In extreme cases,
water shortages can shut down operations in local business and disrupt tourism.
SUSTAINABILITY:
Ecosystem features (such as wetlands) clean runoff,
providing water protection that is superior and less
expensive than human-made infrastructure systems.
Watershed based planning and increased awareness
may enhance water quality protection in the future.
Ground water quality can be protected through urban
design strategies such as landscaping and designing
buildings with a focus on stormwater infiltration.
Okanagan Lake water quality will need to be protected
by best management practices and technology to
remove phosphorous and nitrogen from sewer effluent.
Sustainability
Draft Goal 5. Health & Wellness: Promote health, safety, and
wellness for residents and visitors.
CHALLENGES:
• An aging population.
Draft 6. Community: Promote a fair and caring community
through equal opportunity, honouring diversity, and
accessibility of basic needs.
CHALLENGES:
• Concerns over potential pandemics.
• Cost increases for medical care.
• Land values may continue to rise, causing shortages of affordable housing and an increase
in homelessness.
• Rising incidence of chronic diseases.
• Local jobs and wages have not kept pace with the cost of living.
• Motorized transportation, technology, and a rise in sedentary lifestyles have
dramatically reduced physical activity.
• As prices rise, access to nutritious food may be limited.
SUSTAINABILITY:
High-quality urban design contributes to safe, walkable
communities where residents and visitors have an
opportunity to interact with natural features and
recreation opportunities.
Community facilities are well-located and provide
health and wellness programs and activities for all ages.
Environmental protection of green space contributes
to the psychological and physical health and wellbeing
of residents and adds to the opportunity for social
interaction and cultural activities.
Post your ideas here regarding goals, challenges, or sustainability issues:
SUSTAINABILITY:
Innovative land use policy would allow a mix of
residential building types in an area, providing a
neighbourhood for all ages and incomes.
Local economic development encourages diversity in
business types and owners.
Food production in urban areas builds community
through bringing residents together to garden, visit
markets, share meals, and contribute to food banks.
Maintenance of local agricultural production capability
will help defray costs of transportation, reduce air
pollution and provide access to quality produce / fruit.
Sustainability
Draft Goal 7. Culture: Create a sense of place through celebrating
Kelowna’s unique history, culture, identity, and arts.
Draft Goal 8. Economy: Promote and maintain a strong, stable
and expanding economy that supports local, sustainable business
opportunities and growth, including sustainable civic finances.
CHALLENGES:
CHALLENGES:
• Culture is changing rapidly as global travel, immigration, and emigration
increase.
• More and more communities are becoming “nowhere places” as they fail to
develop a unique sense of place, often accommodating a high number of
national or international franchise-type businesses.
• Land use can affect a community’s ability to protect culture and heritage. When
land values and competition over use intensifies, heritage and cultural sites are
sometimes lost.
SUSTAINABILITY:
• Increasing energy costs will likely have a variety of impacts on BC’s economy.
• An increase in the centralization of companies could make local communities
more vulnerable to changes.
• The availability of resources for production will likely be limited.
SUSTAINABILITY:
Local economies can benefit from technology and
infrastructure that recovers valuable materials from
waste products.
Urban design of public spaces allows residents
and visitors to experience social interactions and
memorable moments in a unique setting within the
community.
A strong connection between housing and commercial
land uses allows us to create compact neighbourhoods
that contribute to the local economy.
There is a rising awareness about the importance of
protecting heritage and cultural resources.
Triple bottom line accounting for civic financing is
essential to ensuring that environmental, social and
economic factors are balanced.
Opportunities to honour culture and heritage often
arise through community centres where several
uses can co-exist at once, creating a diverse blend of
programs.
New technologies may be adopted in order to increase
production efficiency in the face of rising costs, along
with increased emphasis on product stewardship.
Post your ideas here regarding goals, challenges, or sustainability issues:
Population
From 1976 - 2006, the City’s population grew at an average annual growth rate of 2.6%. City population more than doubled
from 50,000 in 1973 (after amalgamation) to 106,707 at the May 2006 Census. Current population is estimated at 113,000.
• In the early 1980’s Kelowna’s population increased at a rate of only 0.7% per year.
• In the early 1990s, population grew at an annual rate of 6%.
• Growth slowed to just over 2% per year through the mid to late 1990’s and early 2000’s.
The predicted growth rate in the chart below is based on a 1.57% average growth rate between 2006 and 2030.
City of Kelowna Population Projection to 2030
Growth Scenario - City
180,000
158,042
(Proj)
160,000
140,000
Population
120,000
106,707
100,000
89,442
80,000
117,351
(Proj)
128,803
(Proj)
139,581
(Proj)
149,481
(Proj)
96,288
75,950
60,000
51,955
40,000
20,000
59,196
61,213
19,415
0
1971
Census
1976
1981
1986
Census Census Census
1991
1996
Census Census
2001
2006
Census Census
Year
2010
(Proj)
2015
(Proj)
2020
(Proj)
2025
(Proj)
2030
(Proj)
Population & Housing
Our estimates show that by 2030 a total population of 158,042 would require 20,876 new housing units.
Year
New Population
Number of New Units
Single /Two Multiple
Units
Units*
Total
Resort
Units**
2006 - 2010
12,991
1,552
1,552
3,104
300
2011 - 2015
11,295
2,311
2,823
5,134
500
2016 - 2020
10,682
1,978
2,967
4,945
500
2021 - 2025
9,600
1,794
2,692
4,484
500
2026 - 2030
6,767
1,283
1,924
3,207
400
24 Year Total
51,335
8,918
11,958
20,876
2,200
*Includes apartments and townhouses
**Resort Multiple Units means aparment hotel suites or vacation homes (may not be occupied year round).
These units are in addition to the 20,876 unit count required to service population growth.
Growth
Our demographic profile has changed over the years:
• Seniors (65 +) now outnumber children (under 15)
• The average number of people per family and per
household has decreased
Population under 15 years of age
Population Data 1 (1981-2006)
Population over 65 years of age
20%
19%
18%
17%
16%
15%
The general trend in household size is down, based on a
decline in overall birth rates, an increase in death rates and
increase in divorce.
14%
1981
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
This trend will be moderated by an increase in blended
families, sharing and elderly dependency.
Persons per family unit
Population Data 2 (1981-2006)
Persons per household
3.2
3
Average household sizes in Kelowna are expected to be
slightly lower than in the region as a whole due to the City’s
higher proportion of seniors, many of whom live in single
person households.
• 24 Year Average Household Size (2006 - 2030) – 2.18 persons per unit
(BC Stats projection for RDCO is for an average household size of 2.23.)
2.8
2.6
2.4
2.2
2
1981
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
Sustainability Goals
Which Sustainability Goals are most important to you?
Vote by placing your 10 chips under what you think are the most important goals below!
Natural Environment:
Protect, maintain, or enhance
natural areas, biodiversity, and
ecosystem values.
1
Energy, Climate Change
& Air Quality:
Address the causes and
impacts of climate change and
poor air quality.
2
Resource Use & Disposal:
Water:
Conserve resources and reduce
waste.
Maintain water quality and
ensure long-term water supply.
3
4
Are there other goals (not included in the list above) that you think are important? Place your comments in this space:
Sustainability Goals
Which Sustainability Goals are most important to you?
Vote by placing your 10 chips under what you think are the most important goals below!
Health & Wellness:
Community:
Culture:
Economy:
Promote health, safety, and
wellness for residents and
visitors.
Promote a fair and caring
community through equal
opportunity, honouring
diversity, and accessibility of
basic needs.
Create a sense of place through
celebrating Kelowna”s unique
history, culture, identity, and
arts.
Promote and maintain a strong,
stable economy that supports
local, sustainable business
opportunities and growth.
7
8
5
6
Are there other goals (not included in the list above) that you think are important? Place your comments in this space:
Survey #1
Survey #1 focused on goals and issues that are important to you and your community.
Survey Summary
• The survey ran from April 22 to May 25, 2008.
• 1106 people entered the survey
• 799 people completed all survey questions
• A detailed report of survey results will be posted on the website in June.
How long have you lived in Kelowna?
Where do you live?
How many people, including yourself, live in your household?
Please indicate your age:
Survey #1 Comments on City of Kelowna’s Vision Statement
“Kelowna is a vibrant city where the agricultural and beautiful natural setting, community spirit, economic stability, and stewardship of the environment enhance the
quality of life for residents.”
306 participants responded that something was missing from the vision statement.
Top Issues
• Affordability
• Environmental stewardship
• Wildlife preservation
• Diversity
• Small city feel / Limits to growth • Safety • Health
• Family-oriented • Transportation initiatives • Alternative energy
• Inclusive for “all” residents • Arts & Culture
• Recreation
• Sustainability
Idea Clusters
• I do believe that the Mission Statement is complete
and remains relevant as long as Municipal
Politicians adhere to it.
• Alternate energy and transportation initiatives
• Community spirit and “appreciation of the arts”
• Limits on growth
• Sustainability, being a model city for others to
follow, and culturally vibrant.
• Enhance the HEALTH and quality of life for
ALL residents. ALL DECISIONS ARE MADE IN
CONSIDERATION OF PRESERVING THIS QUALITY OF
LIFE FOR THE NEXT SEVEN GENERATIONS.
• A progressive stand on new and viable energy
supplies
• I think that one of the main priorities in this
statement should be wildlife preservation and
awareness.
• It should say “for all residents”.
• A city where minimizing environmental footprint is
a guiding force
• “small city character”.
• The Natural Environment is the foundation of our
community’s prosperity and quality of life, and
we will protect it as we would our most valuable
possessions.
• This city is not well thought out and I know from
living here for almost 50 years that when the
planners give an idea, it is rejected if it isn’t in
accordance with the developer. I believe that the
developers, NOT the residents are controlling this
city and that development is based on who can pay
the most.
• Add something about recreation - skiing, biking,
swimming, boating...all kinds of outdoors
activities attract residents and tourists alike to our
city.
• Kelowna is a vibrant DIVERSE city
• Kelowna works towards sustainability to
maintain its high quality of life for future
generations.
• Road & traffic flow systems have not kept pace
with population growth.
• Safe community
Characteristics of the
There is general agreement that the following issues are important, and that the City doesn’t do very well on them right now. These
issues will need attention in the OCP review. Feedback is needed on what the City can do to improve performance in these areas:
Does Kelowna embody this?
Yes
No
Affordable
Effective Transportation System
0
0
33
21
Good Traffic Flow
0
19
Environmentally Friendly/Responsible
0
18
Pedestrian Friendly
0
5
Public Access to Waterfront
0
4
Family Friendly
0
4
Place your comments in this space:
There is general agreement that the following issues are important, but mixed reviews on how well the City is doing
in response. What about each of these areas do residents feel is being done well? What isn’t being done well?
Does Kelowna embody this?
Yes
No
Parks/Green Space
33
27
Safe/low crime
17
30
Clean
22
12
Community Spirit/ Sense of Community
20
17
Sustainable
17
5
Bicycle Friendly
12
17
Place your comments in this space:
There is agreement that the following are important. OCP policies should aim to retain or enhance these features.
Does Kelowna embody this?
Yes
No
Natural Setting/Beauty
42
0
Friendly
14
0
Recreation
12
0
Culture
11
0
Place your comments in this space:
Survey #1 When it comes to land use, development and transportation matters in Kelowna,
what is one BIG, BOLD CHANGE that you would recommend to create a more sustainable city?
Top Issues
• Support for Increased Density
• Limit and/or Monitor High-rise Development
• Roads - Increased Capacity / Improved Design / Bypass
• Slow the Rate of Growth / Development • Limit Green Space / ALR / Hillside Development • Improvements to Pedestrian and Bicycle Network
• Locate Density Downtown
• Access to Affordable Housing
• Improvements to Transportation System
• Preservation of Green Space
• Preserve Public Lake Access
• Address governance concerns
Support for Increased Density
Support for Slowing the Rate of Growth and/or Development
• Less sprawl...more densely developed core with corner stores, and more transit so
that people walk and are taking ownership/pride in their communities.
• Cap our population as other cities have done
• Minimize our footprint by growing upwards instead of sprawling outwards
• Create higher density areas to alleviate use for cars in favour of walking. City now
is spread too far for efficient day-to-day living.
• Stop the development! Stop issuing permits and take time to assess what has
changed and how it has affected the ordinary citizen.
• Prohibit any more growth. I feel that sustainable development is an oxymoron
unless steps are taken to reduce our demands on the land we use. hence, the big
bold change is to stop allowing people to come to Kelowna.
Limit and/or Monitor High-rise Development
• Push high-end high-rises away from the lake. Leave the lakeshore for everyone’s
use.
• Less high-rise development in the downtown core.
• Building height restrictions
• Stop high rise development. Make it human scale.
Limit Development of Green Space / ALR / Hillsides
• Stop hillside and suburban development
• Moratorium on building outside the pre-existing residential boundaries.
Particularly a total ban on building up the face of the south slopes.
• Stop growing “out”. We need to preserve our hillsides, agricultural land and wild
spaces for future generations.
Locate Density Downtown
• Have a mixture of graduated high rise 4 to 25 storeys as you move east from
the lake which would incorporate a combination of storefronts, offices, and
apartment housing along with pedestrian friendly green space malls.
• Limit new development 15 minutes’ drive or farther from downtown. Encourage
densification downtown and central Kelowna.
Affordable Housing
• More affordable housing. Housing in Kelowna is geared toward the wealthy,
such as high end resort style living and soaring housing costs.
• With the leaning towards “luxury living” units being built no young person
starting our or even a young family can afford to buy their first home and wages
are not keeping up with the cost of living.
Survey #1 When it comes to land use, development and transportation matters in Kelowna,
what is one BIG, BOLD CHANGE that you would recommend to create a more sustainable city?
Improvements to Transportation System
• More options for transportation between communities and other cities and more
convenient bus stops and schedules for everyday families...instead of cars.
• Public Transport! A low number of people riding the bus doesn’t mean the
demand is low, it means the system is not worth using.
• Decrease the emphasis on “the car” with it’s continual growth of roads, parking
Preservation of Green Space
• Define a ‘green belt’ (ALR, parks, etc.) around city
• Encourage “eco-friendly” areas within all neighbourhoods. This does not mean
groomed parks but rather wild areas that will encourage and sustain wildlife.
• Keep existing green space and encourage developers to ensure there will always
be places for people to explore and animals to live in!
lots, traffic jams and pollution.
Roads - Increased Capacity / Improved Design / Bypass
• Road system must continue to be improved. We can’t and shouldn’t close the
doors here, so we better plan effectively for vehicle movement.
• Hwy 97 should be redesigned with over passes, or other ways to move traffic.
• A bypass for “through” traffic, instead of forcing everyone through the long strip
Preserve Public Lake Access
• Prevent private ownership of lakefront property. (Ex. Kalamalka Lake.) Okanagan
Lake is invaluable to our valley and without it Kelowna could not exist.
• Open beach access to all. Private property owners should not have the right to
restrict access to public land, especially with such a limited resource.
• The City needs to be brave and preserve the public access to the water and public
lands for our future
mall we call a highway.
Improvements to Pedestrian and Bicycle Network
• Keep a lot of “green space” type areas that incorporate walk-ways for pedestrians,
cycling paths, helping to promote less use of vehicles.
• A car-free downtown core, possibly only Bernard Avenue, from the Sails to Ellis St.
• Strongly support, through subsidies and support, the use of bicycles and electric
bicycles as a preferred mode of transportation.
Governance Concerns
• Slow down development so it is in the hands of council rather than of developers.
Means abiding by OCP and Strategic Plan instead of amending pretty much on
demand.
• City leadership needs to get as many individuals motivated & interested in
becoming engaged in this discourse - a daunting task in our very cynical political
age
• The City needs to look at other cities who are sustainable. Growth at Kelowna’s
rate will destroy our city.
Survey #1 How important are the following sustainability goals to you?
Natural Environment: Protect, maintain, or enhance natural areas, biodiversity, and ecosystem values.
Energy, Climate Change, Air Quality: Address the causes and impacts of climate change and poor air quality.
Resource Use & Disposal: Conserve resources and reduce waste.
Water: Maintain water quality and ensure long-term water supply.
Health & Wellness: Promote health, safety, and wellness for residents and visitors.
Community: Promote a fair and caring community through equal opportunity, honouring diversity, and accessibility of basic needs.
Culture: Create a sense of place through celebrating Kelowna’s unique history, culture, identity, and arts.
Economy: Promote and maintain a strong, stable economy that supports local, sustainable business opportunities and growth.
Ratio Measure
Relative Weighting
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
Relative scale
1
based on order of 0.5
importance.
0
Natural
Environment
Energy,
Climate
Change, Air
Quality
Resource
Use &
Disposal
Water
Health &
Wellness
Community
Culture
Economy
Survey #1 Do you think that the way development has occurred over the past 10 years is ‘sustainable’?
Top Issues
• Urban Sprawl
• Rapid Growth
• Unaffordable
• “Too much, too fast”
Do you think that the way transportation infrastructure has been provided over the past
10 years is ‘sustainable’?
Top Suggestions
• Public transit
• Alternative technology
• Bypass
• Cycling & walking
• Cluster development
Idea Clusters
• We need park and rides from our urban sprawl to take workers in and out of the city
core
• More public transit. Hybrid vehicles for every civic truck/car. Electric cars for small
low distance use vehicles. Charge, and charge more, for parking to generate
investment revenue for these services.
• Re-route hwy 97. Build a second bridge and expand roads on west side of bridge
• Too much emphasis on serving the car - meeting immediate needs but not
sustainable for the very long term
• Future networks must not, predominately, be built for cars or development, they
must be built to get people around when their needs cant be met in their immediate
local community. In other words, dont build me a road to get to Wal-Mart, rather
encourage a diverse collection of local businesses in my town core that I can walk,
cycle to, thereby supporting local people and decreasing dependancy on the larger
transportation infrastructure as a whole.
• Transit seems to be very sporadic
• Add buses and bus routes. Add bike lanes. Prevent new development that is in caronly locations.
• Need to expand arterial roadways to allow parallel grid patterns wherever possible.
No new “single” access development should be approved. Every new development,
of more than 5 units, should be required to provide a 5% of value “grant” to the city
to promote new transit and “green” tranportation alternatives.
• Further bike routes, more walkable streets. Design around the cyclist, pedestrian,
and bus rather than the single car.
• Plan development around transportation hubs- more bus loops close to highdensity dwellings, with coordinating cycle and walking pathways.
• The public transit is not reliable so people opt out of using the transit system. Not all
routes have a bike lane, need more bike lanes.
• Better traffic management and flow control. More high volume corridors to move
people around town.
Survey #1 Do you think that the city should do more to ensure that future development is sustainable?
Top Issues
• Preservation of Green Space
• Preserve agricultural land
• Incentives & Regulations
• Green Development
• Support for Increased Density
• Public Input
• Long-term Planning
• Affordability
• Slow the Rate of Growth / Development
• Improvements to Transportation System
Idea Clusters
Support for Increased Density
Incentives & Regulations
• The City should not be continuing to zone to allow expansion of commercial along
the highway 97 but should encourage redevelopment and densification of existing
commercial properties both downtown and within the existing town centers.
• Encourage green initiatives - if it’s free to park with an eco vehicle then there should be
more incentives for building or converting to green development practices.
• Densify in town centres, allow mixed uses in town centre zones, stop building into the
hillsides
• The medium density buildings in the town centre are a good idea.
• More density in the Urban Development zones and develop a clear and concise plan
for the affordable housing situation in this town. Not just a unit here and there in a new
development.
• Changing zoning and land use rules to allow more mixed use and density in town
centres
• Give incentives for LEED buildings, densify the downtown, promote green spaces and
rooftop gardens.
• Green development project should be rewarded, e.g. creating a department that will
only deal with green development so that it will processed speedily.
• change to sliding property tax scale to encourage development downtown and make
suburban development uneconomical
• More initiatives for developers to take on sustainable and affordable practices.
• Provide incentives for developers to include “affordable” housing in each and every
development.
• Allow more mix-use high density developments that will provide people a chance to
live and shop without using their car.
Long-term Planning
• Worry less about how many expensive homes can be placed on the mountain sides,
thus spreading the city out even further, and concentrate on high density, centralized
development.
• We should always be thinking at least 7 generations ahead in our every deliberation
(traditional saying of the Iroquois people). Our children and grandchildren will inherit
our decisions and the consequences of them.
• Encourage dense developments that encourage use of public service, more building
downtown, taller buildings, and no far away spread developments such as quail tower
ranch.
• Setting a plan and sticking to it. Planning to include long range population projections
rather than short term.
• Plan for the future, see far down the road as far as planning goes.