Some significant proposals under consideration by Surrey council are markers along the path to growth and change.
The most dramatic is a proposal to build a brand new road through valuable farmland. Council is looking at a suggestion to extend 72 Avenue from 152 Street to 176 Street, intersecting a number of very productive farms and plowing right through the midst of the Agricultural Land Reserve. A new bridge across the Serpentine River would also be necessary. Total cost would be at least $95 million.
Such a road would put enormous pressure on the farms, but also on areas of Surrey that, at present, have less through-traffic. This includes an isolated area near 160 Street, north of 64 Avenue; 168 Street; and possibly the southern end of Fleetwood.
One potential positive would be a new bike route with no hills, should the city decide to include cyclists in its thinking – something that isn’t always a guarantee in Surrey. The city has many poor bike routes – which are a menace and a danger – and routes that don’t accommodate cyclists at all.
Another report to council on Monday noted that new home construction is shifting predominantly to multi-family. Such projects are up 38 per cent in the first quarter of 2023, while there has been a decline of 44 per cent in detached home construction.
This is not surprising considering the very high cost of land, and the emphasis on density. Much is heard about density along the new SkyTrain line, but all areas of Surrey are seeing more multi-family construction. Most of this is to be owner-occupied, but there are also some much-needed rental units under construction.
New housing is desperately needed, as is a reduction in prices. Housing is unaffordable for more and more people as the years go by. This includes both owners and renters.
Another significant proposal calls for a reduction in parking requirements for new market rental complexes. This follows a study of parking requirements for such projects, and also for multi-family projects (both rental and owner-occupied) along rapid transit corridors.
The suggestion is being made to speed the development process, and try to meet Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation aims to speed up construction of rental units.
It will also reduce the overall costs to developers, who will not have to pay for more parking spots than needed. Given the high cost of land this is a significant change.
An amendment to the city’s zoning bylaw will be required for the reduction to parking requirements to go ahead.
All of these proposals and changes are clear evidence of Surrey’s continuing growth and the ever-increasing demand for housing here.
The city needs to continue to make it easier for rental housing to be built and for people to be able to get around – but at the same time it needs to respect the ALR and ensure that farming remains viable in Surrey. It isn’t an easy process to be one of the fastest-growing cities and at the same time ensure that agriculture has a future, but that is what necessary.
Frank Bucholtz writes twice a month for Black Press Media.