Anmore South Community Engagement

An OCP amendment and Neighbourhood Plan process involves multiple jurisdictions, process steps and decision points.

The following overview of the planning and regulatory process highlights the general requirements from submission of the application to final approvals before development can take place. It is important to note, that there are also multiple steps to complete each requirement.

The planning process itself can take several years, and if approved, a development of this scope is generally implemented in a phased manner over 25+ years.

KEY DECISION POINTS OVERVIEW

Council Gives First Reading to OCP Amendment Bylaw No. 686-2023

At the Regular Council Meeting on December 5, 2023, Council gave first reading to the Official Community Plan (OCP) Amendment Bylaw No. 686-2023, which relates to icona Properties Ltd.’s application for the Anmore South lands, which was submitted in May 2023. First reading starts a comprehensive exploratory process to consider the amendment and what it means to Anmore.

It’s important to note that First Reading does not mean Council will approve the proposed amendment. This multiple-step process will take time, as it involves a broad range of studies and assessments – from traffic analysis, infrastructure impacts, environmental and archeological impacts, to amenity requirements and financial considerations. As well, this application would require a change to the regional land use designation, which involves a comprehensive review process, including consultation with the community as a priority along with additional analysis of how the development could affect the community.

As an initial step to gain additional insight into what is being proposed and what the process would involve, Council held a Committee of the Whole meeting on January 9, 2024. Representatives from Metro Vancouver, Placemark Design Studio (icona’s community planning consultants) and Mickelson Consulting Inc. attended the meeting to share their expertise and respond to questions.

Council Approves Community Engagement Plan

At the February 20, 2024 Regular Council meeting, Council approved the Community Engagement Plan recommendations submitted by Mickelson Consulting Inc. The community engagement is focused on the OCP Amendment Bylaw No. 686-2023 and the Anmore South Neighbourhood Plan proposed by icona. These recommendations provide a guide for how the Village will inform and engage the community. The targeted outcomes, primary audiences and methodology are designed to support an informed community and to provide opportunities to ask questions and share ideas, input and feedback.

While icona has done its own community engagement on its application, the Village has not yet started its own process. A Village-led process is an important part of the review, consideration and decision-making for an application like the one put forward for Anmore South, along with technical studies and other inputs.

The primary audience is the Anmore community, including residents, Anmore Committee members and local organizations. Other interested and affected organizations would also be included in the engagement process. The recommended approach includes adhering to International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) values and principles for community engagement, and providing multiple opportunities for residents and other interested audiences to stay informed and share their input.

This includes sharing information about the process and what is being learned through studies, analysis and discussion, with subject matter experts available to share their findings and answer questions. The Village will use a mix of tactics to communicate, including the Anmore Advisor, direct mail, email notifications and the Village website and Facebook page.

To hear from the community, the approach includes multiple methods for individuals and organizations to provide their input, including workshops, neighbourhood meetings, open houses, surveys and feedback forms.

It’s also important to report back to the community on what was learned through the engagement and how that information is being applied. The community engagement timing will align with the planning process underway.

Council Approves Neighbourhood Plan Terms of Reference

At the Regular Council Meeting on December 5, 2023, Council gave first reading to the Official Community Plan (OCP) Amendment Bylaw No. 686.2023, which relates to icona Properties Ltd.’s application for the Anmore South lands. First reading starts a comprehensive exploratory process to consider the amendment and what it means to Anmore.

In addition to the process to consider the OCP Bylaw amendment, a Neighbourhood Plan is also being developed, which outlines in more detail what can – and cannot – be included in future development. The Terms of Reference that will guide the development of the Neighbourhood Plan were approved by Council at the March 19, 2024 Council Meeting.

Phase 1 Community Engagement Complete

Please review the Community Engagement Summary Report for an overview of the outcomes from this initial round of community engagement. The first phase of the Village-led community engagement included:

- Open House (May 2024) to provide an overview of the OCP Amendment Application, Neighbourhood Plan terms of reference and the planning process.

- Workshops (June 2024) to meet in smaller groups to provide an overview of the planning process and give residents the opportunity to share their perpsectives on the property owner's vision for the area, and to discuss some of the core components of the Neighbourhood Plan: housing forms and choices; traffic and transportation; parks and natural areas; and shops, services and facilities.

- Technical Open House (June 2024) to share outcomes from the initial studies completed in Phase 1 and provide an opportunity for residents to meet with the subject matter experts and ask questions. The following technical studies were presented at the Technical Open House on June 25, 2024:

• Community Facilities Inventory
• Existing Engineering Inventory
• Geotechnical Investigation Report
• Environmental Baseline Assessment
• Archeological Impact Assessment
• Initial Transportation Study Memo
• Retail Market Analysis
• OCP Application Fiscal Impact Analysis
• OCP Application Economic Impact Analysis
• Phase 1 Physical Inventory and Constraints Summary

Key Takeaways

Phase 1 community engagement takeaways included:

• Housing Forms and Choices – Need to diversify housing mix, reduce density, minimize visual impact, cluster development, and be consistent with Anmore’s character.
• Transportation – Need to reduce new traffic volumes, prioritize safe streets, promote public transit, diversify active transportation, and consider off-site roads.
• Parks and Natural Areas – Need to retain forest character, improve park program and distribution, expand park amenities, connect parks with a network of trails, and protect wildlife habitat.
• Shops, Services and Facilities – Need to provide a neighbourhood heart, create amenities for Anmore, establish recreational facilities, promote financial sustainability, and strengthen village character.

There were also comments from residents who indicated they do not want higher density on the property and would prefer to see it developed under the current zoning with one-acre lots. Thank you to everyone who participated in Phase 1 engagement and for your thoughtful input. Your feedback was considered as part of the work to develop the three preliminary Anmore South land use scenario options submitted.

Phase 2: Council Approves Land Use Scenario for Evaluation in Phase 3

The Village of Anmore is moving forward to Phase 3 of the review process for the Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment application and Neighbourhood Plan for Anmore South. Phase 3 involves multiple, detailed technical studies, including traffic and transportation impact assessments, financial analysis, servicing requirements assessments and other studies that will help to determine how the preferred land use scenario would affect Anmore.

Anmore Council met at a Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday October 29, 2024 to discuss three proposed land use scenarios submitted by Placemark Design Studio (icona Properties’ community planning consultants). All three land use scenario options have a mix of housing types (apartments, townhomes and single-detached houses). They also have similar layouts due to the topography, creeks and other protected environmental areas throughout the property; however, the amount of housing in each option varies, ranging from 3,500 homes to 1,990 homes. Council reviewed the land use scenario options, discussed the technical studies and community input from Phase 1 and provided direction on a preferred scenario for the Anmore South lands. Council’s preferred land use scenario is based primarily on Option 3, which had the lowest population density, but with some adjustments, including increasing the number of homes slightly to provide more park space while respecting the character of Anmore. It is important to note that the preferred land use scenario could change in the future based on what is learned from the Phase 3 technical studies and community engagement – it is not the final plan. When making the decision about a preferred land use scenario for Phase 3, Council members discussed a number of considerations and noted the following potential benefits for the community:

• additional housing options to attract younger families and seniors such as market and non-market rental, townhomes, and smaller homes on smaller lots;
• additional transit and other modes of transportation;
• water and sewer connections brought to Anmore South, with the opportunity to install infrastructure that has the capacity to serve the entire community in future if needed;
• more active parks and recreation opportunities, including a potential partnership with School District 43 to improve existing amenities at Anmore Elementary School; and
• commercial services in the community to support basic, daily necessities.

Council’s preferred land use scenario will also include a new street connection to Crystal Creek Drive and a 15-metre tree buffer between existing and new neighbourhoods that border the property. For more details about Phase 2 and next steps for Phase 3, please refer to the Phase 2 Community Flyer.

The map below highlights the changes requested by Council:

Council Approves Phase 3 Community Engagement Plan

At the February 4, 2025 Regular Council Meeting, Council endorsed the Anmore South OCP Amendment Application Phase 3 Community Engagement Plan.

Phase 3 of the Anmore South OCP Amendment Application and Neighbourhood Plan development involves technical studies and analysis of the Preferred Land Use Plan determined in Phase 2 to assess how the proposed vision for this property would affect Anmore in terms of traffic and transportation, utility requirements, environmental impacts and financial considerations, including property tax impacts, service requirements, economic and employment impacts and a commercial/retail demand analysis. The proposed Phase 3 Community Engagement Plan is aligned with the Anmore South Community Engagement Framework approved by Council and includes informing and consulting the community. This phase of engagement also includes the referral process as per Section 475 of the Local Government Act.

To support broad outreach and participation, the Phase 3 Community Engagement Plan includes a variety of communication tactics to share information about the outcomes of the technical studies and the Preferred Land Use Plan, and to notify target audiences about opportunities to participate in community consultation. The community engagement will involve a mix of tactics to consult with affected audiences, including a referral letter being sent to the list outlined, and an open house and a community survey.

The community engagement process will begin when the technical studies are complete.