Attend a Langley City Village Cafe - Connect with Others, Access Resources, Help Build our Community

We are building a vibrant, healthy, safe, and resilient community in Langley City. We must go beyond business as usual to meet this goal, which means engaging fully with all community members. I've posted about our Citizens Assembly, which will help us improve community safety. This Assembly is only one piece of the puzzle as we develop and implement a comprehensive Social, Cultural and Economic Development Framework for Langley City.

Langley City is inviting community members to attend a series of Village Cafes over the coming months. These cafes will include service agencies, organizations, City staff, and community groups. These drop-in events are free for any member of our community to attend; no registration is required.

At the cafes, you can connect with others, learn more about available services in Langley City, participate in fun community solution labs, and help shape our City's Social, Cultural, and Economic Development Framework.

The City is hosting a series of cafes, as shown below. You can attend as many as you like, as each cafe will have a different focus.

Langley City Village Cafe Poster. Select the image to enlarge.

Friday, May 10
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Timms Community Centre, MPR 2
Focus: Community Health, Wellness, Safety and Belonging

Wednesday, June 12
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Timms Community Centre, MPR 1
Focus: Employment, Education, Training, and Transportation

Friday, June 28
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Linwood Park, 20100 55A Avenue
Focus: Community Building

Tuesday, July 16
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
City Park, 4949 207 Street (Near AAMP Pool)
Focus: A Community Celebration of Langley's Diverse Culture

For more information, please email dkbeno@langleycity.ca.

Langley City Needs Provincial and Federal Action to Increase Housing Supply

Last year, the provincial government introduced the "Housing Supply Act," which enabled the province to set the number of new housing units that the province believes should be built in a municipality over a period of time. They rolled out the housing targets to the first batch of municipalities last year and are now rolling out targets to another 20 municipalities, including Langley City. Eventually, all municipalities in Metro Vancouver will have provincially imposed housing targets.

One of the main reasons for imposing these targets is to get some municipalities to streamline their development approval processes; I've heard horror stories about how it can take years to get a building permit in some municipalities. In Langley City, our development process is speedy and measured in months. However, I've noticed a slowdown in the number of development applications we've received lately.

When I asked some home builders why there has been a slowdown, they told me that interest rates, labour costs, and supply costs are the primary drivers for their slowdown.

I asked them about what government programs have been helpful. They pointed to the federal government's Apartment Construction Loan Program, which provides low-cost financing for rental apartment projects where at least 20% of housing units are priced to what a typical working household could afford. Continuing to make improvements and increasing funding for this program will enable more housing to be built.

BC Housing is the primary funder for traditional affordable housing projects, but it is known that they can be slow. For example, Langley City approved 981 units of seniors-focused affordable housing in 2021 for the Langley Lions Housing Society. It is now 2024, and phase one of the project has just restarted construction. The province must double down on efforts to speed up BC Housing projects.

Langley Lions Housing Society lots sit empty as it waits for phase two funding from BC Housing. Phase one is under construction in the background.

The Langley Regional Airport has out-of-date federal regulations that impose an artificial 12- to 15-storey high limit within most of Langley City, including near SkyTrain stations. We've been talking to the federal government, including going to Ottawa last week, to ask them to remove this artificial limit around our transit-oriented development areas.

Access to low-cost construction financing, slow BC Housing projects, and the Langely Airport's out-of-date high limit restrict housing construction in Langley City.

While municipalities don't build housing, Langley City will continue to do its part to ensure the speedy processing of building applications to ensure people have a place to call home. We will also continue to advocate and partner with the federal and provincial governments to reduce the barriers in our community and enable more housing to be built faster.

New Development Application Notification Process Live in Langley City

If you've been around town lately, you'll likely have seen more Development Application signs on properties. It isn't that there has suddenly been an influx of development applications but that Langley City has updated how we let people know about development proposals.

Until recently, the City notified people about a proposed development when the application was heading to a public hearing. People would get about two weeks' notice. The public hearing was near the end of the City's development approval process.

Our new notification process, which I recently posted that Council approved, starts within 30 days of the City receiving a development proposal.

This process has now gone live.

You'll notice a few things about the new development proposal signs besides the fact that they are being posted longer.

They now have:

• A rendering of the proposal project
• Contact information for the City and the applicant
• A QR code and information about accessing Langley City's Development Application Portal
• Information about when 1st and 2nd Reading of the rezoning/development permit will occur

Langley City's Development Application Portal has information on all active development proposals. On the portal, you can find the current status of proposals, contact information, and the plans and drawings for each proposal.

Langley City Council is striving to provide more information to people in our community that is easy for them to access and understand.

As the provincial government has made public hearings for residential development proposals illegal, we also hope that people will contact City staff and development applicants with their questions, suggestions, or concerns, as this information is now readily available. I expect that folks' questions will be addressed promptly. Because we now provide notice and contact information earlier in the development process, there is a higher chance of being able to address feedback and concerns in the design. I know that Council will be monitoring this.

For transparency, many people ask for development proposals to have a lower density than proposed. If a project is consistent with the density envisioned in our City's Official Community Plan, there is a very low likelihood that the City would recommend lowering the density of a proposal.

This new process will provide more visibility around development applications in our community and allow people more opportunities to get their questions answered or provide feedback to the development applicant or City staff. It will not impact the processing time of development applications in Langley City, and because public hearings are now illegal, it may speed up the processing time by a few weeks.

Langley City Council Approves Committees' 2024 Work Plans

Langley City has around a half dozen committees and task groups. City Council sets up some of these committees and groups to allow them to dive deeper into topics and make recommendations to Council. Council can also delegate to them to perform certain activities, such as the Earth Day event.

Our committees and task groups generally have community members who volunteer their time to serve on them. Their agendas and minutes are on the City's website, and their meetings are open for anyone to attend to listen in.

Council must approve all committee and task group work plans annually. On April 8th, Langley City Council approved the following annual 2024 works plans.

Arts, Recreation, Culture and Heritage Committee

• Facilitate a tile mural on the Rotary Centennial Park washroom building
• Name the road into Rotary Centennial Park
• Plan for 2025 Langley City Film Festival
• Create a Call for Artists and select a Glover Road gateway sculpture
• Plan and hold the 2nd Annual Music and Art in City Park
• Install a plaque or interpretive sign in Douglas Park about James Douglas and the Black community in British Columbia

Environmental Sustainability Committee

• Host Earth Day event
• Provide feedback on the new Urban Forest Management Strategy and Sustainability Charter
• Host a Repair-it Café
• Support a Bat-Friendly Community with "Bat Week" in the fall

Socio-Cultural Economic Development Advisory Committee

• Create an Economic Development Strategy
• Create a Social, Cultural and Economic Development Strategic Framework
• Update Economic Development Website for Langley City
• Set up a communication framework to allow for the community and committee to stay updated and provide feedback on social-cultural economic work plan items

Please follow the links to each committee's work plan documents for more information.

Langley City Ottawa Mission: Day 3

Langley City Council is on the final day of our mission to Ottawa. Today, we met with some members of the Shadow Cabinet. Later, we will discuss supports needed for newcomers with the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship. pic.twitter.com/a7LbIA2vZu

— Nathan Pachal (@npachal) April 18, 2024

We brought some of the Metro Vancouver rain over to Ottawa today.

It is our final meeting day for Langley City Council's first mission to Ottawa. We had productive meetings yesterday, including on removing the height limits around Willowbrook Mall. This old-fashioned federal regulation for the Langley Regional Airport limits transit-oriented development around SkyTrain.

Langley City's Performing Arts and Cultural Centre was well received, and we were directed to some potential funding options.

We were told to resubmit our Housing Accelerator Funding, as the federal government has unlocked more funding through its new budget.

We just met with some members of the Shadow Cabinet of the Conservative Party over a working lunch.

Later, we will talk with folks at the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship about the need for more supports and services for newcomers in Langley City.

Another productive day! We will be flying back home tomorrow.

Langley City Ottawa Mission: Day 2

It's day two of @LangleyCity_ Council's Ottawa Mission. This morning, we meet with the Pacific Caucus to talk about housing, support for newcomers, local water, road, and sewer infrastructure funding, our performing arts and cultural centre, and changes to the Langley Airport. pic.twitter.com/dCdpfRMKXU

— Nathan Pachal (@npachal) April 17, 2024

It's day two of Langley City Council's Ottawa Mission to advocate for our community. This morning, we meet with the Pacific Caucus to talk about housing, support for newcomers, local water, road, and sewer infrastructure funding, our proposed performing arts and cultural centre, and changes to the Langley Regional Airport.

We will have more detailed meetings with government MPs throughout the day to dig into these topics.

Being in Ottawa, I feel sad that I've forgotten all the French I learned in high school.

Langley City Ottawa Mission: Day 1

It's day one of @LangleyCity_ Council's first mission to Ottawa. We are heading to meet with federal ministers and MPs of all stripes to advocate for increasing funding for affordable housing and infrastructure to support our community.

Today is a travel day. pic.twitter.com/Ojf00tpWqi

— Nathan Pachal (@npachal) April 16, 2024

It's day one of Langley City Council's first mission to Ottawa. We are heading to meet with federal ministers and MPs of all stripes to advocate for increasing funding for affordable housing and infrastructure to support our community.

Today is a travel day, so I'll be leaving YVR shortly. Tomorrow, we will start our day with a meeting of Liberal Pacific Caucus at 8:30 am.

April 8 Council Notes: Housekeeping Updates and Travel Approval

At its last Monday meeting, Langley City Council addressed several housekeeping matters.

Council gave three readings to update our Parks and Public Facilities Bylaw to add a map showing where people can responsibly consume liquor during the summer months. There were no changes to this policy or locations, just the inclusion of maps.

Map of Acholol Allowed Areas in City Park.

Council also gave three readings to update our Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw to add fines for parking on a crosswalk, boulevard, or median. The maximum fine is $70 but drops to $35 if paid within 14 days.

Council gave final readings to adopt an updated Public Notice Bylaw and Council Procedure Bylaw, which I posted about previously.

Council approved Darrin Leite, the City's Director of Corporate Services, to attend the Government Officers Association Annual International Conference.

Council also approved our travel for our Mission to Ottawa this week to meet with federal ministers and MPs of all stripes to build relationships and advocate for getting more affordable housing built, funding to support infrastructure, getting better support for newcomers that settle in Langley City, building a performing arts centre, and updating the regulations to allow taller buildings near the Willowbrook Mall areas (which is currently height-restricted due to the Langley Regional Airport.)

Council appointed Wendy Rachwalski to our Accessibility Advisory Committee. The committee provides advice to the City for "identifying, removing and preventing barriers to individuals in, or having interactions with, the City."

Council also receive two letters seeking feedback from the Metro Vancouver Regional District about some proposed housekeeping updates to the Regional Growth Strategy and for the Electoral Area "A" Official Community Plan. Council referred these letters to City staff to draft a response.

Langley City Council Approves New Development Charges in Principle

Langley City staff have been working over the last year to update our development cost charges. Developers pay development cost charges for each new building they construct or significantly renovate, whether commercial, institutional, industrial, or residential.

Langley City last updated its development cost charges rates in 2012, so it was due for an update. The provincial government strictly regulates development cost charges; municipalities can only use these charges for infrastructure directly related to accommodating a new development project. This idea is sometimes called "growth should pay for growth."

Municipalities can broadly use development cost charges for transportation, water, sewer, facility (e.g. new rec centre), and storm sewer projects, as well as for acquiring or upgrading parkland. Any project a municipality plans to use development cost charges for must also be approved by the provincial government. Municipalities usually submit a list of projects to the province for their approval. Langley City has recently done this.

As I posted about last summer, Langley City submitted its proposed development cost charges rates to the public and development community for feedback. The one piece of significant feedback we received is that our development cost charges should be updated more frequently to avoid rate jumps. The City now plans to update its development cost charges rates more frequently. Recent provincial changes expand what municipalities can use development cost charges for, and the province now allows four units of housing per detached lot by right. As a result, the City will be doing another update to our development cost chargers later this year.

Council gave first, second, and third reading to the rate as shown in the table.

Building Type	Unit of Measure	DCC Rate
Detached Residential	Per Lot	$45,563.00
Townhouse	Per Dwelling Unit	$32,683.00
Apartment	Per Dwelling Unit	$21,246.00
Commercial	Per gross floor area (in sq. ft.)	$14.46
Industrial	Per gross floor area (in sq. ft.)	$5.81
Institutional	Per gross floor area (in sq. ft.)	$14.46

The City will now submit these rates to the provincial Inspector of Municipalities for approval. If approved, which the City believes will be likely, Council will adopt the new rates. The Inspector usually takes about four months to review rate changes.

Setting development cost charges is tricky because we want to ensure that we can pay for the infrastructure and facilities required for new projects while also being mindful of the total cost of building a new home or other building.

Detailed Analysis of Tree Canopy By Land Use in Langley City

I've been posting about urban forests and tree canopy cover over the past week. Langley City is in the process of creating our urban forest management plan. As part of that process, City staff and consultants completed a detailed analysis of tree canopy cover by land use type in our community. The following land use map is linked by colour to the table below. You'll want to select each of the map and the table to enlarge them as they are a bit small inline.

Langley City Land-Use Map by Colour Code

Tree Canopy Cover in Langley City by Land-Use. Grey Bars are the Total Area of Land Use Type. Green Bars are the Tree Canopy Area within the Land Use Type.

There are a few things that stood out to me. Our residential-only areas have a fair amount of tree cover, but our commercial, industrial, and downtown areas have virtually no tree canopy. While we need to preserve tree canopy in our residential-only areas, there is a significant opportunity to increase tree canopy in our downtown, Langley Bypass area, and mixed-use areas.

Based on the feedback the City received from our community last year, staff and consultants are nearing the completion of a draft urban forest management plan for Langley City. The City will present a draft of the plan for public feedback this spring to have a version for Council to consider approving this summer.

Council Approves Michaud Crescent Improvement Project

Last night, Langley City Council approved tendered contracts for the Michaud Crescent Improvement Project.

Michaud Crescent Improvement Project Area. Select the image to enlarge.

This project includes:

• Replacing the watermain under the street
• Upgrading drainage
• Improving intersection safety with new curb letdowns and extensions at all cross streets along Michaud
• Adding new streetlights
• Adding street trees on the south side of the street
• Improving the safety of the Michaud and 201A Street intersection by narrowing the intersection, removing the flex posts, and implementing a four-way stop
• Improving the safety of the Michaud and 203rd Street intersection removing the traffic island and narrowing the entrance to Michaud
• Adding an accessible bus stop on 201A Street, just north of Michaud
• Adding safer cycling lanes on the south side of the street
• Repaving the south half of Michaud

Overall, this project will replace aging infrastructure and improve road safety for people who are walking, rolling, cycling, and driving.

I know that the current trees on the north side of Michaud are iconic and are a source of pride for our community. During this project, none of those trees will be touched and will be protected.

Council tendered the contract for the project to Arsalan Construction Ltd. for $2,441,789 (excluding GST). The Langley Prairie (City) townsite is over 100 years old, so there are some contaminated soils under some of our roads. We learned about this during the 56th Avenue project, which resulted in an unexpected cost increase. Learning from that project, the Michaud Project includes funding, if needed, to address contaminated soils.

Council also approved tendering a contract to RF Binnie & Associates Ltd. for $155,882 to manage the project. The project includes a $140,000 contingency.

TransLink and developer fees are paying for the safe cycling part of the project.

Enhancing and Protecting the Urban Forest, Metro Vancouver’s Updated Toolkit

As I posted last week, more work needs to be done to grow the tree canopy in Metro Vancouver. The region’s goal is to have 40% tree canopy coverage in urban areas. Today, Langley City has about 21% tree canopy coverage.

Average canopy cover by various land-use in Metro Vancouver in 2020. Select the image to enlarge.

The Regional District created the Metro Vancouver Tree Regulations Toolkit in 2021. This toolkit provides information for municipalities that are developing or updating their own tree protection and urban forest management plans and requirements.

The Metro Vancouver Regional District is updating the toolkit to provide more guidance to municipalities. These updates include more direction on how to manage trees in development, subdivision, and municipal serving bylaws. The updated toolkit also includes guidance on promoting urban forest management practices through development permits.

How regulatory tools can be used to preserve trees and grow tree canopy in the region – Trees in Forest Stands and Naturalized Areas. Select the image to enlarge.

How regulatory tools can be used to preserve trees and grow tree canopy in the region – Trees in urban areas. Select the image to enlarge.

The new toolkit includes checklists for local governments to consider for higher-level plans, land-use bylaws and development plans, and serving bylaws, which helps make it easier for municipalities to incorporate the updated toolkit. They also include the latest data and best practices around tree protection and urban forest management, including new regional district targets such as the 40% tree canopy coverage.

You can read the proposed updated toolkit in the Friday, April 5 agenda of the Regional Planning Committee.

Deadlines: Youth Art Exhibit Submissions Welcomed. Free 55+ “Choose To Move” Program

I’d like to draw your attention to two upcoming deadlines at Langley City.

Through Langley City’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Program, we are putting out a call to young artists to display their works in the “A Step Above Gallery” on the second floor of Timms Community Centre.

The requirements are:

• The art must be able to be hung on a wall
• It shouldn’t exceed 3’ by 4’

If you are interested or know someone interested in displaying their work, please email or have them email Kim Hilton at khilton@langleycity.ca. Be sure to include a picture of the art piece, its name, unframed size, medium, and sales price (if interested in selling.) The deadline is April 22nd, 2024.

Langley City is also holding “Choose To Move” for people 55 and older. This program helps people get more active and connects them with others, strengthening community and making new friends. This program is more than a fitness class and includes personalized guidance. This free program runs from April 20th until June 22nd.

For more information or to sign up, please visit the City’s website page, drop by Timms Community Centre, or call 604-514-2940.

You must be able to attend an information session for “Choose To Move” on Saturday, April 6th, at 1:30 am.

Tree Crover Decreases While “Grey” Surfaces Increased in Metro Vancouver, but It Isn’t All Bad News

The Metro Vancouver Regional District recently completed a study, Tree Canopy Cover and Impervious Surface - 2020 Update.

Map showing tree canopy cover (%) by city block within the Urban Containment Boundary. Select the map to enlarge.

Unfortunately, the study found that between 2014 and 2020:

• Tree canopy cover decreased by 1%, from 32% to 31% within the Urban Containment Boundary.
• Impervious surface increased by 4%, from 50% to 54% within the Urban Containment Boundary.

It isn’t all bad news; some municipalities, like Langley City, White Rock, Vancouver, and Maple Ridge, increased their tree cover.

Graph of tree canopy cover within the Urban Containment Boundary for each member jurisdiction showing 2020 and 2014 levels. Select the graph to enlarge.

While Langley City does have a large amount of impervious surface, we held the line as it only grew 0.3%, hovering at 62% between 2014 and 2020.

Like other municipal Councils in Metro Vancouver, Langley City Council understands the importance of growing the tree canopy to help mitigate some of the impacts of climate change and promote a clean, healthy environment. We also understand that we must increase the surfaces where water can filter back into the ground.

Many municipalities, including Langley City, are developing urban forest management plans for these reasons. Langley City’s new Official Community Plan also promotes the creation of less impervious areas.

You can read the “2020 Regional Tree Canopy Cover and Impervious Surface” report from Metro Vancouver’s website.

We Need a New Deal for Water and Sewage Treatment Projects in Metro Vancouver

Two Fridays ago, the Metro Vancouver Regional District released an update stating that the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant will cost $3.86 billion to build and be in service by 2030. The original project cost was around $700 million, and it was to be in service by 2020. Many folks have provided commentary about the challenges of this project; I wanted to focus on the overall costs of water and sewage treatment in our region.

Sewage treatment is a significant regional district service, though you wouldn't see it directly on your property tax bill. The line item for Metro Vancouver on your property tax bill mainly funds regional parks and other regional services. Water and sewer costs are embedded into the cost of new construction through development cost charges and are part of your municipal water and sewer fees.

For example, about 40% of the Development Cost Charges applied to each new apartment unit in Langley City go to the Metro Vancouver Regional District for water and sewer service, and about 50% of the water and sewer fees for Langley City also go to the Metro Vancouver Regional District.

For Metro Vancouver Regional District sewer services, our region has five sewerage areas based on wastewater treatment plants. Langley City is in the Fraser Sewerage Area, while the North Shore is in a different sewerage area. Currently, costs are not shared among sewerage areas. For today, this means that the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant project costs would only impact North Shore property owners. Around 200,000 live on the North Shore, meaning these folks would have massive property tax increases to pay for the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Now, there are other significant wastewater treatment projects throughout the region with costs similar to or greater than those of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant, including those that serve Langley City.

Some of these costs are due to federal regulations, and others are due to population growth. Certainly, we need to ensure that the Metro Vancouver Regional District can deliver projects as cost-effectively as possible. We may also need to consider whether sewerage areas still make sense, but this will not solve the growing financial capacity problem with property tax and development charges.

We use development charges and property tax to pay for regional, municipal, and TransLink services and projects. We are having conversations as a region about how we need the province and feds to do more to help financially with transit. We need to have the same conversation about water and sewer because, looking at the needs, I cannot see property tax and development charges as the primary ways we fund these projects.

I am happy to see that the federal government is increasingly understanding that they must play a bigger role in funding these basic infrastructure needs.

TransLink's Wacky Governance Structure Needs to Change

About a month ago, I was at a Mayors' Council on Regional Transportation meeting where we heard from around a dozen delegations on a specific alignment for a proposed RapidBus route running through Burnaby. Recently, I've received emails from others in Burnaby about this proposed RapidBus project.

I am a member of the Mayors' Council, one of two governing bodies of TransLink, and we've heard many presentations from residents and received many emails about how folks would like to see transit service changed. There is one problem. The Mayors' Council doesn't control the day-to-day operations of TransLink; the TransLink Board does. The TransLink Board is independent and autonomous from the Mayors' Council. The Board is comprised of a majority of unelected folks.

I would bet that 95% of people in Metro Vancouver think that the Mayors' Council controls and oversees TransLink even though we don't in reality. People expect, rightfully so, that democratically elected folks have control over public services such as transit.

Not to get too much into the weeds, but the Mayors' Council is responsible for raising fares and taxes for TransLink and setting the high-level direction for transit and road investments. The TransLink board is responsible for TransLink's annual budget and oversees day-to-day operations. TransLink management is controlled by and accountable to the TransLink board, not the Mayors' Council.

The simplest way I can describe this TransLink governance setup is like the US Congress with its House of Representatives and Senate (if the US Senate was unelected). If things are going well, we slowly progress, but it doesn't take much to jam up the works.

Here is a simple example of the silliness of TransLink governance. The Mayors' Council approved the Bus Rapid Transit route roughly along 200th Street, connecting Maple Ridge to Langley City via the Township of Langley, while the TransLink Board will approve the actual detailed alignment of this Bus Rapid Transit route.

I would have said no if you asked me a year ago if TransLink governance was an issue. Today, I think it is an issue. What brought this to light for me is the process of trying to solve TransLink's pending bankruptcy.

The main problem is that the Mayors' Council is accountable to the public for TransLink, but we are not responsible for its day-to-day operations. Accountability and responsibility have to be linked.

Originally, TransLink only had one governing body comprised of a majority of elected folks. The current governance setup came about when the province and region disagreed on the timing of the Canada Line versus the Evergreen Extension. The province wanted the Canada Line to be built first due to the 2010 Olympics. The province stripped the region of day-to-day decision making over TransLink because of this disagreement.

To set up TransLink for continued success, considering the enormous financial and service delivery challenges we must address, we need to go back to one governing body of elected folks to oversee TransLink to ensure we can move forward in a good way.

Staving Off Transit Cuts for One Year: TransLink's Stop-Gap Investment Plan

TransLink provides public transit service in Metro Vancouver, manages certain bridges, and funds major roads, cycling, and walking infrastructure.

While we are now experiencing overcrowding on transit services throughout our region, a significant decrease in gas tax and massive inflation over the last few years combined with post-pandemic-restriction travel patterns means that TransLink will go bankrupt in a few years.

If the mayors were to try to fix TransLink's funding problems on their own, it would mean a 400% one-time TransLink property tax increase, plus 4-5% property tax increases annually in the future after that. Even the provincial government understands that this massive increase is unreasonable. The province government and mayors are working towards fixing this TransLink funding crisis. In the meantime, the mayors and the province are proposing a one-year, stop-gap plan to keep TransLink going, including some modest increases in transit service.

This one-year plan will be funded by a modest 2.3% fare increase this year and a 4% increase in 2025. 50% of households in Metro Vancouver will see a one-time increase in TransLink property tax, ranging from $10 to $91, depending on their home value. 50% of households will pay less than $37 in additional TransLink property tax. TransLink will roll back this property tax increase if the province doesn't come to the table with new funding tools for TransLink within the following year. In addition, the region's mayors would have to start planning for a 50% reduction in transit service in Metro Vancouver. This massive cut is something that no one wants.

This one-year stop-gap plan includes:

• Addressing overcrowding and increasing off-peak service on about one-quarter of the bus routes in our region.
• Extending service hours on 11 routes (322, 324, 341, 342, 363, 364, 430, 531, 560, 561, 595)
• Introducing a new route to serve Surrey's East Fraser Heights
• Starting the SeaBus 15 minutes earlier on weekday mornings
• Improving late evening HandyDart service
• Increasing frequency of the Canada Line during peak travel periods
• Increasing capacity on West Coast Express
• Purchasing new buses to support Bus Rapid Transit
• Continuing zero-emission bus rollout
• Continuing to fund the Bus Speed and Reliability Program (Bus Lanes, Queue Jumping Lanes, Bus Priority Signals.)
• Continuing to fund roading, cycling, and walking infrastructure programs

Please read about this one-year 2024 Investment Plan on TransLink's website for more information. You can also provide your feedback there.

Langley City Council is Heading to Ottawa

Some of the most significant challenges facing Langley City and other Canadian municipalities will require support and collaboration with the federal government. Langley City recently applied for funding from the federal government's Housing Accelerator Fund but was denied funding.

We know that one of the best ways to get support from the federal government is to meet with local MPs in person and with other federal ministers, public servants, and members of all political parties.

Given the urgent need for federal investment in housing, infrastructure, and cultural amenities, Langley City Council is heading to Ottawa April 16-19 to advocate for our community.

We have meetings arranged with MPs of all political stripes and staff members of various federal ministries and organizations. However, we've had trouble setting up a meeting with Federal Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Minister Sean Fraser.

We thought we'd send him this personalized, positive video request, which we've posted on our social media channels. I hope we get the opportunity to meet with him.

Listen to My Interview on CBC's What On Earth with Laura Lynch - Get on the Bus!

Taking transit is a great way to get around; it helps reduce congestion and keeps our air clean. In fact, even a regular diesel bus with only seven passengers is more efficient than the average single-occupancy vehicle!

Of course, fast and frequent transit service is only available in some places in Canada, and we need to change that.

I was recently interviewed for the CBC show What On Earth with Laura Lynch for their episode "Get on the bus!"

I talked about why transit is vital for urban areas, why transit is good for the environment, how fast and frequent transit works in suburban areas, and what we need to do to keep buses moving through congestion (hint: it's bus lanes). I also touched on some of the transit inequities that exist in Metro Vancouver.

Check out the episode!

Provincial Government Says "No" to Reducing Wild Property Tax Swings

Over the past several decades, Langley City Council has advocated for the provincial government to establish two residential property tax classes. The problem in Langley City is that attached and detached housing change value at different rates. When the City increases property tax, sometimes detaching housing owners will see a decrease in City-control property tax while attached housing owners will see a massive increase (or vice versa). Two residential property tax classes would reduce these wild swings.

For more information, please read my post titled "One residential mill rate causes uneven property tax changes in Langley City. Find out why."

Langley City Council has advocated via the Lower Mainland Local Government Association and Union of BC Municipalities for the province to have two residential property tax classes. Since I've been on Council, we have received support from the majority of other local governments in the Lower Mainland and BC four times to press the province to create two residential property classes.

Whether former BC Liberal or current NDP governments, the response has always been "no" from the province.

The following is the latest "no" response from the provincial government a few weeks ago.

The market relationship between single family detached) and attached properties may vary year over year and can also be impacted by local and regional factors. Over the last decade, single family dwellings have increased in value more than multi-family dwellings, largely due to rising land values.

Although implementing residential property sub-classes would allow for a more targeted approach to taxation, it would add further complexity to the assessment process and may lead to inconsistency across the province where municipalities differ their approach in applying tax rates.

Government is committed to support people throughout BC and to improve housing affordability for those who need it most. Providing local governments with the tools to shift the tax burden from single family detached homes to denser housing such as condos or townhomes would not align with provincial priorities of affordability or support a progressive tax system.

BC has more property classes than most provinces and is not actively considering creating new property classes.

I disagree that introducing two residential property tax classes would shift taxes to homeowners like myself and most people in Langley City who live in attached housing (multi-family.) Regardless, we've received different "reasons" from various provincial governments over the years on why they don't want to do this.

Over the past two decades, Langley City Council has put in much advocacy effort to help smooth out property tax swings for people in our community. In politics, it's important to understand when you are flogging a dead horse. Getting two residential property tax classes is a dead horse.

March 18 Council Notes: Official Notice Posting Location, Regional Land Use Change, and Other Housekeeping Matters

Langley City Council addressed several housekeeping items at Monday's meeting.

By default, local governments have to post statutory notices in local newspapers and, if a local newspaper doesn't exist, a regional newspaper. Statutory notices include information about rezonings, property taxes, and annual reports (among other things.)

In the past, every community had a local paper, so this wasn't an issue, but this isn't the case anymore, with newspapers stopping publication at an increasing rate.

The provincial government recently updated legislation to allow local governments to have alternate official statutory notice places besides the local newspaper. Langley City Council gave first, second, and third reading to a bylaw that would update our official notice places to be the City's website, in a display board on the first floor of Timms Community Centre, and a display board on the second floor of City Hall by the Administration Department.

Despite this change, the City would still advertise information in our local newspaper if this bylaw is adopted.

Council also gave first, second, and third reading to update our Council Procedure Bylaw. The bylaw updates included changes to the meeting scheduling process, easing participation requirements for virtual and hybrid meetings, and other housekeeping matters.

Council also gave final reading to adopt our new Development Procedure Bylaw in response to provincial changes that make public hearings illegal for residential rezoning. You can read more about this in a previous post.

Council also received a letter from the Metro Vancouver Regional District about proposed regional land use changes around the Yennadon Industrial Lands in Maple Ridge. Council referred this letter to City staff to draft a reply.

Finally, Council approved a motion about Gaza. You can read this motion on Langley City's website.

Council Notes: It's Spring Banner Time, Organ Donors, and Long Service Award

For the last few years, Langley City has put out a "call for artists" to design our street banners. The City will install Sichen Grace Chen's designed banners throughout Downtown Langley this spring.

Sichen Grace Chen with Langley City Council during her banner presentation. Select the image to enlarge.

Ms. Chen's banner design includes elements of spring flowers, active transportation, and arts, which she said represents Langley City.

The City paid her $1,000 for the banner design, and these spring banners will be installed starting today.

Later in the meeting, Council presented our Chief Administrative Officer with a 30-year long service award, which he received from the International City/Country Management Association.

Council received a late request from the Canadian Transplant Association to appear at an upcoming Council meeting to ask Council to proclaim April 7th as Green Shirt Day in Langley City. Our next Council meeting is on April 8th, so we mentioned this at yesterday's meeting.

Green Shirt Day is "in honour of the Logan Boulet Effect, in support of organ donor awareness and registration across Canada."

As Langley City Council doesn't make proclamations by policy, Councillor Albrecht suggests that City Staff inform the Association to submit a request to light Douglas Park Spirit Square green.

A friend of mine's life was saved due to a transplant. It is super easy to become an organ donor. You can register at https://register.transplant.bc.ca/

What's Next for the Properties around City Hall and Timms

Over the last several years, Langley City has acquired property around City Hall and Timms Community Centre. This year, people have noticed that the City has started demolishing the older derelict buildings on those properties.

Property that Langley City has acquired in recent years in blue

The funding to purchase these property acquisitions comes from loans and City financial reserve accounts. You can learn more about this in a previous post.

Several folks have asked what the City will be doing with the property in the short- and long-term.

In the short term, the City will use some of the property for parking to support Downtown businesses as the City renews the Fraser Highway One-Way. A section of the property will also become a temporary public park space.

With SkyTrain coming, 56th Avenue may be realigned to form a new road connecting up to 203A Street to support SkyTrain.

A possible road alignment between 56th Avenue and 203A Street in blue

In the long term, the City will use the land to support a new performing arts centre and expanded Timms Community Centre, as noted in the City's Official Community Plan.

Getting Railroaded: Langley City’s Historic Railways Come to Life

Langley City has a few roads that run at odd angles through our community. Of course, Fraser Highway roughly follows old Yale Road, originally a wagon road, which connected New Westminster and the Fraser Valley.

Glover Road connected Langley Prairie (City), the Hudson’s Bay Farm, and Fort Langley.

A few of the roads in Langley City were former railway alignments. The most famous railway was the BC Electric Railway, known as the Interurban, which ran along Michaud Crescent and Glover Road. It provided passenger and freight service from Vancouver to Chilliwack.

While many people know about the Interurban, most don’t know about the Vancouver, Vicotria, and Eastern Railway which ran along Grade Crescent in Langley City. Grade Crescent got its name as it was a railway grade.

A few years ago, Bruce Downing, a Langley City resident and railway buff, approached Langley City about putting up some historical markers throughout the community to highlight our railway history. With the community’s support, this has now become a reality. You can read more about this in a previous post that I wrote.

Langley Prairie Station Langley Heritage Railway Interpretive Sign. Select the image to enlarge.

Hunter Station Langley Heritage Railway Interpretive Sign. Select the image to enlarge.

City crews installed signs about a week ago, and you can now walk the Langley Heritage Railway interpretive routes.

The Interurban route runs from Brydon Lagoon to Michaud Crescent/200th Street and finally to Innes Corners Plaza.

The Vancouver, Vicotria, and Eastern Railway route runs from Condor Park to Sendall Gardens and finally to Iris Mooney Park.

It is supposed to be a very nice weekend, so why not check out these walking routes?

Up Sh*t Creek: Pet Waste Killing Life in Langley City Waterways

Nothing is more annoying than stepping in dog waste that an irresponsible owner didn't pick up, and in every neighbourhood, there are at least one or two irresponsible owners.

Stepping in pet waste is annoying, but many people don't know dog waste is toxic, just like human waste. We build and use sewer systems to help reduce disease and improve public health.

Dog waste contains nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients encourage the growth of algae, which can deplete oxygen out of waterways for fish and other water-based life. This fact is important to keep in mind.

Dog waste also contains bacteria and parasites such as E. Coli and Cryptosporidium.

One of the odd things I've noticed lately is that people pick up their dog's waste, put it in a little baggy, and shockingly throw the waste-filled baggy into creek areas.

The following picture is from Brydon Creek, just off 55A Avenue.

Pet waste bags are thrown into the Brydon Creek protected area, just off 55A Avenue. Select the image to enlarge.

As you can see, people are tossing pet waste-filled bags into the creek. There are signs by creeks in Langley City that include a salmon logo. These logos aren't just for looks; these are active, salmon-barring waterways. I've personally seen salmon in these waterways.

Simply put, dog waste in creek areas kills fish.

If you are a dog owner reading this blog, I'm sure you are a responsible owner. If you have friends who are dog owners, please help spread the word about how toxic dog waste is and that people must handle it appropriately, either through a dog waste disposal service or by flushing it down the toilet. Never toss it into a natural area.

For the City's part, we completed an audit of public disposal bins, and we know they are full of pet waste. The City is working towards better managing this waste in our bins.

Bring Hope to Local Governments: 8-Years of the Toxic Drug Public Health Emergency

In a month, British Columbia will be into year eight of the toxic drug public health emergency. You or somebody you know has likely been directly impacted by this health emergency, whether it has been responding to an overdose or experiencing the loss of a loved one.

This public health emergency has highlighted and exacerbated existing health and social infrastructure gaps, with local government often trying to plug the gaps.

While local governments are not set up to handle medical public health emergencies or deal with the root causes of toxic drugs, we are nonetheless trying to respond out of necessity.

One clear example is that fire departments are usually the first to arrive on the scene when someone calls 911 and have seen a sustained, significant increase in overdose responses. These calls have stretched many first responders and fire departments to their limits.

Many local government leaders, whether elected representatives or staff members, have felt unsupported and various degrees of hopelessness regarding how to reduce the number of overdoses and related deaths in their communities.

Local Leadership United (LLU) is a Community Action Initiative and BC Centre for Disease Control project that is creating a network for local government elected representatives to exchange ideas, learn, and support each other regarding this public health emergency.

They recently released a report that found local government leaders:

• Have difficulty understanding local government roles in addressing substance use-related challenges
• Feel alone in their work in addressing substance use-related challenges
• Have knowledge gaps on how to reduce harm to individuals and communities due to the toxic drug public health emergency

The LLU has made the following recommendation to support local government leaders:

• Investing further in dialogue, training and network opportunities that address knowledge gaps, foster relationships of trust and intersectoral partnerships in community overdose response.
• Investing in granting opportunities that support local governments and partners to build whole-community overdose response: one that allows local leaders to understand their roles, build stronger relationships, and apply a harm reduction approach.
• Investing in provincial, local, and Indigenous-led anti-stigma campaigns aimed at bringing broader communities into overdose response efforts.

These recommendations will help reduce the hopelessness that many in local government feel and help those in local government work with others to address this public health emergency in their communities, including advocacy to the provincial government to respond to this health emergency in communities throughout BC effectively. There is strength in coming together.

Zoning Bylaw Update Open House - View Presentation Boards

As I posted last week, Langley City is updating our zoning bylaw. Langley City Council adopted the current zoning bylaw back in 1996. I was in grade 7 at the time. I’ve changed since that time, and so has Langley City.

While Council has updated the current zoning bylaw over the last 28 years, the current zoning bylaw is just too out of date to support our current Official Community Plan.

An Official Community Plan sets the vision for the community, including land use such as building types and uses. A zoning bylaw enables the Official Community Plan.

People attending Langley City’s Zoning Bylaw Update Open House.

Last Wednesday, Langley City held an open house to get feedback about what people want to see in our new zoning bylaw. This open house compliments the online survey that the City put out last fall.

Close to 200 people came to the open house; it was great to see folks out. I also know that for many people, it is hard to attend open houses either due to work or other commitments.

An example of one of the Zoning Bylaw Update presentation boards.

Langley City staff have posted the presentation boards from the open house onto Langley City’s website.

If you have questions about the presentation boards or want to provide feedback, please email the Development Services Department at planning@langleycity.ca.

Mapping Hazards in Metro Vancouver

In Metro Vancouver, we are subject to several natural hazards, including wildfires, flooding, and earthquakes. The Metro Vancouver Regional District is working on maps highlighting the geographical risks. These maps could help people, including those in government, make informed choices on risk management, climate change mitigation, development, and risk mitigation measures.

The following is a multi-hazard map for Metro Vancouver. It shows areas subject to hazards, which include riverine flooding, coastal flooding, earthquakes, and wildfires.

Multi-hazard map of Metro Vancouver. Select the image to enlarge. Source: Metro Vancouver Regional District.

Grey means none of the four hazards are present. Yellow is one risk, orange is two risks, and as the risks increase, the colour becomes more red.

Langley City is subject to both coast and riverine flooding. A previous blog post explains how the City plans to mitigate this risk in the long term.

For more information, including single-hazard maps, please review the March 8 Metro Vancouver Regional Planning Committee Agenda starting on page 10.

March 4 Council Notes: Enhancing Development Application Notice and Feedback Process, 2024 Budget Adopted, Delegation

Monday night's Langley City Council meeting was brief. It started with a delegation titled "Working for Peace in the Middle East." You can request a delegation if you'd like to present to Council. For more information about delegations, please visit Langley City's website.

Council also gave final reading and adopted this year's budget and 2024 – 2028 Financial Plan. You can read more about this in a previous post.

It is now illegal for local governments to hold public hearings for residential rezoning bylaws. As a result, Langley City gave first, second, and third reading to update our Development Application Procedures Bylaw to align with provincial law.

The new procedure bylaw also enhanced how people are informed about rezoning requests, development permits, and development variance permits. At the start of a development application, the City proposes that information signs be posted within 30 days of receiving an application. This change means development application signs will likely be up for months instead of weeks.

The signs will provide information about the proposed application and a unique link to the City's website where anyone can learn more about the application and view drawings. For people without access to the Internet, it will also provide information on how they can view the information in person at City Hall.

A new section of Langley City's website will allow people to track the progress of all active development applications (including when they come to Council for consideration). The section will include drawings and contact information for the development applicant and City staff so people can provide feedback and ask questions.

Council cannot hold public hearings or create new public hearing-like processes. Under the proposed changes to Langley City's development application process, Council will receive a general summary of public feedback and how it has or has not been incorporated into development applications.

The problem with public hearings is that they happen late in the development application process, making it harder to incorporate feedback into a development project's design. By making it easier to ask questions and provide feedback and doing it earlier in the application process, it will increase the likelihood of that feedback being incorporated into a development project's design.