September 9 Council Notes: Reduce Bike Theft, Business Licensing, and Industrial Land in Surrey

Project 529 Garage is a simple yet effective program to help curb bike theft and improve the chance of recovery if someone does steal your bike. I've posted about this program in the past. The short of it is that you register your bike for free on the 529 Garage app. If it is ever stolen, you can send out an alert through the app, which is supported by crowdsourcing and the police to help recover it.

To make the process even easier, you can also purchase a 529 Shield decal to help further identify your bike and let bike thieves know to leave your bike alone.

Langley City's Crime Prevention Committee operates a volunteer-run bike valet service to provide secure parking for people who take their bikes to major events such as Community Day. The Committee asked Council to approve funding 500 529 Bike Shield kits that they will distribute at events which they attend to help promote this program and reduce bike theft in our community. Council approved this $1,625 request at Monday's meeting.

Langley City participates in the Fraser Valley Intermunicipal Mobile Business Licence program. This program allows mobile trades contractors, hair salons, and caterers to have one business license that is valid from Delta to Hope. Council received a letter from the BC Care Providers Association asking to add home health care providers to this program. Council referred this letter to City staff to investigate.

Council also received a letter from the Metro Vancouver Regional District asking for comments about the City of Surrey's request to change the regional land use from Industrial to Employment for the property located at 7880 128 Street in Newton.

In 2014, I posted about significant non-compliant, non-industrial uses in the Newton Industrial area, which was designated industrial at the city and regional levels. Surrey and the Regional District worked to create the Central Newton Cultural Commercial District to accept what was there and provide a buffer to prevent further industrial conversion. The current request at the edge of this District would result in a loss of 1.3 hectares of industrial land. There is an industrial land shortage in Metro Vancouver.

Council directed City staff to respond to the letter from the Metro Vancouver Regional District requesting comments.

Langley City Trash Talk: Part 1

If you live in a detached home, plex, or complex with fewer than seven units, Langley City provides garbage and organics collections. Strata complexes must go to the market to find a garbage and organics collection service. Recycling services in Langley City are provided directly by Recycle BC.

Langley City currently contracts out its garbage and organics collection. The current contract is about a decade old and is ending this year. This end of the contract means that the City must either go out to the market for a new contract, bring the garbage and organics collections service in-house, or stop providing this service. For example, Maple Ridge does not provide garbage or organics collection services.

Council decided to continue providing this service and asked staff to look into either going to market for a new contract or bringing the service in-house. In addition, to improve efficiency and reduce injuries, Council asked to implement a semi-automatic collection system with toter bins. For example, the Township of Langley and the City of Surrey use toter systems. Council wanted to see the use of alternate fuel vehicles, an annual hazardous waste event, and large item pickup like we have today.

Example of Toters

At the September 9th Council meeting, City staff proposed signing a seven-year contract with Emterra to provide these services. This proposal went out to public tender. The new contract, of course, had a higher annual price than our current expiring contract.

Council had many questions about the proposed new contract, including cost and level of service. Several members of the Council, including myself, questioned why we didn't have an in-housing service option and if Emetrra was a living wage employer. With so many questions and the seriousness of potentially committing the City to a seven-year contract, Council deferred voting of this matter until the September 23rd meeting to allow City staff time to prepare responses to the Council's question.

Housing Matters: 64-Unit Apartment Project, 4-Unit Rowhouse Project

Last night, Langley City Council moved forward on two housing matters at our 7 pm public meeting. The first proposal was for a 6-storey, 64-unit apartment at 20220-20230 Michaud Crescent. The project's applicant is proposing to build 64 apartment units as follows:

43 Two-Bedroom Units
9 One-Bedroom Units
7 Three-Bedroom Units
5 One-Bedroom + Flex Units

Renderings of proposed 6-storey, 64-unit apartment at 20220-20230 Michaud Crescent. Select the image to enlarge.

If you've been following apartment projects in Langley City, you'll have noticed that many recent projects did not have three-bedroom units and a lower percentage of two-bedroom units. Our parking requirements were a big driver for that.

Three-bedroom units required two parking spots, two-bedroom units required 1.5 spots, and one-bedroom units required one spot in our current zoning bylaw.

Each parking spot uses about 288 sq. ft. when considering the spot and the drive aisle. A typical 1,000 sq. ft. 3-bedroom apartment would require about 580 sq. ft. of parking; about a third of an apartment unit's cost would be for parking. In today's market, these three-bedroom, two-parking spot apartments are not financially viable to build in Langley City with private construction financing.

Earlier this year, the provincial government updated provincial law to prevent local governments, such as Langley City, from setting minimum parking requirements for housing within 800 metres of current or future SkyTrain stations. This project is within 800 metres of the future Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station. As such, the applicant proposes to provide one parking space per unit.

This project is on the site of current rental buildings. The current buildings have two purpose-built rental units, and the proposed apartment will have two replacement purpose-built rental units per City policy. Adding complexity, these current buildings have unauthorized suites which have been rented out for some time. This project is subject to Langley City's older CO-81 Tenant Relocation Plans policy, which requires moving assistance, compensation, and the right-to-return for existing renters. The City requires this policy to be applied to all renters, whether they live in an authorized or unauthorized suite. The applicant noted that they are offering an additional two months of rent beyond the two- to six-month rent compensation required based on tenancy length under the older CO-81 policy. The applicant informed Council that about half of the tenants subject to CO-81 have been relocated.

Langley City Council gave first and second reading to a bylaw to enable the proposed apartment project.

Later, Langley City Council gave third reading to a bylaw to enable a 4-unit rowhouse at 20139 53A Avenue. You can read more about this project in a previous post.

Langley City Council Advocating to Province at Annual UBCM Convention

In one week, elected representatives from regional districts and municipalities throughout BC will gather in Downtown Vancouver for the annual Union of BC Municipalities convention. While the convention is packed with workshops and opportunities to connect with other locally elected folks, the primary purpose of the convention, from my perspective, is that of advocacy to the provincial government on issues that matter to local government.

Members of Langley City Council chatting with MLA Andrew Mercier at last year's UBCM conference.

This advocacy is done in two ways. The first is through resolutions that local governments present, which the whole UBCM membership debates and, if endorsed, are presented to the provincial government for response and action. There are over 225 resolutions for the membership to debate over the convention. Langley City Council has four resolutions up for debate.

The first resolution calls on the provincial government to expand its Homeless Response and Shelter Support program to more municipalities. This program helps to fund temporary and permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. The second resolution asks the provincial government to increase financial and other support to local governments to help better plan for population growth. The third resolution calls on the provincial government to expand access to courts by building new and expanding current court facilities (for example, there are no courthouses in Langley City or Township.) The fourth resolution asks the provincial government to create a comprehensive funding framework that supports local fire departments that respond to medical emergencies.

The other primary way local governments advocate is through meetings with the Premier and provincial Ministers, which are scheduled throughout the convention.

Langley City Council will be meeting with the Premier, Minister of Housing, Minister of Health, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Public Safety & Solicitor General, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport, and Minister of Emegernecy Management and Climate Readiness. I will be posting more about these meetings and topics covered next week.

The Union of BC Municipalities convention is one of the best opportunities for advocacy at a provincial level, and it also helps me understand what is on the minds of people throughout the province. While I'm always pretty exhausted after the convention, I look forward to attending next week.

Next Few Council Meetings Virtual Due to Council Chamber Renewal

For many, including Langley City Council, this week is the unofficial beginning of the fall season, with many things restarting, such as school. Local government councils and boards generally have a meeting break in August, but as of this week, we are back in full swing.

You may notice that Langley City Council will meet virtually for the next two to four meetings.

We are meeting virtually because the Langley City Council Chamber is getting a long overdue upgrade. Langley City Council meetings are streamed online and recorded. The recording technology in the Council Chamber is almost two decades old. You can tell when watching the grainy and hard-to-hear meetings online. In the Council chamber itself, it is also challenging to hear Council both as a member of the public and a member of the Council; this can be exacerbated if you have hearing loss. The room's layout, including the desk, makes it challenging to have "roll up your sleeves" meetings, which is why Council holds many of its meetings in the CKF Boardroom across the hall.

Over the next month or so, the Council Chamber is getting a technology refresh to improve audio and video quality for people watching meetings online and those attending in person. The echoey laminate flooring will be replaced with standard office carpet. The current "Judge Judy" layout will be changed to a standard, simple boardroom layout. This upgrade will improve accessibility for members of Council and the general public. It will also result in much-needed additional meeting space at City Hall as the Council Chamber will now be available for other Council committee and staff meetings.

During the upgrade, you can live stream Council meetings on YouTube or request a link to a Zoom meeting to observe directly. For those without access to the Internet, the City will also be setting up a viewing room in the CKF Boardroom at City Hall. For more information, please visit Langley City's website.

I look forward to the updated Council Chamber and getting back to meeting in person as soon as possible.

Clean and Safe Public Washrooms in Parks and Transit Stations are Possible

In August, I travelled to the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand and Sydney, Australia. One of the things that stood out to me during this trip was the number of well-maintained public washrooms, whether in transit stations, parks, or just on the side of the road.

A public washroom in a Sydney Metro station. Select the image to enlarge.

Access to well-maintained washrooms is essential. I know that access to washrooms is even more critical for folks with children or elders. I've certainly had many times when I've needed to go into a shopping centre or buy a coffee to access a washroom.

The main public transit exchange in Downtown Christchurch, New Zealand which has public washrooms. Select the image to enlarge.

On the long weekend, I travelled to the Puget Sound region to check out the new Link light rail extension, which connects the City of Lynwood, Mountlake Terrace, and Shoreline to Seattle and points south. I noticed that the Lynwood City Center station had public washrooms.

Some might think that there is something different about Metro Vancouver that makes it difficult to have public washrooms, especially at transit stations. There isn't, from what I can tell. Some people in all the places I travelled to use washrooms beyond their intended purpose, but the maintenance frequency is higher.

For a local example, the washrooms at Willowbrook Shopping Mall are maintained more frequently than the washrooms at Linwood Park in Langley City. Traditionally, we haven't placed a high value on public washrooms, though this is something that I've been advocating changing, whether at TransLink stations or here in Langley City.

I'm proud that we are building a new public washroom in Douglas Park, but I also acknowledge that we need to increase the frequency of washroom service.

We can have nice things, including clean and safe public washrooms. As a community and a region, we must prioritize it.

Watch the 2024 State of Langley City Address with Q&As

I delivered the 2024 State of the City address at a Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce dinner at the end of June. I posted a quick write-up of the presentation portion of the address, which you can read in a previous post. At a high level, the presentation titled “Our City, Our Future” focused on how we are partnering to deliver new and maintain existing affordable housing, what we are doing to build a safer community, including the work we’ve done in the last year in preparation for the Citizens’ Assembly on Community Safety, what SkyTrain means for Langley City, redevelopment, and our new performance evaluation and accountability dashboard.

The full video of the address is now online, including the presentation and the fireside chat with Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce CEO Cory Redekop.

During the fireside chat, we discussed how the BC Assessment Authority’s property valuation makes for inconsistent commercial property tax rates in the City. We also touch on the importance of investing in infrastructure such as roads, water pipes, sewer lines, and parks to support the business community and how these investments get customers to shops and attract workers to the community. We talked about the work Langley City is doing around increasing community safety, including looking into ways to implement upstream solutions. We also chatted about regional service integration, what SkyTrain means for our Downtown, the Fraser Highway One-Way Renewal Project, and the Township’s proposed de-integration of our shared Langley RCMP detachment.

Below is the video of the 2024 State of the City address.

Summer Break

I'm taking a break from blogging and will be back at it after Labour Day. Have a great rest of the summer!

Langley RCMP Series: There has been talk over the years about a regional police service. What do you think of that approach?

There is a lot of information about the Langley Integrated RCMP Detachment online; some of it is true and some of it, not so much.

In this video series, I answer questions I've heard from people in Langley City.

Langley RCMP Series: Can you expand a bit about the public safety concerns of having an independent RCMP for Langley City and another for the Township?

There is a lot of information about the Langley Integrated RCMP Detachment online; some of it is true and some of it, not so much.

In this video series, I answer questions I've heard from people in Langley City.

Langley RCMP Series: What would be the benefits and challenges of having an independent RCMP for Langley City and another for the Township?

There is a lot of information about the Langley Integrated RCMP Detachment online; some of it is true and some of it, not so much.

In this video series, I answer questions I've heard from people in Langley City.

Langley RCMP Series: Can the Township de-integrate the RCMP without provincial approval?

There is a lot of information about the Langley Integrated RCMP Detachment online; some of it is true and some of it, not so much.

In this video series, I answer questions I've heard from people in Langley City.

Langley RCMP Series: Based on your understanding, what are the Township's main concerns about the current policing agreement?

There is a lot of information about the Langley Integrated RCMP Detachment online; some of it is true and some of it, not so much.

In this video series, I answer questions I've heard from people in Langley City.

Langley RCMP Series: What are the three agreements that govern the integrated Langley RCMP Detachment?

There is a lot of information about the Langley Integrated RCMP Detachment online; some of it is true and some of it, not so much.

In this video series, I answer questions I've heard from people in Langley City.

Langley RCMP Series: Can you give a brief history of the RCMP in Langley?

There is a lot of information about the Langley Integrated RCMP Detachment online; some of it is true and some of it, not so much.

In a series of videos, I answer questions I've heard from people in Langley City.

July 29 Council Notes: Budget Surplus Policy, School Sites, and Crime Severity Index

In most BC municipalities, August is free of formal Council meetings. Langley City Council's last meeting before this August break was on July 29th. At that meeting, we address three items.

Like most municipalities in BC, Langley City needs to increase its investment in infrastructure to ensure that we are appropriately renewing our roads, water mains, sewer lines, parks, and public facilities. Over the years, Langley City Council has been increasing the property tax allocated to infrastructure projects to ensure we more adequately fund infrastructure renewal. This gap is sometimes known as infrastructure debt.

Two significant parts of our City's budget are ongoing operations and one-time capital projects. An example of ongoing operations is funding our firefighters. An example of a one-time capital project is the renewal of Douglas Rec Centre to add additional childcare spaces.

Provincial law requires that municipalities have balanced budgets, so we must budget conservatively. This requirement means we generally have a surplus of operations funding at the end of the year. Staffing vacancies, variable revenue from redevelopment, and unexpected revenue from other levels of government create surpluses. Our surpluses have ranged from $160,000 to $5,300,000 since 2015. These surpluses are unpredictable. By convention, we have transferred any surpluses to our one-time capital project reserve accounts, which are like savings accounts. We didn't have a formal policy for this practice. Council asked staff to create a formal policy earlier this year. At the July 29th meeting, Council formalized this practice by adopting "CO-83: Allocation of Operating Budget Surpluses." As I noted earlier, we want to reduce our infrastructure debt, and every little bit helps.

The City has various reserve accounts, just like you might have different savings accounts for various purposes. Council asked that staff create a new reserve account where we put our surpluses to increase transparency and allow us to allocate these funds to specific projects.

Langley City is part of School District #35, which also includes the Township of Langley. Over the years, redevelopment projects in Langley City have contributed over $2 million to the school district to acquire land for new schools. These new sites have all been in the Township of Langley. You can read more about this in a previous post. The short of it is that City Council formally objected to the latest 2024 Eligible School Sites proposal. After some discussion with the Chair of the School Board over two weeks, Council approved the 2024 Eligible School Sites proposal and will be working with the School District over the next year to identify a new school site in Langley City. This site would be included in a future Eligible School Sites proposal.

Finally, City Council has been working with other municipalities on the Crime Severity Index and reducing its misuse. Council approved issuing a press release, which you can read more about on the City's website.

The next Langley City Council meeting will be on September 9th.

Langely City Proposed 2025 RCMP Increases. Creating a Bat-Friendly Community.

Some people consider bats a nuisance, but they are a critical part of the ecosystem on the South Coast. They control pests, pollinate plants, and disperse seeds. Some bats have traditionally depended on humans to provide shelter spaces (an old barn or area under a bridge), but these spaces are becoming less and less.

The good news is that people are working to restore bat populations in BC, such as through the Bat Friendly Communities program from Community Bat Projects of BC.

Langley City's volunteer-driven Environmental Sustainability Committee recently recommended to Council that Langley City become bat-friendly certified. Langley City Council approved this recommendation at its July 22 meeting.

This approval means that the City, in partnership with the Committee, Langley Environmental Partners Society, and Langley Field Naturalists, will:

• Protect, create or enhance habitat such as by building bat homes
• Provide information about bats to the public
• Promote learning about bats such as by having community presentations or holding a bat-house building workshop

Example of a Bat Condo. Source: Community Bat Projects of BC

Because the federal government partially funds the Langley Integrated RCMP detachment, we must submit an "approval in principle" to help the federal government budget for the RCMP as its budget cycle occurs before municipal budget cycles. While most of the RCMP budget is outside of municipal control, we can control the number of RCMP members.

Langley City is proposing a maximum increase of RCMP members (officers) by 2 for a total of 56.35 members. Langley City's portion of the budget would be capped at $16,985,818. This increase would be $1,478,974, or a 10% increase from this year. Council may decide not to increase the RCMP members or only add one additional member as we go through our 2025 budget process, but we need to provide the feds with the maximum spending scenario.

On July 22, Council approved this "approval in principle" budget. At the same meeting, Council received our Langley RCMP Quarter 2 Summary Report, which you can read on the City's website.

Langley City Retail Recreational Cannabis Store Policy. Public Consultation This Fall

Brick-and-mortar retail recreational cannabis stores are nothing new in Metro Vancouver. Every municipality in BC can choose if recreational cannabis retail is allowed, where it can be operated, and the number of stores. In the South of Fraser subregion, Delta, the Township of Langley, and White Rock have retail recreational cannabis stores. The City of Surrey recently enabled a policy framework to permit retail cannabis stores.

Currently, Langley City does not permit retail recreational cannabis stores. However, Council is exploring a policy that, if approved, would allow Council to consider allowing such stores in our community.

As one of the last municipalities in Metro Vancouver to consider allowing retail recreational cannabis stores, staff have developed a draft policy based on best practices and lessons learned from other municipalities that now have retail recreational cannabis stores.

Langley City staff propose that recreational retail cannabis stores be allowed in our commercial areas subject to the following restrictions:

• Located at least 200 metres away from a school
• Located at least 100 metres away from childcare centres (on the same street)
• Located at least 20 metres from a park, plaza, playground, recreation or community centre
• Located at least 1 kilometre from another recreational retail cannabis store

The following map shows where retail recreational cannabis stores could be allowed. If approved by Council, this policy would allow a maximum of three stores in our community.

Preliminary Land Use & Locational Criteria Map. Select the map to enlarge.

To prevent a mad dash for retail recreational cannabis store applications, the City would hold a time-limited window where perspective retailers could apply to the City. City staff would consider up to three applications for Council to consider based on the following:

• Compliance with our retail recreational cannabis store policy
• Retailer experience
• Parking and access plan
• Visibility, lighting, and Crime Prevention Through Environmental
• Design, signage, and storefront façade

On July 22, Langley City Council approved allowing City staff to seek public feedback on this proposed policy this fall.

You can read the entire draft policy on Langley City's website.

Langley City Moving Towards Universal Design and Access

Langley City should be a community where people's physical or mental abilities do not restrict their ability to travel around the city, use our facilities, access city services, or participate in the democratic process. Proving full access for everyone is sometimes called universal design and accessibility.

Today, there are gaps in Langley City that limit people's access. The Langley Advance Times recently ran a story on the challenges that people who are visually impaired face when navigating our community. Langley City Council is committed to closing these gaps.

The provincial government requires that all municipalities have Accessibility Committees and an Accessibility Plan, which outlines how we will identify, remove and prevent barriers. Langley City has an active and engaged Accessibility Committee, and they recently recommended that Council approve a full audit of our built environment, facilities, programs, services, human resources department, and existing plans through the lens of universal design and accessibility.

The built environment includes streets, bus stops, sidewalks and parks.

The comprehensive audit will show where the City is doing well and where we need to improve. After the City completes the audit, we will work together with the Accessibility Committee and people who face access barriers to develop a prioritized action plan to reduce barriers.

The Accessibility Committee also asked that the City require the audit to be informed by people whose physical or mental abilities limit full access in our community today. There is a saying, "Nothing for us, without us."

This audit is estimated to cost $80,000 to complete. City Council fully supported including this audit in our budget and ensuring the principle of "nothing for us, without us" during its development.

Housing Matters Including New 4-Unit Rowhouse Project

At its Monday, July 22nd meeting, Langley City Council gave first and second reading to a rezoning bylaw to enable building a 4-unit rowhouse development at 20139 53A Avenue.

Rendering of a proposed project at 20139 53A Avenue (View from Lane). Select the image to enlarge.

Rendering of a proposed project at 20139 53A Avenue (View from Street). Select the image to enlarge.

There are a few interesting things to call about about this proposed rowhouse project. First, it is fee-simple ownership, meaning it will not have a strata. Canada Post mail will be delivered directly to each unit because it is a small, in-fill development in an urban core. It will also receive City garbage, recycling, and organic collection.

These rowhouses will have three bedrooms, a den, and a double-wide garage each.

While this project will require Council to issue a development permit, City Council is exploring delegating the authority to issue development permits to City staff for small-scale projects such as this one to help expedite the process.

Later in the same meeting, Council gave third reading to a proposed apartment project at 5302 200 St, 20030 53A Ave and 20011-20031 53 Ave. You can read more about this proposed project in a previous post.

Council gave third and final reading, adopting new parking requirements to support 'plex homes in compliance with the new provincial "Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing" legislation. You can read more about the parking rates in a previous post.

When land is subdivided in a municipality in BC, it needs the approval of a municipal approving officer. As part of housing keeping, Langley Council approved Roy Beddow as the City's Approving Officer and Carl Johannsen as the Deputy Approving Officer. These folks work for Langley City.

Langley City Council Awards $14,058.00 in Grants Including for Family-Friendly Block Parties

Langley City received 10% of the net gaming incoming from Cascades Casino, the third largest casino by net gaming incoming in the province. Every year, Langley City Council allocates a portion of this incoming to community grants. For 2023-24, Langley City set aside $168,000 for these grants. The City typically has a fall and spring grant intake window, with the fall being the main window. Earlier this year, Council awarded $153,938 in grants.

Last week, Council awarded the following organizations and groups grants from our spring intake.

Organization/Group	Amount
Brydon Neighbourhood Organizing Committee	$500.00
Langley City Crime Prevention Committee - Know Your Neighbour Campaign Events	$500.00
Langley Amateur Radio Association	$333.00
Langley Flippers Swim Club	$2,500.00
Langley Ukulele Association	$2,500.00
Lower Fraser Valley Aboriginal Society	$1,000.00
Raphael House	$2,000.00
Stɑl̓əw̓ Arts and Cultural Society Pow Wow Sponsor	$4,725.00

I wanted to highlight the "Brydon Neighbourhood Organizing Committee" and "Langley City Crime Prevention Committee - Know Your Neighbour Campaign Events" grants. Langley City has a long-standing policy of supporting family-friendly neighbourhood block parties, which help people get to know each other, supporting to create strong and safe neighbourhoods. We don't get many of these types of grant applications, so I am thrilled to see two this grant cycle.

Langley City Increases Developer Paid Community Amenity Contributions

Three funding tools are available for municipalities to help pay for infrastructure required to accommodate population and business growth. The first is the Development Cost Charge, which the province highly restricts what local governments can use it for but is applied to any redevelopment project. The City recently increased this fee. You can read a previous post about this.

There is also the Community Amenity Contributions fee, which is unrestricted but can only be applied during rezoning. The province recently enabled the best of both worlds: the Amenity Cost Charge. The City is working on creating an Amenity Cost Charge bylaw, which would eventually replace the Community Amenity Contributions fee. In the meantime, Langley City Council approved increasing our Community Amenity Contribution fee schedule as follows:

Current Rate
0.0-2.5 FAR: $4,000 per unit
2.5-3.0 FAR: $5,000 per unit
3.0-3.5 FAR: $6,000 per unit

Effective January 1, 2025
0.0-2.5 FAR: $6,000 per unit
2.5-3.0 FAR: $7,000 per unit
3.0-3.5 FAR: $8,000 per unit
3.5-4.0 FAR: $9,000 per unit
4.0-4.5 FAR: $10,000 per unit
4.5-5.0 FAR: $11,000 per unit
5.0-5.5 FAR: $12,000 per unit

Effective January 1, 2026
0.0-2.5 FAR: $8,000 per unit
2.5-3.0 FAR: $9,000 per unit
3.0-3.5 FAR: $10,000 per unit
3.5-4.0 FAR: $11,000 per unit
4.0-4.5 FAR: $12,000 per unit
4.5-5.0 FAR: $13,000 per unit
5.0-5.5 FAR: $14,000 per unit

A few things to note are that the City sets these fees to capture a portion of the profit from a development project to reinvest into the community. If the fee is set too low, you don't maximize the value for the community. If it is too high, you may stop a project from being built or end up with the cost being passed onto the buyer. Langley City worked with a land economist to set our rates. Our fees are lower than those of our two neighbouring municipalities.

A FAR is a density measure; the following is a rough idea of FAR to building type.

0-2.5 FAR: Detached House, Townhouse, Low-Rise Apartment
2.5-4.5 FAR: Mid-Rise Apartment, Mixed-Use Building
4.5+ FAR: Mid-Rise to High-Right Building

New Deal Needed for Transit to Prevent 50% Cut in Bus Service Starting in 2026

The provincial government has been a strong supporter of TransLink services. When the pandemic hit, the provincial government was there to provide bridge funding to maintain transit service levels, is building the Broadway Subway and Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension, and most recently provided $300 million to get the ball rolling on Bus Rapid Transit.

Since the pandemic, TransLink's revenue has been less than its expenses, even as transit ridership continues to smash records in our region. There are a few reasons for this.

The regional fuel tax has been a significant funding source for TransLink, but it has rapidly decreased as fuel efficiency has increased and people are purchasing more and more EVs.

Local road congestion is a significant cost driver as TransLink needs more buses on the road to maintain the same service frequency (more congestion means slower buses.)

Also, inflation has caused a massive increase in the cost of providing transit services.

TransLink's budget must be balanced. Starting in 2026, TransLink will have drained its reserve and need to start cutting service if we stay on the current course.

For our part, the Mayors' Council on Regional Transportation called for an efficient audit, which resulted in TransLink implementing $91 million in annualized cost savings.

TransLink also has a bus speed and reliability program. TransLink works with municipalities to speed up bus service, which saves money. We have several bus lanes in Langley City that TransLink 100% funded. We will need more in the region, and municipalities must step up.

The mayors are also willing to increase fares modestly and property taxes significantly, but this alone won't solve the funding issue unless we were to triple the TransLink portion of property tax, which most people would find unreasonable.

We will need the province to unlock additional ongoing and sustainable funding for transit service in our region. The federal government must also come to the table for ongoing and sustainable funding. If not, the results will be bleak.

If we continue with our current revenue sources, starting in 2026, bus service will be cut between 45~50%. SeaBus service will be slashed 15%-30%. SkyTrain service will be cut 10%-30%, the West Coast Express may be cancelled, and HandyDART will only service medical trips.

The following maps look at two possible scenarios to achieve these cost reductions.

Scenario 1: Maximize Ridership. Only the blue bus lines remain. Select the map to enlarge.

Scenario 2: Maximize Coverage. Only the blue bus lines remain. Select the map to enlarge.

As someone who relies on transit, I know these cuts would devastate people in our region and our economy. It would also spike up congestion on our roads. I will do everything I can to ensure that these nightmare scenarios do not come to pass. As I stated earlier, I believe the province and the federal government strongly support transit. I also know the mayors' strongly support transit. I am hopeful that together, we will continue to partner to ensure we have a sustainably funded transit system that meets the needs of our growing population.

$18.6 Million Fraser Highway Oneway Renewal Project Construction Starting in About a Month

On Monday night, Langley City Council approved tendering the Fraser Highway Oneway Renewal project to B&B Heavy Civil Construction Ltd. This project is the most significant project undertaken by the City since I have been on Council.

Render of streetscape improvements along Fraser Highway Oneway. Select image to enlarge.

The project includes replacing underground infrastructure along Fraser Highway and a small section of 206th Street, some of which was around when people still rode horses, and our community was called Langley Prairie.

The project will see the replacement of water, sewer, and storm sewer pipes as well as the undergrounding of hydro from 204th Street to 206th Street along Fraser Highway and along 206th Street between Douglas Crescent and Fraser Highway.

It will also include renewing the roadway and sidewalks along the Fraser Highway Oneway. The project will widen the sidewalks to accommodate streetside cafe/restaurant seating and allow businesses to put their goods on the sidewalk while maintaining adequate walking space. It will also include planting nearly ninety street trees and enhanced public street furniture (benches and tables).

Map of project phases. Select to enlarge.

The project will be constructed in three phases. Vehicle access will be maintained for the phases not under construction. Walking access to all businesses will be maintained at all times. Langley City has added additional parking at City Hall to account for the loss of parking during the construction of the Oneway section. The City will ensure enhanced wayfinding to direct people to parking and extra signage to assure people that all businesses are open during construction.

The project is scheduled to take about 270 days to complete.

Communication will be essential during construction. Besides keeping business owners and our community up to date, the City will also form a business liaison committee with representatives from the Fraser Highway Oneway business community and the City to ensure good two-way communication.

The total project cost is $18.6 million, which includes a $1.7 million contingency. The City issued the oversight contract to Aplin & Martin Consultants Ltd.

The project is scheduled to start at the end of August/beginning of September. This project is co-funded with the Province's Growing Communities Fund.

Langley City Council Approves Beefed Up Compensation and Relocation Policy for Tenants in Purpose-Built Rental Buildings Subject to Redevelopment

Since I can remember, Langley City has had a policy to ensure that the number of purpose-built rental housing units in our city never decreases; in fact, the number of purpose-built rental units has increased over the years. If a purpose-built rental building is ever redeveloped, the number of rental units must be replaced one-for-one.

While this policy was in place for decades, the first significant redevelopment project of a purpose-built apartment building occurred with the Centreville Apartment at 20785 Fraser Highway in 2021. At the time, Langley City Council and staff acted quickly to implement an interim tenant relocation policy that required assisting tenants in relocating to another purpose-built rental home in Langley City, Township, or Surrey and provided a small amount of compensation above and beyond the provincial requirements.

At the time, Council acknowledged that we needed to enhance this policy to increase compensation and provide additional support for tenants in finding new homes. We adopted an enhanced policy in 2022, which you can read in a previous blog post. This policy was in place when Council received our next major redevelopment application for a purpose-built rental building, Pyramid Apartments, at 5360 -204th Street.

Based on the experience of the Pyramid Apartment project and the fact that rents have gone sky-high, Council asked Langley City staff to develop a significantly more robust policy that would maximize compensation, relocation support, and the ability to return to the new building at a below-market rental rate while still making redevelopment projects viable. The City hired a land economist to help us develop this policy.

This first change was an increase in compensation as follows:

Up to 5 years tenancy: 2 months of current rent -> 4 months of current rent
6 to 10 years tenancy: 3 months of current rent -> 8 months of current rent
11 to 15 years tenancy: 4 months of current rent -> 12 months of current rent
16-20 years tenancy: 5 months of current rent -> 14 months of current rent
Over 20 years tenancy: 6 months of current rent -> 16 months of current rent

As with our previous policy, we defined a “vulnerable” tenant. “Vulnerable” tenants qualify for additional support. We broadened who qualifies for additional support to people who have one or more of the following attributes:

• Are seniors aged 55 or older
• Have a recognized disability pension or are considered disabled for income tax purposes
• Qualify for deep subsidy or Rent Geared to Income (RGI) Units, according to BC Housing eligibility criteria
• Are currently paying monthly rent that is equivalent to or less than average monthly rents for RGI units in the City

If a “vulnerable” tenant is relocated to non-market priced rental housing, their updated compensation is as follows:

Up to 5 years tenancy: 4 months of current rent -> 12 months of current rent
6 to 10 years tenancy: 4 months of current rent -> 12 months of current rent
11 to 15 years tenancy: 4 months of current rent -> 14 months of current rent
16-20 years tenancy: 5 months of current rent -> 15 months of current rent
Over 20 years tenancy: 6 months of current rent -> 16 months of current rent

If a “vulnerable” tenant is relocated to market-priced rental housing, they automatically get 16 months of rent as compensation, no matter what.

The updated policy also increased moving expense compensation.

When a building is redeveloped and its replacement building opens, tenants have the right to return at 20% below the current market rent.

Finally, the policy has been enhanced to require developers to find a home for tenants who are being relocated with rents at or less than CMHC’s average rent in the City, suitable for the tenant’s needs, and with the same number of bedrooms as the tenant’s current unit. For “vulnerable” tenants, the relocation support goes further, requiring a developer to find non-market, subsidized units.

I encourage you to read the full updated policy. We must take care of people in our community, and this updated policy further supports people who may find themselves in a purpose-built rental building undergoing redevelopment. Updating this policy was a key priority for Council, and I’m happy it was adopted last night.

Provincial Transit Housing Areas: More Apartments North of the Fraser River

The Metro Vancouver Regional District recently created a model that shows the probability of where people could build additional apartments (both low-rise and high-rise) as a result of new provincial housing legislation and regulations that set minimum densities around SkyTrain Stations, Bus Exchanges, and West Coast Express Stations.

This model shows additional apartment buildings; for example, you'll see on the maps that there is no change in Langley City, as our Official Community Plan was already basically consistent with the new provincial rules.

Probability of additional densification: High-rise apartments

Probability of additional densification: Low-rise apartments

The red areas are where more apartments are most likely to be built, the yellow areas are medium, and the green areas are less likely.

Metro Vancouver staff make a few observations. The first is that these changes will not impact population growth, which is good. The second is that it will focus more housing along transit corridors.

My observation is that it may focus more housing growth back north of the Fraser River. My second observation is that we will need a well-funded transit system to support increasing the amount of housing near transit, which isn't the case right now.

A Proposed $44.4 Million in Regional Parks Projects for 2025

While Metro Vancouver Regional Parks have always been popular destinations, even more people discovered these parks during the height of the pandemic. These parks continue to be extremely popular.

About a week ago, the Regional Park Committee reviewed the draft Regional Park 2025 – 2029 Capital Project Plan. The Regional District plans to invest $44.4 million into the regional parks system in 2025.

About half of that funding, $20 million, will be used to purchase land to grow the regional parks system. Over the years, the Metro Vancouver Regional District Board has been increasing the money spent on acquiring new parkland, which is included in people's property tax bills. I think this is a wise investment.

The following map shows some of the new parks and greenways the Regional District is developing, including two new regional parks in the Township of Langley.

A map of new parks and planned future parks and greenway enhancements. Select the map to enlarge.

The remaining funding will be used to enhance parks and greenways, as shown in the following map.

2025 Proposed Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Projects. Select the map to enlarge.

While I'm a fan of regional parks, many of them, such as Campbell Valley Regional Park, are only practically accessible via automobile. While not a capital project, the Regional District has introduced a shuttle bus service to some parks during peak periods. The Regional District does have some greenways which they fund. I would love to one day see a regionally funded greenway that allows people who take SkyTrain to Langley City to bike safely to Campbell Valley Regional Park.

Organics, Paper, and Plastic Still Not Being Recycling in Townhouse and Apartment Complexes

The Metro Vancouver Regional District conducts annual studies to determine what people put in their garbage. I've posted about these studies on the blog over the years. These studies aim to help inform our region's waste diversion programs, such as green bins, blue bins, and depot recycling programs.

Like most people in Metro Vancouver, I live in attached housing (also known as multifamily housing.) Attached housing has lower waste diversion rates than detached housing (also known as single-family housing.)

From my experience, one reason for the lower diversion rate is that common garbage/recycling/green rooms in most apartment buildings and townhouse complexes make it easier to "cheat." For example, some people consistently threw recyclable materials into the garbage bin in my previous apartment complex. The waste hauler would empty the big garage bin every week, regardless of whether it had banned materials. In my former strata, we spent a lot of time educating people on how recycling, green bins, and garbage worked, and we did see success. Of course, this was only because a few of us on the strata council were passionate about reducing garbage.

I now live in a townhouse, and each unit has its own pickup, just like detached housing. However, I have noticed that the waste haulers are more picky and won't take garbage bins with recyclable or green material in them.

So this is easier said than done, but the Regional District should increase ongoing education about waste collection for people living in attached housing. Another key would be to work with waste haulers to improve their enforcement/fines for strata and rental property owners who consistently put banned material in the garbage bins. Increasing education and enforcement at the source would go a long way to increasing waste diversion.

Compostable organics, plastic, and paper were the top materials in attached housing garbage bins in 2023, as shown in the following chart.

Overall Garbage Composition by Primary Category. Select chart to enlarge.

These are all super easy to recycle or put in a green bin. You can learn more by reading the full 2023 report.

Why there are so many road construction projects in Downtown Langley City

Many construction projects are happening right now in Langley City. One question that has come up recently is why there is so much road construction in the Downtown area on 56th Avenue, Michaud, and Fraser Highway.

Two significant projects are starting soon: the Fraser Highway One Way renewal project and SkyTrain. The City wanted to wrap up as many other projects in the downtown area as possible before those two major projects got going.

I imagine many more people will use 56th Avenue during SkyTrain construction, and that road should be fully restored by the end of this month.

Industrial Avenue will be one of the major construction areas for SkyTrain, so we want the other east/west routes to be open before construction starts.

Other Langley City projects are under construction or about to start. The City recently updated our construction information signs so you can easily find the latest information about a project. You can also visit the project information section of Langley City’s website at any time.

Example of new project information sign. Select the image to enlarge.

I'm super proud of our work to keep Langley City’s roads, parks, facilities, and trails in good repair and of our overall investment in our community. I also acknowledge that construction projects do cause disruptions.

Proposed Apartment Project at 53rd Avenue and 200th Street

Last Monday, Langley City Council gave first and second reading to a rezoning bylaw that would enable the construction of a 6-storey, 95-unit apartment building on the corner of 53rd Avenue and 200th Street if adopted.

Rendering of proposed building at 5302 200 St, 20030 53A Ave, & 20011-20031 53 Ave. Select the image to enlarge.

The applicant previously submitted a building with a slightly different design back in 2022. It included a "green" roof and extensive top-floor unit patios. The proposed building had 84 units, including five three-bedroom units, 34 two-bedroom units, 36 one-bedroom + flex units, eight one-bedroom units, and one studio. According to the application, the building design and unit mix made it financially unviable to construct, so they value-engineered a new building design. This design includes streamlining some design elements, increasing the number of units, and adjusting the unit mix.

You can read my 2022 post about the original design of the building. The unit mix of the currently proposed building will have 27 studios, 40 one-bedroom units, 18 one-bedroom + flex units, and 10 two-bedroom units. This building is market-pricing, and each unit will be for sale.

Council discussed the lack of three-bedroom apartment units in this project. As I previously noted, Langley City Council has directed City staff to develop a three-bedroom unit policy. About 25% of our community's new housing units (including townhouses and 'plexes) should have three or more bedrooms per our housing needs report. Of course, overall, we need more housing units period across all unit types.

The provincial and federal governments must play a significant role in incentivizing the construction of affordable three or more bedroom housing for families.

You can read about the feedback from Langley City's Advisory Design Panel that the application incorporated into the building's design.

Council also gave third and final reading, and issued a development permit, to allow the change of unit mix for the building at 5382 200 Street. You can learn more about this in a previous post.

Updating Parking Requirements for 'Plexes. Council Approves Signing Canada Community Building Fund Agreement.

In June, Langely City updated our zoning bylaws to enable provincial transit-oriented area zoning and "Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing." While I encourage you to read a previous post on this, the short of it is that people can, by right, build four- or six-plexes within urban areas. You can build at higher densities by right as you get closer to SkyTrian stations and transit exchanges.

Another provincial change is that municipalities can no longer set minimum on-site residential parking requirements within 800 metres of SkyTrain Stations and 400 metres of frequent bus stops. However, municipalities can still set minimum requirements for accessible parking, visitor parking, on-site loading, and commercial parking. Removing parking minimums has been a win for communities, and this is a widespread and growing trend in North America.

Langley City is completing a comprehensive zoning and parking update, but the province required all municipalities to enable "Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing" zoning by the end of June. As a stop-gap until this review is complete, Langley City Council gave first and second reading to update our parking requirements for "Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing" on Monday.

In areas where minimum residential parking requirements still apply in Langley City, Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing units of 969 sq. ft. or less will require one parking spot. For units larger than 969 sq. ft., 1.5 parking spots per unit will be required.

As I posted last week, Langley City will receive continued funding as part of the renewed Canada Community Building Fund. On Monday night, Langley City Council signed off on 2024 – 2034 funding from this program, which will deliver $157,059 each year for the first three years of the agreement and $163,342 in years 4 and 5. Funding for the final five years is not yet determined.

New Development Cost Charges in Effect for Langley City

As I posted in April, Langley City was in the final steps of updating our Development Cost Charges. The City applies a Development Cost Charge to all significant new construction in our community.

The provincial government strictly regulates Development Cost Charges; municipalities can only use these charges for infrastructure directly related to accommodating a new construction project. This idea is sometimes called "growth should pay for growth." The Development Cost Charge is part of a suite of funding mechanisms to help pay for municipal infrastructure due to development (or redevelopment in Langley City's case.)

Langely City last updated our Development Cost Charge in 2012. Since then, our community has changed, and the cost of building infrastructure has increased.

The key is to ensure that we apply a fair rate that is enough to meaningfully contribute to paying for infrastructure to accommodate increased usage but not too high to prevent construction, including much-needed housing, from being built.

Municipalities must submit Development Cost Charge rates to the provincial government for approval as part of the process. Langley City submitted our request and received approval from the provincial government on June 10th. As such, on Monday, Langley City Council officially adopted our new rates as shown:

Building Type	Unit of Measure	New Rate	Former Rate
Detached Residential	Per Lot	$45,563.00	$18,409.00
Townhouse	Per Dwelling Unit	$32,683.00	$14,503.00
Apartment	Per Dwelling Unit	$21,246.00	$9,549.00
Commercial	Per gross floor area (in sq. ft.)	$14.46	$6.83
Industrial	Per gross floor area (in sq. ft.)	$5.81	$3.03
Institutional	Per gross floor area (in sq. ft.)	$14.46	N/A

As a note, even while the rate changes were significant, the new rates are average or below average compared to other municipalities in Metro Vancouver. To help reduce these jumps in the future, the City is committed to updating our rates more frequently.

$2 Million In And Nothing to Show: The Langley School Site Acquisition Charge

Langley City and the Township of Langley are in School District #35. The School Site Acquisition Charge is one funding tool that school districts and their boards use to help finance the purchase of new land for schools.

The Langley School District collects this Charge from developers for every new unit of housing built. The idea is that new housing means new school sites, but this isn't always the case.

School District #35 has collected $2,047,677 in School Site Acquisition Charges from Langley City development projects since 2002. Unfortunately, not a nickel of that money has been invested in purchasing new school sites in Langley City. Every nickel collected in Langley City has been used to purchase land for new schools in the Township of Langley. We actually lost a school site in Langley City. The former Langley Prairie School at 20062 Fraser Highway was torn down in 2008, and the School Board of the day sold off the land.

Langley Prairie Elementary School from the front during tear down in 2008. Source: The Langley Centennial Museum

In 2014, Langley City Council unsuccessfully opposed a double of the School Site Acquisition Charges in Langley City. You can read more about this in a blog post I wrote over a decade ago.

The School Site Acquisition Charge must be set consistently within a School District per the province. Each new housing unit in Langley City and Township is uniformly subject to the Charge.

Last night, Langley City Council received notice that the School Board is updating its School Site Acquisition Charge policy to fund purchasing land for the following new sites:

Williams Elementary
Smith Elementary
Willoughby Slope Middle
Brookswood Fernridge Middle

Langley City Council formally "objected" to the proposed locations. While the four proposed sites in the Township of Langley make sense, Council believes a fifth site in Langley City is warranted. Council asked that City staff work with the School District to identify a site in Langley City that could also become an eligible site in our northwest quadrant. There will be two SkyTrain Stations in that area, and thousands of new residents will need a school.

The Local Government Act, which sets the rules around the School Site Acquisition Charge, states that the School District and impacted municipalities must work together to reach a mutually agreeable solution. If we cannot, the province will make the final call.

I know that the Langley Board of Education and School District are looking out for current and future Langley students, and I'm hopeful that this formal "objection" will help move us in a good way to consider the impacts of SkyTrain on the School District.