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.

Langley City Council Awards $153,938 in Grants. $34,000 Awarded to Langley Senior Resources Society.

Per a long-stand Council policy, $168,000 of the money Langely City receives from the casino is allocated to community grants annually. Council has provided more than $2.6 million in grants since this program launched in 2006.

This year, the City received 46 applications totalling $304,718.62. Council awards $153,938.62 to 37 organizations that serve our community.

Langley City Council, Langley Senior Resources Society Board Members, and their Executive Director Kate Ludlam at the cheque presentation. Select the image to enlarge.

This year, Council awarded $34,000 to the Langley Senior Resources Society as they suffered a flood due to a break in a fire sprinkler pipe in January. The water caused extensive damage. The building is on City property, which we lease to the Society for $1. The City also helps support the membership subsidy program.

We presented the Society with a big cheque last night (including one that is cashable) to help with their repairs. Council was enthusiastically supportive of helping.

The grants awarded for 2024 are shown in the table below.

Organization	Amount
Bard in the Valley	$15,000.00
BGC – Boys & Girls Club of Langley	$4,000.00
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Langley	$2,500.00
Care for Women Foundation	$3,000.00
Douglas Park Pickleball	$5,000.00
Downtown Langley Business Association - Arts Alive Festival	$12,500.00
Encompass – Best Babies	$3,000.00
Langley Animal Protection Society (LAPS)	$5,000.00
Langley Community Farmers Market	$3,000.00
Langley Community Services Society – Global Fest	$5,000.00
Langley 4H District Council	$150.00
Langley Flippers Swim Club	$2,000.00
Langley Fundamental Middle Secondary Dry Grad	$500.00
Langley Hospice Society	$1,250.00
Langley Lawn Bowling Club	$1,760.00
Langley Literacy Association	$2,500.00
Langley Meals on Wheels Services Society	$4,513.62
Langley Rotary Clubs – RibFest Langley	$5,000.00
Langley Scholarship Committee	$4,950.00
Langley Senior Resources Society	$34,000.00
Langley Senior Secondary School Dry Grad	$500.00
Pitch-In Canada	$425.00
PLEA – Children on the Street	$1,000.00
RE Mountain Secondary School Dry Grad	$500.00
Ron Cares Society – Community Care Kit Program	$1,750.00
Rotary Club of Langley	$2,100.00
Run for Sobriety Association	$1,500.00
Silver Diamond Country Dancers	$1,000.00
Southgate Church Easter Event	$1,000.00
St. Joseph’s Church – Soup Kitchen	$1,000.00
Terry Fox Run	$1,300.00
Salvation Army Gateway of Hope	$5,000.00
Vancouver Area Youth Arts – Formerly KPU Music Fest	$3,000.00
Volunteer Cancer Drivers	$1,000.00
Waceya Metis Society	$10,240.00
Youth Parliament	$1,000.00
Zajac Ranch Society	$7,000.00

Attend Open House for Langley City's New Zoning Bylaw

Land-use map for Langley City. Select map to enlarge.

Langley City Council adopted a new Official Community Plan for the City in the fall of 2021. Among other things, an Official Community Plan (OCP) outlines land uses permitted in each part of the City, including the types of buildings. The OCP includes density and height requirements.

Recently, the provincial government has made it the law that local governments such as Langley City must update OCPs every five years and that the land uses and densities in that plan align with provincial-mandated housing needs reports. Housing needs reports outline the housing types a local area needs based on population and demographic projections.

In BC, by right, people can build up to four units of housing on every lot. In Langley City, we are also subject to provincial law around SkyTrain Stations, as we will have two stations (one at 203rd/Industrial Avenue and one at the former White Spot at Willowbrook Mall.) By provincial law, we must allow buildings up to 20 storeys within a 200-metre radius of a station, up to 12 storeys within a 200- to 400-metre radius of a station, and up to 8 storeys between a 400- and 800-metre radius of a station. Provincial law forbids a local government from setting minimum residential parking requirements within 800 metres of SkyTrain stations.

In Langley City, we have the Langley Regional Airport, which, due to federal regulations, requires building height in most parts of the City to be about 15 storeys or less. Federal regulations override provincial law.

The title of this post is about the upcoming open house for people to learn more about and provide feedback on Langley City's proposed updating zoning bylaw.

While the OCP sets the vision for the community, the zoning bylaw gets into the nuts and bolts of implementing the OCP. It includes bike and car parking and loading requirements (where it doesn't conflict with provincial law), rules about how buildings are set back and interface with other buildings, and what uses are allowed within buildings, including types of businesses. Zoning bylaws can also include sustainability and affordable housing regulations.

Langley City is in the process of updating our zoning bylaw and will be hosting an open house as follows:

Wednesday, March 6th
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Langley City Hall (2nd Floor)

This open house follows the feedback received at the neighbourhood meetings in October and online feedback received in November last year.

Please visit Langley City's website to stay current as the City goes through the process of updating our zoning bylaw.