After Burnaby City Council gave the go-ahead for phase two consultation for the Bainbridge Urban Village Community Plan, the same has been granted for the Lochdale Urban Village Community Plan.
In the summer of 2020, city council gave staff the go-ahead to begin public consultations on developing urban village plans for the Bainbridge and Lochdale areas – the former located around the Sperling SkyTrain station and the latter at the east end of Hastings Street.
The Lochdale urban village is currently defined by Hammerskjold Drive to the west, Ridge Drive to the north, Duthie Avenue to the east and Union Street to the south.
Assistant director of current planning Jesse Dill said in August 2020 the plan is more intended to expand on what’s already in the area, including housing, employment and culture.
Dill defined the area as more of a suburban setting, with much of the commercial areas set back from the roadway, offering larger parking lots, compared to, for instance, the Heights area. This encourages more vehicle traffic, while the goal of the new plan is to encourage all modes of travel, including transit, cycling and walking.
Tbe village centre would be focused around the existing commercial properties along Hastings, mostly between Sperling and Kensington avenues, such as the Kensington Square mall. There, Dill said, the city envisions commercial uses at street level, with potential housing or office space above.
The plan also includes two potential new parks on either side of Hastings and a small neighbourhood mixed-use section at the northeast end.
Dill noted the intention in community consultations in both areas is to maintain a community identity and particularly stressed that point regarding the Lochdale area.
The City of Burnaby said at a May 31, 2021, council meeting, there were a total of 254 responses to the online survey conducted, with 144 respondents providing at least one long-form text comment sharing feedback.
The city says the plan aligns with the following city policies:
- Corporate Strategic Plan (2017)
- Regional Context Statement (2013)
- Official Community Plan (1998)
- Economic Development Strategy (2016)
- Social Sustainability Strategy (2011)
- Environmental Sustainability Strategy (2016)
- Mayor's Task Force on Community Housing (2019)
- Housing Needs Report (2021)
- Climate Action Framework (2019)
- Transportation Plan Update (ongoing)
From the public input, the following key themes were identified:
- Parks, open space and the natural environment
- Local economy and employment
- Development and community design
- Housing
- Community amenities
- Transportation and mobility
- Plan area boundary
City council gave the go-ahead on May 31 for phase two of public consultations to begin.
The phase two consultation guide is available online, provided by the City of Burnaby.
- With files from Dustin Godfrey, Burnaby NOW
