District of Squamish plans to rezone two large land parcels in Valleycliffe and Garibaldi Highlands to discourage large-lot single family homes.
In Valleycliffe, district plans to rezone the area north of the existing Crumpit Woods subdivision from RS-1 zone to a RM-5 zone.
The same rezoning change is being proposed in a land parcel west of Jay Crescent in Garibaldi Highlands.
The RS-1 zone allows single-family homes, while the RM-5 zoning allows for a low rise apartments or neighbourhood commercial up to a maximum height of eight metres.
According to the district, to continue building single-family homes is not well-aligned with OCP policy.
According to the OCP: ‘Discourage exclusively large-lot single-unit developments and establish maximum lot sizes for single detached dwellings in the Zoning Bylaw to prevent consolidation of large detached residential lots.’
District staff says the proposed RM-5 zone is more suitable for it includes a wide range of housing, as well as institutional uses such as schools and places of worship, parks, and open spaces and mixed residential and commercial buildings.
The district will consider allowing more density when the subdivision enables a ‘complete, walkable community’, and allows mixed housing such as duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes and townhomes and apartments.
Staff presented the proposal to change zoning to the land owners in Valleycliffe and Garibaldi Highlands, who have expressed strong opposition to these propsed amendments.
The owners of the property in Valleycliffe even offered a voluntary no build covenant with a 4-year expiry clause as an alternative to the proposed RM-5 zoning.
This approach, however, would not provide a long term solution to the misalignment of present zoning with OCP policy, the staff says.
An electronic public hearing will be streamed from the District of Squamish council chambers on Tuesday, July 28, at 6 pm.
Ihor Zalubniak Per says
Perhaps a map would help.
Donald Patrick says
Writing is on the wall… create more density to achieve what other jurisdictions have done in the near past… create more population in an area that cannot handle the existing population, I cannot see why the leaders of the pack cannot see that density encourages all the negative aspects of lifestyle. The area at this time has more lifestyle folks than standard citizens … so the area is inundated with these expensive bush folks… how many folks are being hauled out of the valley by expensive helicopter rescue after other volunteers bring them to the stage … is that what the valley is all about ? …. while my vote is to leave those folks in the bush or find some sort of financial recovery plan. Got to say the DOS is right in line with the bleeding hearts society….. but all good things have to come to an end. I was advised by a citizen of Switzerland and it was embarrassing to be told we are pussy’s. Cheers
Donald Patrick says
This is not the time and place to be playing with the OCP… as a person that took part in the past OCP … it was never revealed that it would be changed for the purpose of change. The DOS has fallen into the trap of intellectual thinking… far from reality. The planners do not seem to be questioned…. they come from the same institutions… very little difference in the approach to the future… what professor says, student must do ! … tilt.
Garret schumacher says
Has council lost their minds? What in the world are they thinking?
What a stupid place for apartments.
Leave the apartments buildings down town.
Don’t mess with the OCP.
The tax payers will not tolerate it.
Donald Patrick says
Are the locations of the schools that presently exist in the valley part of the equation …. or do we just bus the kids $$ or build new schools closer to unpredictable student density areas….. and then shut them down when the numbers change …. do not fall into the trap of yesteryear.
adam smith says
big changes to tackle the previously identified density issues have been rolling out for several years and will continue to roll out for many more. thousands of units in market rentals, bc housing units, townhouses and condos.
hey DOS – it’s not Paris.
people come here for many reasons – some even come here because they can own a single family home.
they also pay taxes, run businesses, employ other community members, coach teams, ride bikes, etc
can they live here too please?
D Patrick says
DOS seem to have the idea that this area will save the worlds population problems … open a couple of history books and find what has happened to high density areas in other parts of the world … see any slums with single family housing …. it is not the object to the local government to create the customers for the market…. it is the markets position to create services when required …. there can be too tooooooo many businesses in a market place also ….. get with the program and look after the quality if life, not how many dollars you can fudge onto the budget … spending unnecessary monies using the excuse of “services for the people” BS. Cheers
Michael Jones says
Wow lots of very smart people now have something to say on the matter. What did you all think after phase one was done and Michael and bob said “ phase 2 is years away and maybe not even in our lifetime”. Few weeks later the bull dozers were making phase two. So now that phase two is complete your crying that the same exact thing is about to happen. Any person with half a brain knew there was a phase 3 In the plans and I’m surprised it took this long for this news. While you can blame yourselves I guess as they always wait till the previous phase is 90 percent developed and some people were procrastinators on their development plans in phase 2.
Don’t get me wrong I oppose this development for several reasons and I’ll state them now. This development is to line the pockets of the rich plain and simple and if anyone can’t see this they are Part of the problem. The excavation part and prep for the land in the area proposed for phase three is extensive and not cost effective for single dwellings. So why don’t we just build higher to maximize profits and when we blast the hell out of crumpit mountain and crack your foundations you will fall on deaf ears just like the residents of plateau did. Second major reason is the street sizes in crumpit woods are pathetic and the district of Squamish should be embarrassed. I understand having two sidewalks felt like a big win to the district of Squamish but please give your head a shake on the street sizing decision. Also wind pattern or direction is ignored and not even brought up. When you clear cut a side of the mountain the wind patterns change and this can be bad for the “lower Valleycliffe” development people tend to just forget about out. This council and mayor need to be replaced and you can only blame yourselves for voting these people into these positions. Most of them are new to Squamish and want to ruin Squamish and make it like west Vancouver. Guess what Squamish is great for a reason and I’m tired of this council trying to combat the worlds issues and problems in 30 by 40 room that was built by our founders. They would be rolling in there grave if they knew what was going on here. Apartments are for downtown not a residential area just so a developer can make more money and be part of the half percent group. I know that was a rant but I could go on and on. Get rid of the council and mayor. Time for change
D Patrick says
Well written Michael… my only comment would be that I am not sure the council members want to ruin the Valley…. it is a sign of the times and they are following the people that they feel are in the know, which has been proven many times to be the wrong track, the problem is within City Hall administrative thinking and the foundation of that thinking…. they operate like they are creating their own dream…. I was part of many studies commissioned by the Councils of the past… those studies are all sitting on a shelf and doubt if they are ever reviewed by the internal staff members as they have already set their objectives.