Delta council unanimously gave the go-ahead to the city鈥檚 new Official Community Plan Monday evening, despite opposition from the majority of those who spoke at that day鈥檚 public hearing.

, spurred by provincial legislation adopted late last year and a ministerial order mandating Delta add 3,607 net new housing units over the next five years, opens the door to greater density in most residential areas of the city.

Three 鈥渦rban centres鈥� have been earmarked to potentially have buildings up to 24 storeys, while some locations in the Scott Road Corridor may have up to 32 storeys, all provided developers work a 鈥渟ignificant community contribution鈥� into their proposals.

Fifty-eight residents signed up to speak in-person at Monday鈥檚 packed public hearing, with another nine participating virtually. Council chambers were at capacity, with several people standing at the back of the room and dozens more watching the proceedings on screens in the lobby of city hall.

The majority of speakers brought forward concerns the new OCP would have wide-ranging negative impacts, from overcrowding and increased traffic congestion 鈥� with many highlighting transportation choke points and lack of transit in various areas of the city, especially Tsawwassen 鈥� to the overloading city infrastructure and harm to the environment.

While many agreed on the general need for more housing, they took specific issue with the idea of adding high-rise towers in the area of Tsawwassen Town Centre, the North Delta Social Heart and Scott Road, saying it would ruin Delta鈥檚 unique character as a fishing and farming community.

Others criticized the OCP for not including co-ops, social housing and other initiatives, questioning whether mid- and high-rise developments would actually bring affordable homes for young families and others looking to purchase or rent in the city.

Another common theme among speakers was the rushed timeline to adopt the OCP, from soliciting public feedback via four open houses and three online info sessions in March to presenting council with the final draft for first and second reading April 8. Many argued there had not been sufficient time or efforts made to properly engage residents in the process, leading some to wonder aloud whether the OCP was already a 鈥渄one deal鈥� and the hearing merely a piece of theatre.

RELATED:

The city鈥檚 general manager of development, Doreann Mayhew, said the timeline was driven by factors such as the provincial housing targets and the age of the OCP (it was originally adopted in 1985.

Mayhew noted that as it stands, the OCP would not allow Delta to meet those targets), as well as a provincial mandate to change zoning bylaws to allow multi-unit housing forms in single-detached and duplex lots by June 30 of this year.

Mayhew also noted the OCP does not change the underlying zoning of properties, meaning projects would still need council approval if they involve a change in zoning, and that the general height limit in the newly-designated urban centre and along Scott Road would be six storeys, with taller projects subject to approval on a case-by-case basis.

As for the definition of what would constitute a 鈥渟ignificant community contribution鈥� allowing for heights greater than six storeys, Mayhew said a policy guide is being developed and will be brought to council at a future date.

Ahead of Monday鈥檚 vote, only Coun. Dylan Kruger and Mayor Harvie spoke to the proposed OCP.

Kruger, in a nearly 10-minute pre-written speech, said he would be voting in favour of the OCP, fulfilling his commitment to doing what he felt 鈥渨as the right thing, even if it wasn鈥檛 always the popular thing.鈥�

Kruger noted the city鈥檚 population sits at around 112,000 and is projected to grow to 160,00 by 2051, with the region鈥檚 population set to rise by a million in that time 鈥� 鈥渢hat鈥檚 55,000 residents (鈥�) almost the entire population of North Delta moving to our region every single year鈥� 鈥� and the role of city planning is figuring out how to accommodate that growth.

鈥淎s a reminder, these are not targets, they鈥檙e projections. Contrary to popular belief, it鈥檚 not 鈥榖uild it and they will come.鈥� They鈥檙e coming already.鈥�

Kruger noted that Delta鈥檚 share of the projected growth is modest, but that the city still needs to do its part.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 build a wall around Delta and let the rest of the region pay for it. That kind of exclusionary rhetoric has no place in a welcoming, inclusive community.鈥�

Kruger said Delta was one of 10 cities put on the 鈥減rovincial naughty list鈥� and handed mandatory housing targets because 鈥渂y objective standards we have not done enough鈥� to keep pace with growth, resulting in housing needs 鈥渇ar outweighing鈥� current supply.

He pointed to the age of Delta鈥檚 housing stock, noting 54 per cent of homes were built before 1980, and that only one per cent of purpose-built rentals in the city were built 鈥渋n this century.鈥�

SEE ALSO:

As to concerns about traffic, parking, infrastructure and transit, Kruger said they can all be planned for, adding these issues today are 鈥渘owhere close鈥� to the challenges faced when the city grew by over 200 per cent in the 1970s.

鈥淵ou know what we did [then]? We figured it out. We built new schools, we added new infrastructure, we were resilient, we were adaptable. We were leaders. Are we going to look at the challenges ahead of us and pack it up and say, 鈥極h well, we tried, but it鈥檚 just too hard鈥�? That鈥檚 not what Delta is about.鈥�

Kruger said bold action is needed to fix the housing crisis, noting over half of the land in Delta in protected agricultural land, while another 3,000 acres is protected as part of Burns Bog, meaning growth can鈥檛 be accommodated by sprawl.

鈥淲e have to accommodate our growth by allowing for the densification of our existing areas,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 keep putting neighbourhoods into time capsules and say whatever land use pattern was approved in 1985 is the only form that neighbourhood can take from now until the end of time. We have to be allowed to evolve as circumstances change.鈥�

Mayor Harvie kept his remarks brief, saying the OCP isn鈥檛 Delta鈥檚 or council鈥檚 or staff鈥檚, as its framework was determined by the province.

鈥淎s mayor, I take great exception to being micro-managed, [and] we are being micro-managed by the provincial government and ignored by the federal government,鈥� Harvie said, noting Ottawa hasn鈥檛 given Delta 鈥渁 nickel or a cent鈥� for housing.

鈥淭hey provided $1.5 million for Bowen Island, [and] Bowen Island doesn鈥檛 even want people to come over any more. It鈥檚 all political.鈥�

Harvie said the city needs to move on and look at co-op and other housing forms that can replace 鈥渨hat鈥檚 happening now.鈥�

鈥淭hose things which we relied on when I was getting into the market, they鈥檙e not available for anybody anymore.鈥�

Harvie said he looks forward to the forthcoming related updates to Delta鈥檚 Zoning Bylaw, adding 鈥渢hat is when it is extremely important that we do what is right for our community.鈥�

Following third reading, the new OCP will be forwarded to the Agricultural Land Commission and Metro Vancouver for review and comments before coming back to council for final adoption.

SEE ALSO: