Smart Growth Debate Media

We had a great turnout at last night’s debate on smart growth. For those of you that couldn’t make it, I’ve posted the audio and presentations from the debate below. The presentations were used turning the first part of the debate. More information on the debaters can be found on a previous post as can the debate's resolution. Todd Litman, the proponent of the resolution, won the debate.

Proponent's Presentation - Todd Litman

Opponent's Presentation - Randal O'Toole

Audio



Download the audio from the Internet Archive.

Smart Growth Debate Tomorrow Night

South Fraser OnTrax would like to invite you to attend a debate on applying Smart Growth principles in the South of the Fraser with Todd Litman and Randal O'Toole. More Information...

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
7pm to 9pm
Fraser River Presentation Theatre
Township of Langley Municipal Hall
20338 65 Avenue
Langley, BC V2Y 3J1

Seating is limited and reservations are recommended. Please email southfraserblog@yahoo.com to reserve your seat.

Drive-Thrus in Downtown Langley - Update

Last summer I wrote a blog post about a drive-thru Wired Monk coffee shop that is being proposed to be built in Downtown Langley.

Red = Downtown Zoning

While coffees shops are great, like the nearby Starbucks, this proposed coffee shop will have a drive-thru. While I’d rather not see any drive-thrus in Langley as they promote idling and a non-pedestrian-friendly environment, they are not going to disappear from auto-oriented areas like the Langley Bypass. They should disappear from Downtown Langley though. It makes no sense to put new drive-thrus in the Downtown core if you are trying to make it pedestrian friendly. Apparently, many people on Langley’s Advisory Planning Committee don’t share my view if this recent motion is any indication. The motion seems to only be concerned about traffic.

MOVED BY Commission Member MacDonald
SECONDED BY Commission Member Gillis

THAT Development Permit Application DP 02-12 to accommodate a 153m2 (1,650 sq ft) coffee shop with drive-through facility at 20112 Fraser Highway be tabled and referred back to the Advisory Planning Commission after completion and acceptance of the applicant’s traffic study to finalize the circulation pattern and layout of the parking and drive-through lane to ensure that the proposed development does not adversely impact adjacent streets or properties.
CARRIED

This proposed drive-thru would be allowed with the current zoning in the area, but with the higher-density residential development that is being built that zoning doesn’t make sense anymore. We should be trying to promote active modes of transportation in Langley's core, not driving.

Downtown Langley - New Mixed-use Development

I was very excited to see one of the first examples of an infill development in the City of Langley that actually is built on top of an existing building. The proposed development is located near 203rd Street at Fraser Highway. The building was constructed in 1993 with the provision for residential development to be built on top. It looks like that time has come.

Render of proposed new development.

One of the interesting things about lots in Downtown Langley is that they are very narrow and long. This development takes advantage of that “feature” by designing an inner courtyard that will allow more natural light into the residential units.

Ground Floor and Parking Plan. Click image to enlarge.

Typical residential floor plan. Click image to enlarge.

This is an exciting development and is a refreshing departure from the residential-only buildings that have been constructed lately in the City. I look forward to seeing this project complete. There is a Committee of the Whole meeting at the City of Langley Hall tonight at 7pm if you want to comment on the project.

Sprawl coming to Langley near Trinity Western University

Well, it looks like one of the best examples of suburban sprawl is on its way to becoming reality in the Township of Langley.

Proposed Single-Family Housing Development Near Glover Road and Highway 10.

A development application by Wall Financial Corporation to build 67 single-family houses in farmland was somehow approved by the Agricultural Land Commission in what is pretty much the trickiest ALC application I’ve seen and is now at council for rezoning approval. Orginally billed as an "equestrian community" it is now being bundled as "student housing" with the Trinity Western University District Proposal with the provision of the “construction of a trail network linking the site to Trinity Western University (TWU)”. While student housing looks nice on paper, it seems to me like this equestrian-student-housing-community is going to be nothing more then housing for rich people.

There is nothing sustainable about building single-family houses in the middle of farmland and this development will ensure that everyone who lives there will need to drive everywhere to do anything for a very long time. It is this sort of tricky development that makes me loss faith in Langley at times. Wall Financial Corporation basically spent 10 years chipping away to get this development approved and I guess if you chip away long enough you’ll get your way.

While the majority of development in Langley is happening along the 200th Street corridor and is on its way to becoming urban and sustainable, it is applications like this that give our part of the region a bad reputation as people that are ready to pave over farmland for a quick dollar at the expense of future generations.