Chinook Communities Local Area Plan

Changes to the development rules will be implemented through the creation of Local Area Plans (LAPs). The current focus is LAP 8: Chinook, which includes the neighborhoods of Elboya/Britannia, Parkdale, Windsor Park, Meadowlark Park, Mayfair/Bel Aire, and Manchester.

To learn more about the LAP, visit the City’s Chinook Communities Local Area Plan webpage.

The final draft of the plan has been published. You can access it here: Chinook Communities Local Area Plan – Final Draft – October 2024.

Chinook LAP Overview

Nodes & Corridors

As cities mature, they typically organically increase the density in their developed areas along the busier streets and around existing activity centers (Nodes and Corridors).  This is already happening in the Chinook Lap communities. Britannia Plaza has three new multi-story mixed use buildings. Manchester has new high rise apartment buildings. The Chinook Shopping Center is continually being “refreshed”.

The Chinook LAP specifically identifies and plans for where this densification should occur in the future. The LAP was written by the City Administration Planers.  There was an Interested Party Working Group created to engage with the Planners to inform them regarding their decisions.  EBCA had representatives on the Working Group. 

The plan’s highlights are summarized in two maps:

  1. Urban Form: what types of building can be built and where. [2.1.1 p. 20]

  2. Building Scale: how high can the building be. [2.1.1 p. 21]

The maps show the expected densification along the Nodes and Corridors.  The Working Group spent many hours with the Planners on the Nodes and Corridor areas.  We had good discussions, and we believe the Planners used our input.

Residential Areas

There was NO discussion on the rest of the residential areas. These are the light-yellow Neighbourhood Local areas on the Urban Form Map.  These are the houses where we live. The Chinook LAP does include policy for Neighbourhood Local but it is a “cut and paste” from other approved LAPS. It was no discussed with the Working Group. It states [2.2.1.6 p. 29]:

“Neighbourhood Local areas are characterized by a range of housing types and home-based businesses”.

In other words, the LAP policy is that any housing type or home-based business will be permitted!

Blanket Upzoning

The LAP does not specifically reference the Land Use Bylaw rules. However, when the Blanket Upzoning was approved, our lots were rezoned to allow rowhouses.  Once that was implemented, the Planners told the Working Group that we were “Not allowed” to discuss Neighbourhood Local.

The Administration has chosen to ignore the LAP planning process with respect to residential areas and replace it with a different policy: Blanket Upzoning. 

In summary, with respect to residential areas, the Chinook LAP supports the same outcomes as Blanket Upzoning.  EBCA had many excellent letters and speeches expressing our valid concerns and opposition to Blanket Upzoning at the hearing in April. 

These same concerns carry over to the Chinook LAP.

EBCA Action

The LAP will be reviewed at a public hearing of the Infrastructure and Planning Committee February 27, 2025. It will then go to Council for final hearing and approval, possibly in March or April. 

EBCA joined with the other Community Associations to form the Chinook Lap Community Association Network to coordinate our response at the hearings.

  • Parkhill: Ruth Melchior

  • EBCA: Mike Read 

  • Windsor Park: Ken Young 

  • Meadowlark Park: Verna Leask 

  • Mayfair Bel Aire: Peter Colins

We had our kick-off meeting Jan 17. We concluded that:

  • We should express our concerns and opposition at both the IPC and Council Hearings.

  • If we don’t, our silence will be interpreted by the City and Council that we don’t care; or worse, that we tacitly support the LAP as is.

We need volunteers to speak at the hearings and/or write submissions!  Repeating our past concerns that have been ignored or dismissed is entirely acceptable.  It won’t change their minds, but it will let them know we haven’t changed our minds either.

EBCA had many excellent letters and speeches expressing or concerns and opposition during the Blanket Upzoning Hearing in April. Since the LAP uses Blanket Unzoning, we still have these valid concerns.   We are asking you to again volunteer to dust off your speech and remind the Councillors and Administration they continue to fail to represent a large proportion of their constituents.

If you’ve never spoken at a hearing before, contact us at development@elboyabritanna.com for guidance and support.