The B.C. government is calling out another municipality over what it says are delays in approving new density requirements near transit hubs.
This time the target is the Township of Langley, which the province has given until Oct. 31 to greenlight a new Transit-Oriented Density (TOD) zone around the site of the future Willowbrook SkyTrain Station.
Under the legislation, introduced last fall, municipalities must implement TOD areas within 800 metres of rapid transit stations, which set minimum height and density requirements based on a city’s size and the proximity to the station.
In a recent letter to the township, Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said the municipality had missed the June 30 deadline to designate the TOD area, as required under provincial legislation.
The letter warns that the province may step in and implement the zoning change on its own if the township fails to act.
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The warning is getting a cool reception in the municipality, with Mayor Eric Woodward arguing the province has failed to appreciate Langley’s unique circumstances.
“These things may be needed in Vancouver where we have seen single-family homes surrounding SkyTrain stations for 30 years, but that’s not the situation here,” Woodward said.
“We do have a significant infrastructure deficit we are trying to catch up on with so much growth.”
Woodward said the township was already scheduled to update its Willowbrook community plan starting in 2025, but it’s a process the province’s mandate will compromise.
He added that with the SkyTrain not scheduled for completion until at least 2028, the new density is premature.
“I’d like to confirm with the minister SkyTrain on track and on budget to be completed by that timeline. I don’t sense the urgency to do this,” he said.
In a separate letter to the municipality, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon denied Langley Township’s application for an extension on new laws requiring small-scale multi-unit housing on single-family lots.
In July, the province said 90 per cent of B.C. municipalities had complied with that new legislation, designed to try and tackle B.C.’s ongoing housing crisis.
West Vancouver is among the handful of municipalities that have rejected the measure, and the province said it has been issued a non-compliance notice and could face a ministerial order.
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