Garibaldi Estates Neighbourhood Plan

Thank you for your question. Staff have reviewed the draft materials used in the development of the current Official Community Plan and inquired with those individuals who worked on the project. Unfortunately, the draft version with notations regarding changes has not been located.

Additional information about the process used to develop the Official Community Plan, and the engagement conducted as part of that process, can be found here: https://squamish.ca/yourgovernment/projects-and-initiatives/completed-projects/2018-completed-projects/ocp2018/ocp-background/

Thank you for your questions. Please see answers below:

1. No. This planning process will not put any obligations on residents to sell or develop their property. The neighbourhood plan is intended to establish a long-range vision for the area to guide decisions for multiple decades to come. Existing land uses will not be forced to change. In all scenarios for Diamond Head South, the existing land use of single-family homes are included as a permitted use.
2. The amount due for property taxes is based on the assessed values provided by BC Assessment. BC Assessment indicated to District staff that assessed values are based on property transactions in the area. At this time, there are several neighbourhood plans in Squamish where land use changes are supported. The District is not aware of changes in assessed values that have occurred as a result of these neighborhood plans. Neighbourhood plans are an important tool for the District to plan how land uses change over time. Without a plan, individual land use decisions will happen without a broader vision for the neighborhood. Opportunities to maintain and enhance livability could be missed. 
3. The municipality does have authority to expropriate properties; however, expropriation is not a tool that is being considered in the land use scenarios proposed as part of the Garibaldi Estates Neighbourhood Planning Process. The land use scenarios are proposed as an expanded set of land use options that are available to land owners.
4. Zoning amendments are at the full discretion of Council, who act as representatives of the Squamish community based on the outcome of a democratic electoral process.

Hi there and thanks for the questions. It did not make financial sense to replace the watermain or other services before the end of their useful lives, nor delay paving for years due to potential zoning changes or redevelopment.

First, the watermain is getting old but could still reasonably have 15 years or more of life if no rezoning happens; the sewer pipe can be relined. Replacing/upsizing water and other utilities is very expensive. It wouldn’t be good asset management to replace them now when only the road needs to be resurfaced. 

Second, regarding delaying the paving - Kalodon was one of the worst roads in Squamish with respect to asphalt rideability. This meant that it required road/asphalt rehabilitation in the near term. The neighbourhood planning process will take time and the outcome of the process is unknown. This is a risk in terms of delaying paving. In addition, any redevelopment could involve further delays (i.e. rezoning, designs, permits, construction, etc.) which could result in additional delays to utility replacement. With Kalodon in poor condition, delaying paving for a possible outcome with an uncertain timeline was inappropriate, especially given that asphalt has a relatively short useful life.

If rezonings occur as a result of the neighbourhood planning process, and upgrades to the utilities do happen in the mid-term, then there will eventually be trench cuts in the asphalt. These are not ideal outcomes for asphalt longevity but can be mitigated.

Further context added March 8, 2023:

Diamond Head watermain was replaced prior to resurfacing because the waterline was experiencing breaks, and the District Public Works crew were concerned about it’s overall longevity and integrity; they reasoned that it was at the end of it’s useful life.

Pipe longevity isn’t exclusively dependent on age but also on other factors including ground conditions and quality of construction when it was installed.  For example, the Read Crescent watermain which is just two more streets east was replaced in 2022 and it was 16 years older than the Kalodon watermain.

Thank you for this question. At this stage in the planning process staff have not calculated expected dwelling unit numbers or population projections for each of the land use scenarios under consideration. The intent at this stage of the process is to focus discussion on what built forms are appropriate, specifically considering heights, densities and land uses. Expected dwelling units will be calculated at Stage 4 of the process when a preferred plan is under development based on the Stage 3 Engagement Summary and direction of Council. At that point the expected unit numbers will inform aspects such as childcare targets. Engagement will continue with the community in Stage 4 and there will be opportunities to discuss dwelling unit numbers at this time.  This follows the Loggers East planning process in which expected unit numbers were calculated during development of the preferred neighbourhood plan.

Hi there and thanks for the question. At this stage in the planning process staff have not calculated expected dwelling unit numbers or population projections for each of the land use scenarios under consideration. The intent at this stage of the process is to focus discussion on what built forms are appropriate, specifically considering heights, densities and land uses. Expected dwelling units will be calculated at Stage 4 of the process when a preferred plan is under development based on the Stage 3 Engagement Summary and direction of Council. At that point the expected unit numbers will inform aspects such as childcare targets. Engagement will continue with the community in Stage 4 and there will be opportunities to discuss dwelling unit numbers at this time.  This follows the Loggers East planning process in which expected unit numbers were calculated during development of the preferred neighbourhood plan.

Thank you for the question. At this stage in the planning process staff have not calculated expected dwelling unit numbers or population projections for each of the land use scenarios under consideration. The intent at this stage of the process is to focus discussion on what built forms are appropriate, specifically considering heights, densities and land uses. Expected dwelling units will be calculated at Stage 4 of the process when a preferred plan is under development based on the Stage 3 Engagement Summary and direction of Council. At that point the expected unit numbers will inform aspects such as childcare targets. Engagement will continue with the community in Stage 4 and there will be opportunities to discuss dwelling unit numbers at this time.  This follows the Loggers East planning process in which expected unit numbers were calculated during development of the preferred neighbourhood plan.

Hi there and thank you for the question. We currently have 1,098 residential units in construction, meaning a building permit has been issued and no occupancy permit has been granted yet. These residential units are likely going to be completed over the next 3 years. The growth of residential units in construction is likely to slow down over the next couple of years due to construction cost escalation and interest rate changes. This is something we can already see in new building permit application numbers, which are significantly lower compared to the previous 3 years.

Hi there and thank you for the questions. We currently have 1,098 residential units in construction, meaning a building permit has been issued and no occupancy permit has been granted yet. These residential units are likely going to be completed over the next 3 years. The growth of residential units in construction is likely to slow down over the next couple of years due to construction cost escalation and interest rate changes. This is something we can already see in new building permit application numbers, which are significantly lower compared to the previous 3 years.

Staff do not maintain regular tracking of units which are the subject of a development application but do not have approved zoning. These not a predicable measure of housing units that will proceed to construction given significant uncertainty in the outcomes of the development application process.

Thank you for this question. The Squamish Food Policy Council Report references the eastern portion of the Garibaldi Estates where larger parcels are located. The area referred to as ‘Garibaldi East’ is not specified in the report. 

When the Squamish Food Policy Council report was received by the District of Squamish, the Garibaldi Estates sub area scenarios, that were released to the public on February 14^th, had not yet been developed. 

Recommendations made by the Squamish Food Policy Council Report were incorporated into the design of the sub areas scenarios. Scenarios B and C  for the sub area ‘Estates East’ include dedication of land for agriculture activities (or park/open space) in alignment with the Squamish Food Policy Council Report.

Thank you for reaching out with this question. The Garibaldi Estates Neighbourhood Planning Process is not expected to recommend removal of single-family dwellings as a permitted use for any of the properties where that use is currently allowed. Single-family dwellings are expected to remain a permitted housing forms in all locations in which they are currently allowed. 

In addition, the Garibaldi Estates Neighbourhood Planning Process will not include rezoning of properties. The plan may provide support or recommendations for future zoning amendments, but these amendments will not be completed as part of the planning process.

The purpose of the Garibaldi Estates Neighbourhood plan is to provide a vision for how the community could evolve over the next 20 years or more. Without a plan, the neighbourhood will evolve in a way that only considers individual development interests, rather than a vision for the neighbourhood as a whole.