WALNUT GROVE STAGE 9, REDWOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
LANGLEY, B.C.
CLIENT: VAN MAREN CONSTRUCTION LTD. / INDIVIDUAL LANDOWNERS
The Walnut Grove Stage 9, Redwood Neighbourhood consists of over 100 acres made up of individual parcels from 2.5 acres to over 10 acres, all controlled by individual land owners, mostly local residents who lived on the parcels. After introducing a developer to the project and assisting in the optioning of a majority of the properties we organized a community meeting with all of the owners and created a steering committee to oversee the development process. To develop the property it would be necessary to amend the Walnut Grove Official Community Plan and prepare a Neighbourhood Plan complete with a detailed servicing analysis.
The municipality normally undertakes the preparation of a Neighbourhood Plan, but in this instance the developer and landowners financed this process and our firm provided the positive leadership to the owners group and consulting team to undertake and complete the task. As a prelude to the actual preparation of the plan we carried out detailed topographic surveys, environmental habitat mapping and analysis, slope analysis, drainage studies and off-site servicing analysis and costing.
The site contained several significant environmental areas including a magnificent stand of Heritage Trees and lowland swamps surrounded by a mature stand of cedar. Our plans provided for the preservation of these areas while maintaining the development value of all of the properties by creating a unique system of density transfers. It was also sensitive to the adjoining golf course and Agricultural Land Reserve lands.
Throughout the process we coordinated regular meetings with the steering committee and all affected landowners that were also attended by municipal Planning staff. Through the review of the detailed site analysis and guidance from the affected owners we were able to develop a proposal of broad land use designations and development densities. These would eventually be submitted to the Township of Langley for further detailed review and ultimately the approval of a Neighbourhood Plan allowing for the development of the Stage 9, Redwood Neighbourhood.