If you’ve been following the progress of the City’s NCP areas through the years, you will have noticed a steady increase in the density of these massive redevelopment projects. Although surrounded by primarily single-family homes, Clayton has a number of mid-rise buildings near its commercial core (large in and of itself). Grandview, in South Surrey, incorporates many planning elements learned in Clayton, with an even larger commercial component, as well as so-called lifestyle urban centres, featuring mock Main Streets along mid-rise buildings.
Now, the large rural area between Tynehead and Port Kells is set to take density to a whole new level. As the last major parcel of land in the City that can be redeveloped, nearly the entire project will be medium densities or higher.
The staff report on the Tynehead-Anniedale NCP reveals the increased transport access as a major impetus for the redevelopment of the area. In other words, the Gateway Highway 1 expansion, as well as the Golden Ears Way/Golden Ears Bridge project have prompted this development effort.
Within the planning process, the City has approached both TransLink and the Ministry of Transporation to discuss changes to the road infrastructure. The City requested that the MoT plan to build a cloverleaf interchange at 96th Ave and 176 St, so that traffic could continuously flow, despite a massive increase in population, and thus cars, in the area. The request was denied because of the intersection’s proximity to the existing Hwy 1 interchange just north, which would raise safety concerns.
To TransLink, the City requested that they install new intersections along Golden Ears Way so that industrial parks could be built along the route. TransLink denied the request, stating that doing so would simply increase congestion along the route. Instead, the City has planned a significant commercial component to be built west of 176 St, along 96 Ave.
What frustrates and frightens me about this planning proposal is how inherently suburban sprawlish it truly is. Port Kells is so disconnected from the rest of the City right now, and consists of a tiny, rural population, much the same way most of Grandview is. What the City wants to do is massively increase the population in one of the most disconnected areas of Surrey, which will only increase traffic congestion on Highway 1 and the Golden Ears Bridge as there is no easy way to connect this area to transit anytime soon! For all the touting Council is doing about the Town Centres, this type of planning is in complete contradiction with urban, transit connected development. This is Sprawl 101 point blank. It’s sickening.
It is sickening and frustrating. The Tynehead neighbourhood is agricultural and farming residences with abundant nature. The Metro Vancouver Parks Committee, which oversees the Tynehead Park, have started park improvements on the east area of the park with a million dollar grant received recently. One of the improvements is to make a multi-use perimeter trail through the park. Rather than integrating with the nature and eco-vibrant atmosphrere of the park and area, this trail is going to be paved: It is almost the width of a road and will be paved with cement as it runs through the park. How sick is that? Children and famillies can stroll through the park on a large cement road and when the kids fall while playing, they can skin their knees or fracture their skulls. And there are now three cement areas side by side: 96th Ave, the cement pathway beside the fenced area of the park and next to that, the soon-to-be paved multi-perimenter trail – running through the hatchery too? Joni Mitchell once wrote: “The paved paradise and put up a parking lot”. What foresight!