Pitt Meadows council approves North Lougheed Area Plan after decades of debate

Pitt Meadows council has approved the North Lougheed Area Plan, setting the policy framework for a major future development that could bring thousands of new homes, businesses and a new east-west road to lands along Lougheed Highway.

Council voted 5-1 on Sept. 29 to give third reading and adopt an amendment in the official community plan (OCP).

Mayor Nicole MacDonald noted the plan has been discussed in various iterations for over 40 years

“This has been a long time coming,” MacDonald said. “I also believe it’s a good thing that it’s taken this long, because I think we have an opportunity to do it right.”

The decision entrenches the North Lougheed Area Plan to the city’s OCP, but does not approve specific developments. Future projects will still require additional planning, technical studies and council approvals, and staff expects the area to develop gradually over many years.

The plan has stretched back to the 1980s and has, over the years, been subject of lengthy council debates over the loss of Agricultural Land Reserve land, housing growth, traffic, taxation and the future of farming in Pitt Meadows.

Still, not everyone on council was convinced.

Coun. Mike Manion, the lone vote against approval, said he could not support removing roughly 125 acres of agricultural land based in part on traffic analysis he said was more than a decade old.

He argued population growth in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge has changed traffic patterns since the earlier study and questioned whether the benefits of a new North Lougheed Connector would last once approximately 2,200 new homes were built in the area.

Manion also warned that development could place additional pressure on nearby farms and said concerns about food security have become more significant since the pandemic.

“Farmland is a finite resource. Once it is removed and developed, it is lost forever,” he said.

The rest of council took a different view, pointing to the long history of planning for the area and arguing development could provide new housing, employment, commercial activity and property tax revenue while helping address traffic problems on Old Dewdney Trunk Road.

Staff said the plan is expected to provide more housing options, generate jobs and investment, expand the city’s tax base and add parks and trails, while protecting natural and cultural sites and surrounding agricultural properties. Development would also support construction of the North Lougheed Connector, which the city says would allow traffic calming on Old Dewdney Trunk Road and improve road safety in the agricultural area.

Coun. Bob Meachen said approximately 78 percent of Pitt Meadows remains within the ALR and argued the North Lougheed lands should represent the northern limit of urban development in that part of the city.

“Once this North Lougheed Area Plan is finished, which is going to be some years down the road – that’s it,” Meachen said. “I don’t want to go any further north than the proposed connector road.”

Staff told council portions of the study area have already been fully or conditionally excluded from the ALR, while other lands remain subject to conditions that include securing the North Lougheed Connector, developing a traffic-calming plan for Old Dewdney Trunk Road and placing restrictions intended to protect farmland north of the area.

Meachen said expanding Pitt Meadows’ commercial, light-industrial and residential tax base would also help the city respond to rising costs.

He nevertheless said future planning must address concerns raised by existing residents, particularly around Dorado Crescent and Meadow Gardens. He called for access to the new neighbourhood from the proposed connector, Lougheed Highway and Harris Road rather than concentrating traffic on Meadow Gardens Way, along with buffers between existing homes and new development.

Coun. Mike Hayes said the plan gives Pitt Meadows an opportunity to determine how one of its last significant development areas takes shape.

“For me, the question is not simply whether Pitt Meadows will experience growth, but how we manage that growth,” Hayes said.

He pointed to potential housing, businesses, employment, parks, trails and transit connections, as well as the North Lougheed Connector, which he said could improve safety for residents, farmers and slow-moving agricultural vehicles.

Coun. Gwen O’Connell said the area has been discussed throughout her decades around council and argued much of the land proposed for development has not been actively farmed for years.

“I think this is the best decision for Pitt Meadows,” O’Connell said.

Coun. Tracy Elke similarly emphasized the proposal’s long history, noting the issue was the subject of a packed public hearing more than a decade ago.

Elke said the development could help broaden the city’s tax base, create local jobs and businesses and provide housing as Pitt Meadows faces provincial housing requirements.

“Is it perfect? No, but it’s moving in the right direction, and it’s going to tick a lot of those boxes that we need in our community,” she said.

Mayor Nicole MacDonald also supported the plan, adding that maintaining Pitt Meadows’ agricultural character comes with financial challenges for a community of about 20,000 residents and a relatively small urban tax base. She argued the North Lougheed lands offer an opportunity to accommodate additional housing in a more comprehensively planned area.

She said the area could provide housing options for young people, renters and residents hoping to age in place.

The plan’s adoption carries no immediate financial implications for the city, although some implementation measures could require future funding. Staff said development is also expected to increase Pitt Meadows’ property tax base.

The city conducted its latest round of public engagement on the plan between May 13 and June 7, including a survey and open house, before holding a public hearing Sept. 22.

The city has also worked with q̓icə̓y̓ (Katzie) First Nation on the plan over several years, with further collaboration and engagement identified for the implementation phase.