In the draft 2024 OCP the city outlines its proposal to apply for the removal of an area of ALR land stretching from Shuswap Street to 10th Street SW near Piccadilly Mall with no clear case to why, and it poses a real risk to downtown.
The exclusion area proposed – 118 acres – is similar to the size of our historic downtown and the OCP notes the area would be zoned high density residential and mixed use. The city’s reasons given for removing the land is to build roads and to keep their options open but once the land is removed from the ALR and rezoned it becomes available to developers.
Given the precarious situation historic downtowns all across BC face, our downtown could become economically depressed if this other large area was developed as commercial (which almost certainly will be a component). We’ve seen what has happened to downtowns in cities like Nanaimo and Kamloops where the growth of commercial elsewhere pulls tenants from the downtown causing the crime rate to proliferate, which has a negative impact on the town as a whole.
Instead of looking to sprawl out to the perimeter, our city’s growth strategy at this time should promote supporting our small businesses downtown, walkability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to create a healthier, more vibrant and sustainable city.
Claire Askew
