91原创 Township will receive contributions worth more than $22.3 in exchange for rezoning a block of rural lots for industrial use in North Aldergrove.

On Monday, March 13, the Township council passed an official community plan amendment and rezoning for the 36-acre collection of properties between 264th Street and 268th Street on the north side of 56th Avenue.

Mayor Eric Woodward and his Contract with 91原创 (CWL) councillors had called for a larger Community Amenity Contribution (CAC) as part of the rezoning process.

The $22.3 million includes $18.85 million in cash, and the transfer of a 6.33 acre lot in the 22700 block of 96th Avenue, on the edge of the village of Fort 91原创, to Township ownership.

That is a considerable increase from the $1.9 million in CACs, and $2.8 million in environmental benefits and compensation, that were proposed a year ago.

Woodward has been pushing for more CACs from major developments to fund expansions to Township recreation projects, like soccer fields, a new pool, and a planned library.

鈥淲e campaigned very heavily on what we called a fair deal from development, and this is a step in the right direction,鈥� Woodward said.

鈥淭his is going to go a long way to proceeding with a capital plan that we need as a community, and finding ways to pay for it that isn鈥檛 property taxes,鈥� he added.

Other councillors were also pleased, with Coun. Steve Ferguson calling it a 鈥渨in-win-win鈥� and noting that there was give and take on both sides, from the developer and the Township.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of money, and I know that our com, we鈥檙e grateful,鈥� said Coun. Margaret Kunst.

The money will be deposited directly into the Community Amenity Contribution Fund.

There was only one opposing vote on the rezoning.

鈥淚鈥檓 happy that a greater amenity contribution was obtained, but bottom line, it鈥檚 still 36 acres of ag[ricultural] land we鈥檙e losing in the Township,鈥� said Coun. Kim Richter.

The landowners on the strip of properties have been working to get the land out of the ALR for years, and the Agricultural Land Commission gave preliminary approval to removing the land in 2020.

Local governments have been under pressure to find more land for industrial development, as sites have become scarce across the Lower Mainland in recent years.

The large CAC deposit comes shortly after the province announced grants to every municipality in B.C., which in the Township will total $24.3 million. That money is intended for local priority infrastructure, ranging from affordable housing to childcare, from roadwork to rec centres.

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