Metro Vancouver鈥檚 regional planning committee will likely hear an array of differing views on Surrey鈥檚 latest plans for South Campbell Heights 鈥� which include re-designating 242 hectares on the South Surrey-91原创 Township border as 鈥榚mployment lands鈥� and extending the urban containment boundary by a further 23.7 ha.
Among those scheduled to address the committee meeting on Friday (Oct. 8) is Surrey Board of Trade president and CEO Anita Huberman, whose organization has come out solidly in favour of the plan.
Offering another viewpoint will be David Riley, president of the Little Campbell Watershed Society, whose members oppose the plan due to concerns that environmental risks of building out the area 鈥� bounded by 20 Avenue to the north, 196 Street to the east, 8 Avenue to the south and approximately 186 Street to the west 鈥� have not been adequately studied.
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In a pre-meeting media release, Huberman lauded the economic and financial benefits of the plan.
鈥淭he proposed development of South Campbell Heights in Surrey is important to the Metro Vancouver region because of industrial land creation, new jobs and businesses as well as international co-location opportunities,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his benefits all cities.鈥�
She cited the potential of more than 8.5 million square feet of building area, the creation of up to 20,000 jobs, and tax revenues for the city of $17-$18 million which could be reinvested in the city and the region.
She also noted that 35 per cent of the area in question is to be set aside as a conservation area 鈥� which she described as 鈥渙ne of the highest ratios in all of Canada.鈥�
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But Riley told Peace Arch News that he is concerned that there has been little or no attention paid to the environmental impacts that development of the rest of the land will have on fish and wildlife 鈥� both in the area and across the region.
鈥淪urrey did a study in 2018 (at the time of the first attempt to re-designate the lands),鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat was essentially an 鈥榠nformation gap鈥� study 鈥� it gave us some goalposts to aim at, but it wasn鈥檛 enough then and it isn鈥檛 enough now.鈥�
In the interim, he said, Surrey hasn鈥檛 done any study of the impacts.
鈥淭he paradigm is 鈥榳e鈥檒l decide if we鈥檙e going to do it and then fix whatever problems there are as they arise.鈥欌��
He said that while Metro Vancouver refers to its overall plan as a 鈥�2040鈥� plan he believes the Little Campbell watershed 鈥渨on鈥檛 see 2040 with any biological health, if we continue as we are now.鈥�
鈥淚f we鈥檙e doing all the right things environmentally, how come the outcomes don鈥檛 show it?鈥� he said.
鈥淲hen people say 鈥榳e鈥檝e taken care of all the environmental concerns鈥� 鈥� the people saying that, can鈥檛 say it in good faith.鈥�
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Also scheduled to speak are 91原创鈥檚 Dr. S.K. Stepney, wildlife biologist Sofi Hindmarch, Beedie president Todd Yuen and Channel Consulting principal Tegan Smith, while Surrey鈥檚 community planning manager, Preet Heer, and utilities manager, Yonatah Yohannes, will make an 鈥榠nvited presentation.鈥�
While committee recommendations will be referred to the Metro board鈥檚 Oct. 29 meeting, a final decision on the matter will likely be made in early 2022.
Metro officials have noted that this week鈥檚 meeting is not a public hearing, and only those who have already requested to be a delegation will have the opportunity to comment.
To watch the livestream of Friday鈥檚 meeting, visit metrovancouver.org
- files from Tracy Holmes
alex.browne@peacearchnews.com
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