A Jan. 30 open house will give Langley residents a chance to comment on plans for more industrial development on a stretch of Fraser Highway between Murrayville and Otter.
Since 2023, the Township has been working towards a plan for what are dubbed the Fraser Highway Employment Lands – a spread of properties totalling about 500 acres, stretching from around 228 Street to just east of 240 Street.
None of the lands are in the Agricultural Land Reserve, and some of them already host industrial or commercial businesses. The area also includes a number of rural residential lots and a mobile home park.
The Township is creating a plan for the overall development of the area, and after public input and speaking to a number of stakeholders, the next step would be to amend the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy, and to redesignate the land from rural to industrial.
According to the Township's reports, that process would take about six months.
After already holding one open house, and interviews with businesses, the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce, and the Nicomekl Enhancement Society, the Township is now set to hold another open house on Thursday, Jan. 30, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Church in the Valley at 23589 Old Yale Rd.
The new open house will give members of the public a chance to learn how the plan for the employment lands is progressing, and to review what was heard during the earlier phases of feedback.
This is phase three of the Township's planning process, to be followed by creating a draft land use plan, which Township council will have to debate and vote on.
Industrial land is in short supply in Metro Vancouver. Large areas of Vancouver, including near False Creek, were once devoted to industrial uses, but over the years much of that land was redeveloped into condos and shops.
Industrial land moved out to suburbs like Langley, with Gloucester Estates Industrial Park north of Aldergrove, and more recently Surrey's South Campbell Heights. But with growing populations, demand has grown faster than available land.
Municipal governments, including Langley Township, are also eager to add more industrial, office, and commercial land to their communities, as it helps keep the tax burden on residential properties relatively low.
Earlier, the Township heard from local businesses and the public about the advantages and downsides of using the Fraser Employment Lands.
Advantages included proximity to transit, the U.S. border, and nearby urban centres, and the fact that the land was flat and parcels were evenly shaped.
Challenges included a lack of larger land units, height restrictions, and high community amenity contributions (CACs) – among others. There were also infrastructure and utilities constraints in the area.
