Jeanne Kimber has described the Council meeting at which we presented on March 22. In general, the HPCA is supportive of both the Guidebook and the NHCLAP that includes Highland Park. The plan includes:
Continued densification as older housing stock turns over.
Significant mixed development radiating outwards from 40th Avenue and Centre Street, with commercial and retail activity at street-level. This would allow for building heights of up to 12 stories along Centre Street, stepping back from front sidewalks.
Improved connectivity from Centre Street eastward towards Greenview Industrial.
A commitment to the Green Line on Centre Street with a station at 40th Avenue for trains running on the surface to downtown, and ultimately northbound past Stoney Trail.
The NHCLAP is the plan which will most directly shape development in Highland Park. We spoke to two shortcomings in it. One is the lack of commitment to a refresh process. The current plan that guides Highland Park is decades old. We believe this new plan must be reviewed much more frequently.
Secondly, we spoke to the misleading depiction of the Highland Valley, the former golf course lands, on the various maps in the plan. These maps are not consistent with it being a green space nor a waterway, which in fact, is what the valley is. We believe that due to the uncertain status of the development, including the recommendation that most of the site be designated for stormwater management and the recent lawsuit filed by the developer, the city is reluctant to change anything regarding the maps in the plan at this time.
Council deferred approval of the Guidebook to the summer, which means the NHCLAP is also delayed as it relies upon the “building blocks” within the Guidebook. On April 12, the NHCLAP was amended to include stronger policy for heritage designations. Before the Guidebook and NHCLAP are approved, we also expect that the city will acknowledge single-family, low-density neighbourhoods within their planning policies.