Project Overview
The City of Fort St. John is creating an Area Plan for the Swanson Lumber Road area
What is an Area Plan?
An Area Plan is a secondary plan to the Official Community Plan (OCP) that supports and further identifies the future development of land within a specific area of the City. Linked to the OCP through an amendment, Area Plans include specific policy directions and maps to describe a variety of topics, including land uses, major infrastructure, services, and development phasing over time. Key community development aspects must be addressed and are important factors to consider for the future development of these lands.
Why is it Needed?
The completion of an Area Plan is required for the future development described in the OCP for urban development area #8 Swanson Lumber Road and will see the neighbourhood plan amended to the OCP.
Where the OCP is a future-oriented document that sets a 5- to 20-year vision for the community, the Area Plan will provide guidance and direction specific to this area for decisions on land development, infrastructure, and community quality of life.
The Area Planning Process
Area Planning work has been led by the City’s Planning division and included key review and input to ensure the alignment of other plans, strategies, bylaws, and policies within the Official Community Plan and to ensure the connectivity of the community’s vision to the implementation of the Official Community Plan. This work builds off the initial Let’s Talk Neighbourhood Plans work that was started in 2020 before being placed on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between March and November 2022, the City held 10 consultation meetings, including an open house, one-on-one meetings with landowners, and meetings with key partners, including First Nations, the Agricultural Land Commission, utility providers, transportation agencies, and the Peace River Regional District.
In mid-2023, City staff conducted meetings with the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) and land owners to continue shaping the vision for the Area Plan. These conversations led to revisions to the draft Swanson Lumber Road Area Plan that are consistent with the direction of the Official Community Plan and Industrial Land Strategy while also ensuring that it generally meets the supported direction of the ALC and land owners.
Next Steps
Staff have been working towards a revised area plan using the original Draft Swanson Lumber Road Area Plan and the feedback received during the referral period that is consistent with the direction of the Official Community Plan and Industrial Land Strategy while also ensuring that it generally meets the supported direction of the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC).
The City has refined the plan to ensure it reflects our city’s future growth needs while respecting the concerns and requirements of landowners. The plan sets a long-term vision for possible future development without immediate impact on properties. Landowners will remain unaffected in the coming years, though zoning bylaws may be adjusted to accommodate future growth, and growth may occur in the area.
The updated DRAFT Swanson Lumber Road Area Plan was presented to Council for information at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, June 10, 2024. On June 22, 2024, City staff presented the draft Swanson Lumber Road Area Plan to Council at a Regular Council meeting. City Council read the Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 2597, 2024, for the first time and directed staff to forward the draft Swanson Lumber Road Area Plan to the ALC for comment. City staff will present the draft Area Plan to the ALC Executive Committee at their upcoming September meeting. Should the draft Area Plan receive ALC support, then the Bylaw would proceed to a second reading at a Regular Council meeting and a public hearing would be scheduled.
Project Timeline
