On Tuesday, Jan. 30, Abbotsford City Council endorsed the Stage 1 update work completed on the update of our Official Community Plan (OCP) as well as the engagement strategy, and we directed staff to begin work on Stage 2.
The OCP is the City’s key municipal planning tool and outlines the long-term vision of our community. It is a statement of objectives and policies that guide decisions on municipal planning and land use management, which impacts how the community will grow and develop, as well as our sustainability and resilience. Abbotsford’s OCP was last updated in 2016, and the update process is being undertaken as the Abbotsforward2050 project.
We believe the OCP is a vitally important document for our future. It is not only about housing, but it’s about transit, how we are going to get around in the future, and where we’re going to work and play.
Updating the OCP is a priority under our 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, and will help meet our direction to ensure development decisions are based on our long-term strategies and not swayed from our community vision by short-term ideas. The province’s new housing legislation also prompts OCP changes, and staff’s report addressed how the OCP will be in line with those changes as well.
This spring we will be asking residents to share their views on what they want Abbotsford to look like over the next 25 years. There will be both in-person and virtual options, including surveys, open houses and workshops. At the in-person events, attendees will also be able to ask questions of City staff and learn more about the OCP process. Residents can also submit ideas to the City at letstalkabbotsford.ca.
In response to the recent BC Government legislative changes related to Public Hearings made through Bill 44, Public Hearings will be waived for all rezoning applications that are in alignment with the OCP, so it’s incredibly important that residents have their say now as part of this OCP update. The update is expected to take 18 to 24 months to complete, with Dec. 31, 2025 as the legislated deadline. So watch for opportunities through the community through the Abbotsforward2050 engagement process to have your say.
All of us on Council look forward to hearing what emerges through the engagement opportunities and what residents would like Abbotsford to look like in the next 25 years.
Abbotsford City Council