Explainer: Surrey’s Fleetwood Plan
The plan looks at improving community engagement with a complete overhaul of services
The City of Surrey's Fleetwood Plan aims to improve community engagement and expect to have Stage 2 completed by next summer. (City of Surrey)
Surrey’s Fleetwood Plan is an overhaul and integration of community services divided into multiple stages. The plan was initiated in 2019 but was only approved by city council on March 7.
Stage 1 is underway and involves planning out new commercial buildings, housing, pedestrian and cycling spaces, green spaces, and improving existing buildings in the area along the Fraser Highway Corridor where the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension will go. This is in preparation for when the extension is complete, as the city expects Fleetwood to be “an even more attractive place to live,” according to the plan.
Proposed housing types include high-rise, mid-rise and low-rise buildings with active spaces, townhouses, and urban residential housing within 800 metres of transit. Mixed area spaces will include offices and meeting spaces.
Stage 2 looks at utilities, land use challenges, financing issues, and increased accessibility. It also focuses on the logistics of undertaking the plan drafted out in Stage 1, and the expansion of community facilities, like the expansion of the Fleetwood Community Centre and Surrey Sport and Leisure Complex.
It will look at consolidating development areas to create space for new community areas, infrastructure improvements, and set out a plan for parking standards in family home developments and transit areas.
The finalization of density provisions, which looks at how crowded an area can be at full capacity, means that Stage 2 would need to ensure the development of different areas doesn’t get crowded or overlap in some areas even at full capacity. Stage 2 is expected to be completed and ready for the council to consider next summer.
Stage 2 will also look to identify “drainage, sanitary, water and transportation infrastructure” and parkland improvements, according to the plan. Public input on all aspects of Stage 2 will be available after approval from the city council, which will look at other engagement methods.
The plan is designed to help ignite a robust economy and increase mobility for residents. Building these improvements around the SkyTrain expansion is meant to ensure the growth around Fleetwood is focused and done in areas where residents will benefit the most from the new services and amenities.
It looks to transition to a community that is environmentally friendly by incorporating more green spaces and parks throughout Fleetwood, enhancing biodiversity, and increasing active spaces.
