Response to Metro Vancouver’s Pre-Consultation: Metro 2050 Amendment Options in Response to South of the Fraser Mayors’ Request

The proposed amendments would have little benefit to the City of Richmond and instead primarily increase flexibility for the three South of the Fraser municipalities, which have submitted the majority of amendment requests since 2023. This approach undermines the intent of the UCB to limit sprawl and strive for a compact metropolitan urban form, as well as focus urban growth within the compact urban form through transit-oriented, complete communities. While Official Community Plans across the region are aimed at supporting compact communities, ecological protection, and directing growth away from agricultural lands, Richmond's limited agricultural land base and flood-risk make it particularly vulnerable to the environmental impacts ofregional UCB expansion. As more land South of the Fraser could be unlocked for growth under the proposed amendments, uneven expansion could create ecological pressures and contribute to long-term imbalances in economic and infrastructure investment, even if the effects are not immediate. It is acknowledged that there are growth-related challenges faced by South of the Fraser municipalities in accommodating increasing demand for housing and essential services. However, planning decisions should be proactive and grounded in strategic long-range thinking, rather than reactive to case-by-case amendment requests. Alternative solutions could involve undertaking a more comprehensive review of the UCB to evaluate broader amendments to the GVS&DD sewerage boundary. This approach would focus on Rural-designated areas that lie outside both the UCB and the ALR but are already within the sewerage boundary. Such a review would provide a more strategic path forward on a regional basis, rather than weakening the amendment process as proposed by the three South of the Fraser municipalities.

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