The Scott Road corridor can accommodate a broader range of housing types and densities to help support increased transit ridership and provide developers greater flexibility to meet housing demand.
That was among the findings in report by Metro Vancouver, which also notes that six-storey wood frame apartments and concrete towers are expected to be the most viable development form along the corridor, while the future retail-commercial potential of the Scott Road area is expected to be relatively modest.
In 2023, Metro Vancouver hired Urban Systems to prepare a Supply and Demand Study for Scott Road on behalf of the regional district, the City of Delta, and the City of Surrey, aimed at supporting and unifying ongoing planning efforts for the corridor, which received RapidBus service from TransLink this year.
A report to the Regional Planning Committee on the study notes that population and dwelling projections are presented in "low growth" and "high growth" scenarios to provide an estimated range of future market demand.
The report adds that, presently, levels of development activity are notably higher on the Delta side, indicating opportunities for Delta and Surrey to complement each other's planning initiatives at key density nodes.
Under current market conditions, the most viable development types along the corridor are six-storey wood frame apartments, including potential for at-grade commercial uses, as well as concrete towers.
“Due to the high levels of development activity observed on the Delta side, the report recommends prioritizing the area around Kennedy Plan for development first. Subsequently, the formulation of the Strawberry Hill Plan can be undertaken, followed by the Townline Plan, which will be contingent upon a comprehensive review of market conditions and current land use patterns,” the report notes.
The Metro study also looked at various factors including potential implications of development cost charges and the province’s housing legislation, including designating areas surrounding the Scottsdale Exchange as a transit-oriented development area.
The report also states there is also a pressing need for balance in land use plans and policies, particularly concerning future consideration of any market rental or below-market rental housing requirements.
The study is one of several background studies that provided the basis for the City of Surrey’s Imagine Scott Road Visioning Study.
It was also used to help guide the City of Delta’s new Official Community Plan, which identifies the Scott Road Corridor for the city's highest density forms of development.
The study notes that, overall, the proposed number of residential units is currently higher on the Delta side than on the Surrey side, with 2,074 units being considered. Assuming if all the units are approved, they are likely to be brought to market on or before 2034.
Industry stakeholders interviewed noted that the Scott Road corridor as a great development opportunity for Delta as it is an area that is considered, relative to other surrounding jurisdictions, to be overdue for increased densification.
Interviewees also suggested that Surrey and Delta should consider distributing the infill development opportunity across the length of the entire corridor, such as allowing medium density in areas between key high-density nodes. It would encourage smaller-scale projects, as a wider array of potential redevelopment sites provide a higher degree of market accessibility to a broader range of potential development firms.
As far as barriers to development, interviewees on both sides of the corridor noted that there is a perception of significant community opposition against intensification.
