How tough will it be to find a parking spot within Ladner Village in the future?
That remains to be seen after Delta council approved Official Community Plan changes following a public hearing last week.
Nestled among the amendments, the reduced Mixed Use Ladner Waterfront Zone parking regulations are to be extended to all of Ladner Village.
It was also one of the many recommendations by the Ladner Village Renewal Advisory Committee.
An economic analysis pointed to a need to consider parking rate reductions to ensure viability of redevelopment, so new parking standards are to be developed for new development projects.
“Along with density, the cost of parking plays a significant role in the development potential for a property. The economic analysis indicated that lower parking rates make redevelopment more likely. Additionally, lower parking rates can enhance the design performance of buildings, encourage active transportation and the use of transit, and support the development of vibrant, walkable places,” a report on the new OCP notes.
The report also notes, “The update to the Ladner Area Plan includes a policy to establish and implement a new parking standard, with the exact ratios to be determined through detailed review, followed by an amendment to the zoning bylaw subject to further public consultation.”
Parking has been a constant issue within the village as employees have been seen as the biggest culprits, taking up valuable customer spots.
The city has tried increasing the turnover over the years with new time limits on streets but hasn’t gone so far as building a parkade or installing parking meters.
A decade ago, a previous civic advisory committee looking into the revitalization of the waterfront and downtown core in Ladner, was told there isn’t a big parking problem, but that could change with increased density.
During those discussions, one of the suggestions was for council to consider “low cost” parking solutions, such as timed parking stalls or meters.
According to a consultant at the time, a clear parking strategy is needed for the redevelopment of the area because current capacity needs to be balanced with additional pressures that may come from redevelopment, particularly “destination” uses.
A Delta parking review years earlier found Ladner businesses were not in favour of pay parking as a management tool.
One of the policy goals of the new village plan states the revitalization should “focus on improvements to walking and biking facilities accessing the Village, and in particular within a 10-minute/800 metre distance, to encourage people to bike and walk into the Village area as a way to reduce parking needs.”
Delta is the only remaining Lower Mainland jurisdiction without parking meters or pay parking lots.
