Event: UBC campus Land Use Plan open house and workshops
Date: Thursday, July 15
Open House: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Workshop 1: 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Workshop 2: 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: Ballroom, Student Union Building, 6138 Student Union Blvd.
The public is invited to participate in the University of British Columbia’s Land Use Plan amendment consultations, which will begin with an open house on July 15 and online consultations from July 19-30.
UBC’s Vancouver Land Use Plan – formerly called the Official Community Plan (OCP) – establishes general land uses and policies for the entire 1,000-acre campus, with a special focus on non-institutional development. This is the first review of UBC’s Land Use Plan since 2003.
UBC is proposing to update the plan to advance the university’s vision of creating a model university community that is vibrant, livable and sustainable, and to support the University’s academic mission. During the Vancouver Campus Plan process and in consultation with the UBC community, barriers to achieving UBC’s vision were identified. Proposed amendments will address these barriers by:
- Creating more affordable housing and a more sustainable community
- Changing the UBC Farm’s land use designation from “Future Housing Reserve” to “Green Academic” to support sustainability teaching, research and innovation
- Regularizing land use to better align with UBC’s academic mission
In 2008, UBC’s Board of Governors committed that no family housing would be built on the UBC Farm, provided that allotted residential housing density could be transferred elsewhere on campus. The Land Use Plan consultations will explore new campus areas to transfer this density.
The Board also previously requested an academic rigorous, globally significant plan for the UBC Farm. Cultivating Place: The South Academic Plan was developed by UBC faculty, staff and students, in consultation with the UBC community, and delivered to the Board in late 2009. View the plan at: http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/cultivatingplace/.
UBC’s OCP was adopted as the university’s Land Use Plan with the recent passing of B.C. government’s Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act, which transferred oversight of UBC’s land use from Metro Vancouver to the Province.
The Land Use Plan consultations will include an open house and workshops on July 15, three workshops and online consultations in fall 2010 and a public hearing in early late 2010/early 2011, as per provincial legislation.
After the public hearing in late 2010/early 2011, UBC’s Board of Governors will propose amendments to Minister of Community and Rural Development, who, in consultation with the Minister of Advanced Education, is responsible for final approval of land use amendments.
Public unable to attend the July 15 event can review session materials and provide feedback online from July 19-30 at: www.planning.ubc.ca/consultations/lup.php
Learn more at: www.planning.ubc.ca
