City amends bylaw for The Station Neighbourhood Plan

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Council voted in favour of amending a bylaw on Monday updating land use designations for The Station Neighbourhood Plan.

According to the city, The Station Neighbourhood Plan incorporates nine proposed land use designations that will combine to create a “well-planned and diverse community at full build-out.”

“Each designation provides a general overview and intent well as overarching policies that are intended to help form the character of the area,” said the city.

According to the city, there have been many development processes and concept changes to the land known as The Station over two decades. With community needs constantly evolving, the landowner, Avonark Developments, sought to amend the City’s Official Community Plan designations to include The Station Neighbourhood plan.

The future development is located south of 85th Avenue, north of the Alaska Highway and west of Northern Lights Drive.

The city invited residents to a public hearing on Monday to provide comments and feedback on the proposed amendment. One resident, who lives near the area in question, said they were informed of the potential development when they purchased their property two years ago.

“We’re excited to see that lower area of the community develop and grow and to see all the potential that area can have,” the resident said. 

“We’re super excited to see it punch through to the bypass and to the highway because it is definitely congested down there right now as it is.”

The Station will provide a mixture of residential, commercial, and institutional as a complete community neighbourhood and will include parks and trails as well. 

According to acting planning manager Charlene Jackson at a committee of the whole meeting in June, the land has been a placeholder for future development for quite some time.

“The area was previously targeted for a mixture of commercial and high-density residential lands, but the land’s remained vacant for over 20 years,” Jackson explained.

She said an updated plan was created through data from multiple city reports, such as the housing strategy.

The build is estimated to take between 20 and 40 years to complete.

More information about The Station Neighbourhood Plan can be found on the City of Fort St. John’s website.