It’s the first refresh of the document in 17 years, and had been a major goal of the new council to bring a sense of order to the city’s fast-paced growth.
Langford has a new official community plan.
It’s the first refresh of the long-term land use and policy document in 17 years, and had been a major goal of the council elected two years ago to bring a sense of order to Langford’s fast-paced growth.
The OCP, formally adopted on June 25, is a blueprint for how the municipality grows and develops, setting guidelines for building heights, specific areas of increased density and transportation options.
The city said the plan was designed to meet the needs of a future population of 100,000.
With a current population of about 58,000, Langford is considered the fastest-growing community in the province and the third-fastest in Canada. It’s also one of the key municipalities in the capital region’s overall growth strategy and a target in the province’s push to build more housing.
Mayor Scott Goodmanson called the new OCP a “significant milestone” for Langford, saying it ensures quality growth, densification in the right locations and diverse transportation choices.
“It’s a good plan — probably the most important document any municipality will produce because it’s the plan for our future.”
The OCP refresh was developed over 18 months through public engagement sessions.
The city said the open houses, surveys and pop-up kiosks — as well as discussions at council meetings — generated input from thousands of residents to help shape the plan.
The OCP takes into account challenges including climate change, housing affordability, social equity, public health and rising infrastructure costs.
Goodmanson said the plan outlines different sizes of buildings in various neighbourhoods — for example, some of the downtown area of Langford will allow for building heights of up to 30 storeys. But it also emphasizes more mid-rise buildings of four- to six-storeys as well as even smaller units to create neighbourhoods around ground-floor small businesses.
For the first time, the plan is setting specific height limits in various areas to ensure consistency. The city said the changes are based on supporting walkable and transit-supported urban areas, and the OCP encourages more “mobility choices” by reducing reliance on cars and supporting transportation options that lower costs, cut emissions and use space more efficiently. The city is required by legislation to review its OCP every five years, and the mayor said council can tweak parts of the plan at any time.
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