The District of West Vancouver has taken a step forward in its plan to revitalize and redevelop Ambleside.
On Monday (Dec. 13), council voted four to two in favour of the timeline and scope of the Ambleside town centre local area plan presented by staff.
Coun. Nora Gambioli and Mayor Mary-Ann Booth were opposed after heated debate regarding an amendment brought forward by Coun. Peter Lambur.
Under the council’s long terms strategic goals, a LAP for Ambleside town centre was to be initiated by council and staff, with Phase 1 of the project to be completed by Quarter 2, 2022. This LAP follows the completed Marine Drive LAP in 2017, and most recently, the Horseshoe Bay LAP in 2021.
Presented by staff member David Hawkins, the plan will look to build on “what we know” already, including the ambleside community profile from 2017, the housing needs report from 2020, and the Ambleside Dundarave Business Improvement Association’s Imagine Ambleside report from this year.
Under the guidance of the West Vancouver official community plan, the new LAP will also look to add approximately 1,000 to 1,200 housing units in the Ambleside town centre.
The LAP will firstly review and confirm the boundaries of the area that will fall under the Ambleside LAP, determine densities, heights and building forms, create space for major business and employment, and provide “attractive public spaces.”
Speaking to the presentation by staff, Coun. Bill Soprovich said the Ambleside plan was “the most important thing we’ve done in years.”
Council heard from three residents who reiterated the importance of a transparent and inclusive consultation process with the community, with one offering a specific caution to council regarding the potential demolition of parking spaces while any future redevelopment is underway.
Shannon Walker, of the Ambleside Dundarave Business Improvement Association, said the businesses in the area have been waiting for over a decade for this LAP to come to fruition and asked for the plan to be accelerated.
“Our business district and our main streets are the engines of our communities … our business constituents have been waiting for this plan for truly over 15 years. We ask the Mayor, and council, and staff to look for opportunities to expedite, to lean on the past studies and surveys, and to move forward to improve the business district as a priority over the coming months,” she said.
Under the passed amended motion and terms of reference, staff will report back to council with the results of both Phase 1 and Phase 2 by December 2022.
Charlie Carey is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
