Surrey’s newly appointed City Council has adopted 16 priorities for its term, including advancing the SkyTrain expansion down King George Boulevard to Newton.
The Story
On Monday, Surrey’s new City Council passed a motion setting 16 council priorities for the term, with logistics, timelines and budgets to be decided in future council meetings while the council said it will act immediately.
Mayor Doug McCallum said in a release, “Surrey is about to become the largest city in British Columbia, and residents have waited long enough for the hospital, the transit and the recreation facilities a city of that size needs.”
The priorities adopted by council include fast-tracking the rezoning of city-owned land in Newton for a new hospital and advancing the SkyTrain expansion down King George Boulevard to Newton.
Council also set out plans to freeze property taxes for four years and to ensure zero tolerance for crime and extortion, including more officers on the street.
Public safety and policing-related priorities include equipping the Surrey Police Service with a helicopter and drone fleet within 90 days.
On recreation, council directed that new pools be moved forward for Clayton Heights, City Centre, Newton and Cloverdale, and it adopted “Recreation for All,” including free recreation fees for seniors, free swim lessons for ages three to 16, and a four-year freeze on recreation fees.
For land use and community character, the council will implement zoning regulations for Crescent Beach and Ocean Park, from 140 Street West to the ocean, to preserve neighbourhood character.
Council priorities also include establishing a Farm Local Plan, conducting an independent forensic audit of land dealings in the last four years (including the Arena Project, the parkland site at 152 Street and 76 Avenue, and the training facility in Tynehead), and withdrawing from the Metro Vancouver Regional Board while maintaining core services with Metro Vancouver only.
Other measures adopted by council include a 60-day residential building permit guarantee, free business licences for the first two years for every new business, and purchasing the Rosemary Heights Retreat Centre lands to protect them permanently as a park.
The motion also directs that the Surrey City Development Corporation be integrated into city operations.
← More stories