Thank you to everyone who provided feedback in Phase 1 engagement this spring.
Your input will help shape the land use concept plan to be presented in Phase 2 engagement this fall.
The Area Plan will guide the development of new and expanded industrial uses while respecting existing institutional facilities, recreational amenities, and natural features. It aims to support business growth, create jobs, and diversify the local tax base.
For a summary of the learnings from phase 1, see the "Community Engagement" and "Document Library" sections on this page or click here for the What We Learned Summary Report - Phase 1 and the Graphic Summary - Phase 1.
Next Steps
The City will now conduct further studies and planning to create an industrial-focused Area Plan concept. This includes identifying infrastructure needs and setting a framework to support industrial development.
Phase 2 engagement will present the proposed concept area plan for community feedback in fall 2025.
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Community Engagement
Phase 1 was open April 14 - May 19, 2025 and invited the community to provide input to help inform a proposed area plan for the North 256 St. industrial lands.
Engagement Level
The engagement for phase 1 was at the "involve" level of the International Association for Public Participation's (IAP2) Spectrum of Public Participation and the City of Maple Ridge Engagement Framework.
Involve: Inviting the public to suggest new alternatives and work closely with them to ensure their concerns and aspirations are understood and considered. We will also provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision.
Learn more about how we use the spectrum as a foundation for community engagement here!
Opportunities to Participate
Opportunities to provide feedback included a survey (available online and in print), key interest holder meetings, and an open house (see open house boards in the Document Library on this page click here for Boards 1-7 and for Boards 8-20).
Open House:
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
4:30-7:00 PM
Maple Ridge Public Library, Fraser Room (2nd Floor)
22470 Dewdney Trunk Road
Promotion
We promoted the engagement through the following channels: a postcard mailout to approximately 3,000 residences located near the 256 St. industrial lands, a printed newspaper ad, a digital ad campaign, numerous social media posts, digital screens at City facilities, multiple emails to over 2,300 eConnect newsletter subscribers, and direct emails to interest holders.
Learnings
Feedback was received from approximately 260 survey participants, 65 open house attendees, and 24 interest holder meeting attendees.
Participants showed strong support for job creation and economic benefits, with some sharing concerns about traffic, infrastructure needs, and preserving community and natural assets. A graphic summary is available below and the summary report can be found here or in the Document Library section on this page.
The second phase of engagement is planned for fall 2025 and will invite the public to provide feedback on a proposed area plan concept.
Engagement Level
The engagement for phase 2 will be at the "consult" level of the International Association for Public Participation's (IAP2) Spectrum of Public Participation and the City of Maple Ridge Engagement Framework.
Consult: Obtain public feedback on analysis, alternatives, or decision.
Learn more about how we use the spectrum as a foundation for community engagement here!
The third phase of engagement will be sharing the approved area plan with the public.
Engagement Level
The engagement for phase 3 will be at the "inform" level of the International Association for Public Participation's (IAP2) Spectrum of Public Participation and the City of Maple Ridge Engagement Framework.
Inform: Provide the public with balanced and objective information to assist them in understanding the problem, alternatives, opportunities, or solutions.
Learn more about how we use the spectrum as a foundation for community engagement here!
Project Summary
The North 256 Street Area Plan is intended to guide the growth and development of the land, with the overall objective being to facilitate industrial land uses, while also respecting existing facilities, as well as recreation amenities, and natural features. The designation and development of the lands for industrial uses will accommodate additional business growth within the community, employment opportunities, and increase the municipal property tax base.
The North 256 Street lands will be limited to low-impact, low emission industrial uses. Heavy industrial uses will not be considered for the area.
For additional information, including area maps, benefits, and attributes, refer to the summary boards and general planning and land use Frequently Asked Questions in the Document Library on this page.
As a City Project, this project is included on the City Projects page.
Timeline
Although the duration of some components cannot be known at this time (e.g., Metro Vancouver review of amendments), the general timeline for the project is:
2025 Q1 – Start project and commence work; Develop terms of reference; Advance scope of work report to Council for approval and direction.
2025 Q2 – Public engagement and general input; Technical work; Key interest holder meetings.
2025 Q3 – Technical work; Key interest holder meetings.
2025 Q4 – Technical work; Draft land use plan.
2026 Q1 – Public engagement and feedback on draft plan; Key interest holder meetings.
2026 Q2 – Review / apply comments; Finalize drat area plan; Consideration of 1st and 2nd reading of the OCP amendment bylaw; Hold Public Hearing; consideration of 3rd reading; Refer to request Metro Vancouver for consideration of amendment and sewerage area extension.
2026 Q3 – Metro Vancouver approval, GVS&DD approval; Final adoption of Area Plan.
2026 Q4 – Commence implementation.
Background
On Feb 25, 2025 Council directed staff to prepare an area plan for the North 256 Street lands, focusing on industrial use. Council's direction included approval of the Terms of Reference and scope of work. View the Staff Report to Council and the presentation (starting at 18:57) in the Document Library and Links sections on this page.
Informed by community engagement and input, staff will be preparing the area plan, expected to be completed by late 2026. The final plan will be adopted by Council through an amended Official Community Plan and also require approvals by Metro Vancouver.
The North 256 Street Industrial Lands Area Plan will:
- Build on past City-wide studies to identify non-residential land uses with the greatest development opportunity.
- Prioritize the North 256 Street lands, given potential industrial land uses, return on investment, long-term benefits to the City.
- Align with the long-term considerations of the Official Community Plan and the Regional Growth Strategy.
Maple Ridge’s Official Community Plan establishes policies that:
- Support the facilitation of opportunities for local job growth
- Promote local business strengths to a global market
- Encourage local job creation to foster a balanced community
- Identify need for new industrial lands for future employment
- Also supportive of the Economic Development Strategy
The North 256 Street area represents a significant amount of land that could be added to the region’s industrial land supply.
Scope of Work
- Assess site constraints and opportunities
- Prepare a conceptual land use plan
- Review transportation needs
- Analyze possible servicing needs
- Refine land use design
- Prepare associated policies
- Finalize the area plan
Climate
Robust land use planning supports a sustainable and resilient economy, and an efficient transportation system reduces emissions. As part of the planning process, the subject lands will be analyzed and site-specific environmental-related matters will be identified and incorporated into a new area plan.
Infrastructure and Transportation
The Area Plan will include an infrastructure servicing and transportation network plan that addresses both on-site requirements and off-site impacts.
The area plan will address local and city-wide concerns about traffic generation, through the coordinated upgrade of road network and eventual transit service to the area.
Industry
The expected industrial uses will be relatively light, low impact, and clean, with sustainability components integrated into the area plan, as appropriate and feasible.
Translations
There is an automatic translation tool available at the top-right of this page. Languages include: Traditional Chinese [繁體中文], Simplified Chinese [简体中文] Punjabi [ਪੰਜਾਬੀ], Filipino [Tagalog], Vietnamese [Tiếng Việt], French [Français], Korean [한국어], Japanese [日本語], Spanish [Español] and more.
Please Note: Google Translate is a third-party service and we cannot guarantee the quality or accuracy of the translated content. If you require additional support, email engage@mapleridge.ca.
