City of Abbotsford - Official Community Plan Update - Stage 2 New Directions Report
At their meeting on November 26th, Council directed staff to begin Stage 3 of the Official Community Plan (OCP) update process, which focuses on preparing a new policy, as well as the associated public engagement strategy for this phase. With Stage 2 of Abbotsford's four-stage OCP update now complete, the report provides a summary of the community engagement outcomes and highlights key "New Directions" that will inform the development of more detailed policies and regulations in Stage 3.
The report outlines that City Staff expect to complete the OCP Update process in the second half of 2025, ahead of the legislated December 31, 2025 deadline.
Additional information can be found in the full staff report.
February 12th, 2024
On January 30th, Council endorsed the Official Community Plan (OCP) Work Plan and Engagement Strategy and directed staff to begin Stage 2 of the Official Community Plan. The Provincial Legislation passed in November 2023 introduced significant housing development options that must be integrated into local government zoning bylaws by June 2024 and reflected in all OCPs by the end of 2025. Staff have prepared the Project Work Plan and the Stage 1 Background Research Report and Engagement Strategy to advance the OCP update and address the legislation.
The Work Plan is a four-stage process, comprising of:
- Background Research
- Explore New Directions
- Prepare New Policy
- Adopt an Updated Plan
Currently, the process is at the end of Stage 1, and the overall project will conclude prior to the December 31st, 2025 legislated deadline.
The Stage 1 Background Research Report summarizes the key changes and progress since the last OCP update in 2016 and highlights some of the challenges impacting Abbotsford residents and businesses. It is organized into sections displayed in this table.
Building on the overall project engagement strategy, Stage 2 will undertake broad outreach, and may include the following approaches listed in this table.
More information can be found in the full report by City staff.
