Surrey council has rejected the varsity board’s capital plan for the primary time in historical past
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Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says a suggestion council rejected the Surrey college district’s 10-year capital plan for political causes is “grossly inaccurate and offensive.”
On Monday, Locke defined council’s reasoning for its resolution to ship again the capital plan — which wants council assist earlier than it may be handed on to the Ministry of Schooling for acceptance.
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The plan estimates near 50,000 housing items will grow to be obtainable in Surrey and White Rock over the following decade, with round 10,000 college students dwelling in them. The college board says 12 new college websites will should be bought to cater to all these college students, at a value of round $600 million.
This housing estimate was accomplished earlier than the provincial authorities launched new legal guidelines in November aimed toward dramatically rising the quantity of housing inventory throughout the province.
“In a unanimous vote, Surrey metropolis council turned again the Surrey College District’s 10-year Capital Plan as a result of it didn’t account for the brand new provincial laws of Payments 44, 46 and 47,” Locke stated.
“The college district’s plan was ready in early fall, effectively forward of the brand new provincial housing rules, which is why council has requested them to return and reassess their plan.”
On Sunday, Surrey college board chair Laurie Larsen stated it was the primary time council had rejected considered one of its capital plans.
“This has by no means been rejected earlier than,” she stated. “This was a complete shock for us.”
Larsen stated the varsity district had issues that it was being dragged into Surrey’s ongoing dispute with the province over the compelled transition from the Surrey RCMP to a municipal power. Locke is against the transition and is preventing the provincial authorities at each step.
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“We do really feel like we’re caught within the center, that the town is utilizing the varsity district as a pawn,” she stated.
Locke denied this, saying council was advocating for the perfect pursuits of scholars.
“Surrey is doing our half in constructing new housing, however the province has to make sure there’s ample infrastructure to accommodate the expansion. Whether or not it’s new well being care amenities, transit or faculties, essential providers need to be in place if we’re going to construct all the brand new housing that the province needs us to,” she stated.
“Whereas it’s unprecedented for council to ask the Surrey college (district) to reassess their plan, it is usually unprecedented for the province to impose new housing rules on municipalities as a right of native planning or zoning. The province wants to know constructing new properties in isolation might resolve one downside, however it creates a complete new host of others.”
Larsen stated that if the capital initiatives requests should not accepted by the Ministry of Schooling and Little one Care, any college additions, land-site acquisitions and new college constructions could also be affected.
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She stated the varsity district has knowledgeable the ministry that their proposal was rejected. The matter will now be turned over to a ministry-appointed facilitator for decision in accordance with provincial laws. Larsen stated she has no concept how lengthy the method will take.
In an announcement, the Ministry of Schooling and Little one Care stated they “will assist the Metropolis and the District in resolving this matter by appointing a facilitator. Whereas it’s too quickly to find out a timeline for this course of, all events share the identical objective of reaching a decision as rapidly as potential so as to higher assist college students and their households in Surrey.”
— with a file from Denise Ryan
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