Surrey council approved stage two of the Newton-King George Boulevard Plan on Monday night after city staff presented an “updated vision” to support rapid transit along the corridor.
A 118-page corporate report before council on March 6 laid out a land use concept, and plans for parks, an open space network, road and transportation network, engineering servicing strategy, and a financing strategy “to ensure the necessary delivery of community amenities and engineering infrastructure.”
“A plan is needed to guide growth and ensure adequate provision of public infrastructure such as schools, parks, roads, transit, and utilities,” the report states. “The Plan will create a compact, sustainable, and transit-oriented community with a diverse offering of housing types, interconnected transportation choices, and local amenities that serve all residents.”
The Newton – King George Boulevard Plan Area covers roughly 350 acres of between Highway 10 to the south and 68 Avenue to the north, centered on King George Boulevard and bounded by 134 Street to the east and 130 Street to the west.
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According to the report, the plan anticipates over the next two or three decades a population growth to 17,149 residents, making for an increase of 10,963 from today’s population of 6,187 and will “result in the conversion” of single detached housing to a mix of townhouses, apartments and “more diverse and affordable” housing like duplexes, row houses and “small lot” single detached dwellings.
“In total, the number of dwelling units will increase from the existing 1,891 up to 5,498 at full build-out,” the report states, with the total number of jobs in the area rising to 1,001 from 338, four parks being expanded and the current number of elementary school students (1,904) rising to a projected 2,742 and the current number of secondary students (1,632) rising to a projected 2,747.
Newton is Surrey’s most populous community, home to more than 157,120 residents. Based on Newton’s annual growth, this is expected to grow to 190,560 by 2050.
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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