Are we up the creek without a paddle, or even worse, without a paddle and a canoe? The answer to that question will be forthcoming in the final draft of the Squamish 2040 Official Community Plan (OCP) slated for publication later this year.
In the meantime, the district has released a series of preliminary OCP background papers that offer a comprehensive overview of this community’s future flight path. For starters, Squamish is now expected to eclipse a previous growth projection that estimated a doubling of the 2006 population to 33,100 by 2031. If that is the case, significant pressure will be put on our social and protective services, as well as our transportation network. At least 90 per cent of local streets have no sidewalks and nearly a quarter of our roads are in poor or very poor condition. And despite transit ridership numbers increasing annually, that service is still considerably underutilized. Fewer than four per cent of residents travel to work on transit, while 77 per cent drive.
Our deteriorating water, sewer and flood management systems require extensive upgrades. Add to that the need for geotechnical hazard mitigation and we could be in for a massive drain on municipal coffers. The all-too-familiar elephant in the room is the disproportional tax burden shouldered by residential ratepayers in a jurisdiction with an inadequate commercial and industrial tax base.
Still, some relief is on the way. Construction has become our largest employment sector – more than $60 million in building permits were issued in 2014 – and that industry will continue to dominate for the foreseeable future. Several major projects are pending, including the Oceanfront development, the revitalization of the lands along the southern stretch of the Mamquam Blind Channel, the proposed Klahanee Resort, the Great Wolf Lodge and the Garibaldi at Squamish four season resort. Downtown redevelopment zoning is also in place to allow upwards of 4,600 residential units. Numerous other housing projects, including the massive Cheekye Fan development, are waiting to put spades in the ground.
That being said, although we have an Affordable Housing Framework, this community lacks a housing authority or housing corporation to deal with the pressing need for a broader range of reasonably priced accommodations. Paradoxically, Squamish is becoming the go-to location for buyers seeking relief from the high cost of home ownership on the Lower Mainland. That substantial influx will compound the affordability issue by fueling housing price increases and rent spikes.
With this mixed bag of concerns in mind, as much as the “Hardwired for Adventure” tagline has gained traction, we may soon have to adopt the Second World War-era British slogan “Keep Calm and Carry On.”
