Neighborhood Planning

Dawson Creek
British Columbia

Dawson creek, British Columbia

Dawson Creek is a city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The
municipality of 24.37 square kilometers (9.41sqmi) had a population of
11,583 in 2011, in 2013 a population of 12,289 to a 2014 population of
12,653, or a growth rate of about three per cent.
Once a small farming community, Dawson Creek became a regional centre
when the western terminus of the Northern Alberta Railways was extended
there in 1932.
The community grew rapidly in 1942 as the US Army used the rail terminus
as a transshipment point during construction of the Alaska Highway.
In the 1950s, the city was connected to the interior of British Columbia via a
highway and railway through the Rocky Mountains. Since the 1960s, growth
has slowed.
Dawson Creek is located in the dry and windy prairie land of the Peace River
Country. As the seat of the Peace River Regional District and a service
centre for the rural areas south of the Peace River, the city has been called
the "Capital of the Peace".
It is also known as the "Mile 0 City", referring to its location at the southern
end of the Alaska Highway. It also has a heritage interpretation village, an
art gallery, and a museum. Annual events include a fall fair and rodeo

Introduction
A neighborhood plan is a statutory planning document,
adopted by council as a policy or as an amendment
within the official community plan (OCP).
The Official Community Plan (OCP) is a statement of
objectives and policies that guide City planning
decisions.
Neighborhood plan differ from an OCP as it outlines a
vision for a neighborhood with greater detail on:
-Land use and land use policies
-circulation
-parks and open spaces
-infrastructure and servicing

Sustainable neighborhood plan

A neighborhood plan focused on sustainability.
This plan marks a shift in planning for the city.
Previously the city was governed by a policy
framework set at a city wide scale.
In terms of Dawson creek, definition of a
neighborhood plan, benefits to neighborhood
planning and its relationship to other plans and
city-wide initiatives.
its significance for Dawson creeks move towards
a sustainable city.
The planning area is located at the northern
edges and is a total area of 124 hectare(306 acre)

Plan Format
Part A Land use
The Vision and land use planning
concept.

Part B Development Policies

Development policies for circulation,
infrastructure services, parks,
community, culture and phasing of
development.

 Benefits of neighborhood planning

Provides the framework to facilitate and
coordinate development.
It provides residents and city council with a
degree of certainty about the vision, form and
character in the planning area.
It defines major land use patterns,
transportation corridors and preliminary
infrastructure servicing,.
Provides opportunity to engage citizens in
neighborhood planning.
Showcase the citys move towards sustainability.
Establish guidelines for subsequent
neighborhoods planning.
Ensure and plan a major growth area in the city.

DawsonCreekSustainablePlanningInitiative
TheplanningconceptforSunsetRidge-Harvest Viewareaisrootedwithin
DawsonCreekslargerSustainablePlanning Initiative.
Thegoalofthis City-wide initiative is to make a visionary city that works
together for innovative social, cultural, economic and environmental vitality.
CityWideSustainabilityGoals
1) Createacompactcompletecommunity
2) Developanenvironmentally-friendly, community-oriented transportation
system.
3) Increaseenergyefficiencyandtheuseofrenewableenergy
4) Usewaterresponsiblyandefficientlytoensure acleanandsustainable
supply.
5) Enhancegreenspacetosupportbothcommunityandecologicaluses
6) Encouragevibrantartsandculture
7) Fostersocialwell-beingthroughhealth,housingandeducation.
8) Encourageparticipationincivicissuesthroughanopenandaccountable
municipal government
9) Fosterrobusteconomicdevelopmentthatsupportsthecommunitysgoals
10) Increasereuseofresourcesanddecreasewaste

IMPLEMENTATIONOFTHE
NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
Theneighborhoodplanwillbeadoptedasan
amendmentwithintheOfficialCommunityPlan.
Land Use Bylaw
Thelandusebylawistheprimarytoolavailable
for
theimplementationofstatutoryplanpolicy.The
land usebylawestablishesasystemoflanduse
districts, relateddevelopmentregulationsand
standardsfor alllandintheCity.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
PLANNING

Implementation:

Rezoning&LandUse
Designation

LandUseBylaws

Sub-DivisionApprovals

ServiceAgreements

SubdivisionApproval
Subdivisionapprovalisalegalprocessinvolvingthe creationof
individualtitledlotsandrights ofway fromlargeparcelsofland.
Theplan shouldidentifylotdimensions,developmentsetback,
registeredrightsofway,easements aswell asother requirements
deemedappropriatebytheapproval authority.
ServiceAgreements
Serviceagreementsareacontractualagreement enteredinto
betweenlandownersand/ortheCityand landowners/developers.
Serviceagreementsensurethat infrastructureinstalledtoserveaproposed
developmentisconstructedtomunicipal standardsand
afairarrangementisnegotiatedforallland
ownerscoveredbytheneighborhoodplan.
ServicingPlansAddress:
sanitary
storm water
water

PARTA-LANDUSEPLAN

PLANNINGAREA
TheNeighborhoodislocatedatthenorthernedgeandmunicipal
boundaryoftheCity.The124hectare(306acre)siteisboundedby
threemajorroads.

ImperialRoadtothenorth;17thStreettothewest;and8thStreettotheeast.Thefir
sttworoadsalsorepresentapointofdivision
betweenagriculturalandresidentiallanduses.

UNIQUESITEOPPORTUNITIES
Thefollowinguniquesiteaspectswereid
entified earlyintheplanningand
designprocess.Asa
result,thesebecame
opportunitiesforthe
neighborhoodplanningvision.
SolarAspect&Views
Theneighborhoodissituatedatatopogra
phichighpointandhassomeofthebest
southernviews
intoandacrosstheCity.Withitssouthern
aspect, theareareceivesa

SlopeandDrainage
Thesiteiswelldrained.Duetothesouth
sloping terrain,rainwaterdrainstothesouth
eastcornerandnaturalravineareaoff-site.
Thishascausedsomeincidentsofflooding
inadjacentresidentialareas.Developmenton
thissitemustensureremediationof
floodingissuesandrestorationofthenatural
drainagesystem.

UndevelopedLand
Thesiteiscurrentlyundeveloped.Give
nhousingpricesintheregionarehigh
andworldenergy
costscontinuetorise,thedevelopmen
tofthis
sitepresents
opportunitiestoexplorenew
housingtypologiessuitabletoarange
offamily
Sizes

AnEdgetoAgriculturalLand
The site is directly adjacent to agricultural
land. This informs the development of the
site, in character and place. It also is an
important site, in that, it must take into
account the transition between urban and
agricultural land uses. This presents
opportunities to explore innovative options
for edge design.

NEIGHBOURHOOD VISION
Respect and integrate natural site systems with development and
community to create a characteristic and functional place that
maximizes site opportunities and celebrates its cultural and ecological
context.
DESIGN CONCEPT
Guided by Dawson Creeks sustainable planning principles, the
neighborhood seeks to layer and integrate natural site characteristics
and systems with community needs and development infrastructure.
The Plan responds to a growing regional demand for mid-density,
more affordable housing forms and takes advantage of the

Water
reservoir/
park

School small
community
center

Housing
density

Storm waterpond
preventsfloodingand
integratedasarecreational
amenityfortheexistingand
newneighborhood

Extensive
neighborhoodtrail system
throughoutand aroundthe
perimeterof theneighborhood.
Trails
correspondandintegrated
withstorm waterstreets.

Mixofhousing Typologies
tosuita rangeofincomesand
lifestyles.Flexiblelotsizes can
accommodateavariety
ofhousing,
dependenton marketneeds.

Avibrant neighborhood
centre
adjacenttothe
parkmeetssome
ofthedailyneedsof residents
andahearttothe
neighborhood.

LandUse,Density&Housing
Theproposedresidentialhousingmixfor the
Neighborhoodisoutlined in the table.
OBJECTIVE

Tocreateacompactandcomplete
communitythatreduces
theneighborhood's
footprint.

POLICIES

Allpoliciesareapplicabletoallres
identiallandusesinthePlanarea
unlessotherwise
Specified.

Housing

Amount(%)

Avg.LotSize
(sqft)

SingleFamily
(standardlot)

12%

7,000

SingleFamily
(smalllot)

30%

5,000

Multi-Family
(streetoriented)

35%

5,000-7,000

Multi-Family
(apartment)

23%

86,000

PARTB-DEVELOPMENTPOLICIES
Access&Movement

OBJECTIVE

Todevelopasafe,environmentally-friendly,community orientedtransportation
systemthatprioritizes pedestriansandothernon-motorizedusers.
POLICIES

NeighborhoodCirculation

Thetransportationnetworkfollowsalandscapeoriented
gridalignedwithnatural
contoursandthatcreatesshort
blockstoprovidemultipletravelroutesforvehicles
and promoteapedestrianandcyclistfriendlyneighborhood.

Accessandmovementthroughoutthe
neighborhoodshouldconformtothenetwork.Deadends andculde-sacsarediscouraged.

Whilerearlanesareencouraged,front-loaded
streetaccessmaybeprovided
wheresite developmentconstraintssuchassteep topography,storm
water
needs,naturalfeatures,
environmentallysensitiveareas,and/orparcel size
orconfigurationwouldlimitvehicularaccess.
However,toenhancethe
pedestrian-oriented characterofmediumandhighdensityresidential
areas,
rearlaneaccessispreferred.

NeighborhoodArterials

Roadsdesignatedasneighborhoodarterials
shallprovideprimarycirculation
inandoutofthe neighborhood.

Conceptual option for

the design of a
neighbourhood arterial.

Conceptual option for

the design of a
neighbourhood
arterial.

Conceptual option for the design of a residential (local) road.

Infrastructure&Services
OBJECTIVE

Tomanagewastesanduseresourcesresponsiblyand efficientlytothe
benefitofthecommunity.

POLICIES

Adetailedinfrastructureandservicingplanfortheneighborhoodisreq
uired
asapartofthe subdivisionanddevelopmentplan.

 Storm water Management

A plan for storm water management must be addressed as a part of the
subdivision and development plan and reflect the conceptual vision as
described herein.
Amend the Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaws to include
neighborhood specific street standards for the Village Centre Road,
Neighborhood Arterial and Residential (local) Road designated as storm
water streets as shown in Figure 10 - Village Centre Road,
Neighborhood Arterial Residential (local) Road.
A rain garden shall be provided in apartment developments to assist in
storm water management.
All residential development shall include 18 inches of absorptive topsoil
to maximize water absorption.
In the absence of a City-wide storm water management policy and
design manual.

 Energy Efficiency

All residential and commercial buildings shall be built to maximize advantage of

solar gain and natural ventilation.
If determined feasible, the neighborhood shall be developed to accommodate
the incorporation of district energy system.
Housing in the neighborhood must be solar ready and should explore the
installation of compatible heating systems and the required space for
mechanical systems and connection point to accommodate geothermal
exchange systems, should residents choose to retrofit the home in the future.
Waste

Space for waste stream separation and storage, including recycling, composting
and residual garbage, shall be provided in all housing units or buildings.
Construction waste should be managed in an environmentally responsible way.
Builders for this neighborhood must have reviewed the neighborhood plan and
familiar or have experience with sustainable construction.

Parks, Community & Culture

OBJECTIVE
To promote social well-being, develop passive and active recreational
opportunities, enhance food security, and offer cultural activities that meet
a range of community needs.
POLICIES
Affordable and Energy Efficient Housing
Reduced or exemption of development cost charges will be considered for
development of affordable housing units and/energy efficiency (such as, for
profit affordable rental units, small lot housing, green building or energy
efficient rated housing, etc.)
The City will require that residential development should be in accordance
with the most current policies available in Dawson Creeks Social Planning.

Parks and Open Space Dedication

A minimum of 5% percent of the neighborhood area shall be designated as park or
recreation area as shown in Figure 13 Parks and Open Space. At minimum, designations
shall include community park areas around the water reservoir and storm water catchment
systems, one smaller neighborhood park, and a neighborhood multi-use trail network
(excluding the buffer requirements along agricultural land). The City may redistribute
designated areas where necessary.
Parks shall be multi-functional, and provide both passive and active recreational
opportunities.
At least one park shall provide a youth and/or family-oriented recreational amenity.
An area shall be reserved for future school or recreational use. A review or survey of
community needs shall be conducted prior to the construction of recreation centre or
school, if required. The City may redistribute designated areas where necessary or request
additional land area, if required.
Crime Prevention through Environmental Design guidelines as identified in the Dawson
Creek Official Community Plan shall be applied to the neighborhood. If there are
inconsistencies between the guidelines and the neighborhood plan policies, the latter will
take precedent.
Front homes directly onto neighborhood parks to encourage passive surveillance and
security for these public spaces.

Destination and Neighborhood Parks

Destination parks are defined as the larger destination parks within
the neighborhood.
Neighborhood parks are the smaller parks that serve more localized
areas within the neighborhood.
Community gardens shall be a permitted use in Neighborhood Parks if
organized by a local or neighborhood society or adjacent
institution(school, seniors centre, etc.) and as approved by the
City Parks & Recreation Department.
Density
DedicatedGrowingSpace
If desired by residents, dedicated space
for growing food
shall be
(dwellingunits/acre)
(sqft.)
permanent, viable, and determined as follows:
GuideforDeterminingtheNeedfor
CommunityGardenSpace

7to14

200

>14and22

100

>22and28

80

>28and35

70

>35

60

orapprox.40sqft.foreachpersoninterestedingrowing

AgriculturalLandEdges
OBJECTIVE
To create a sense of place, and celebrate the communitys rural and agricultural assets.
POLICIES
The City of Dawson Creek will support the application for exclusion of the subject properties from the
Agricultural Land Reserve, where development is consistent with the following:
Edge/Buffer
o All edges directly adjacent to agricultural land must conform to the standards set by the
Agricultural Land Commission.
o The total buffer width must be a minimum of 30m. This may include the adjacent public right of way,
if approved by the Agricultural Land Commission.
o A 3.0m (minimum 1.5m) pedestrian trail shall be provided along the northern and eastern edges of
the site. This trail must meet all Agricultural Land Reserve vegetated buffer requirements and/or
guidelines. To guide development, trail conditions are outlined in Figure 14 - Conceptual Options for
Neighborhood Trail System within the agricultural land buffer and for Development Adjacent to it.

Housing Adjacent to Buffers

o All single family and multi-family
residences except for apartments
along the buffer edge of the
neighborhood may be permitted to front
the trail and agricultural land if approved
by the Agricultural Land Commission.
o Apartment residential that abuts the
agricultural buffer edge shall explore
appropriate ways to transition to the
buffer zone. Fencing the edge is
discouraged and permitted where
required by the ALC.

Whereresidentialareas
meetanagricultural
edge,housingshouldbe
integrated
throughtheuse oflandscape

Phasing

OBJECTIVE
To ensure that development proceeds in a manner that most efficiently
and effectively utilizes existing infrastructure, and is most
economically viable as new infrastructure is developed in the
neighborhood.
POLICIES
Development shall be governed by the technical feasibility of servicing
as approved by the City Phasing.
All covenants and/or landowner agreements shall be in place as a
condition of subdivision and development.