Anmore to Hold Public Hearing on June 23, 2025 for Anmore South OCP Bylaw Amendment

June 13 2025

ANMORE, B.C. –  A proposed change in vision for future development of Anmore South (formerly the Imperial Oil lands within Anmore) moved a step forward at the June 10, 2025 Regular Council meeting. The Official Community Plan (OCP) Bylaw Amendment No. 686-2023 received 1st and 2nd reading, and Council gave direction to hold a Public Hearing on June 23, 2025 starting at 6 p.m. at the Anmore Community Hub. Additional parking is available at Anmore Elementary School.

Recognizing that the proposed vision for Anmore South represents a significant change for the Village, the process has involved technical studies and three phases of community engagement to support the development of a Neighbourhood Plan, which would become part of the OCP if the amendments are approved. The community engagement included a mix of methods to collect input, including an online community survey managed by Research Co.

“The community’s input was consistent over the three phases of engagement, with a fairly even split between those who are supportive of the proposed changes to the Anmore South lands and those who feel it should remain the same as the rest of Anmore,” says McEwen. “In the community survey, a majority of survey respondents in the younger age group of 18-34 and the older demographic of 55+ rated key factors like housing diversity as important, which is not surprising as we know young families have a hard time finding housing in our community, and those who are getting older have said they would like to age in place, which can be difficult with large homes and properties.”

The amendments to the OCP include a Neighbourhood Plan that would allow up to 1,750 dwelling units with more diversity in housing, including townhomes, duplexes and apartments with up to six storeys. The land use plan also includes commercial spaces, a community centre and both protected natural areas and expanded parks and trails on the 151-acre property owned by icona Properties Ltd. (icona).

Phase 1 of the OCP and Neighbourhood Plan process included a first set of technical studies and community engagement and were based on the initial application. In Phase 2, Placemark Design Studio, the planning consultants for icona, developed three land use scenarios based on what was learned in Phase 1. Council reviewed the three scenarios and provided direction that led to the development of a land use plan with a reduction in units, referred to as the Preferred Plan, that was used in Phase 3 for further study.

In Phase 3, detailed technical studies were completed to assess how the Preferred Plan would affect Anmore. This included studies on transportation impacts and mitigation recommendations, financial, economic and retail market analysis, environmental impact assessments and determining infrastructure servicing requirements. The studies were completed by industry experts and reviewed by Village staff and consultants before being accepted by the Village.

“As we completed each phase of the process and learned from both the community engagement and technical studies, Council has provided its input to request changes to the original application, which has resulted in the proposed land use plan, now going to public hearing, having about half as many units as the initial application, and with more ground-oriented housing rather than apartments,” says McEwen. “This type of development would also include having the developer pay for direct connections to Metro Vancouver water and sewer for Anmore South, which would be an important infrastructure investment for our community.”

The Village is now in Phase 4 of the process to consider the OCP Bylaw Amendment with the draft Neighbourhood Plan, and the next opportunity for input will be at the Public Hearing. For more information, view the Public Hearing Disclosure Documents.

If the OCP Bylaw Amendment receives 3rd reading after the Public Hearing, an application would be sent to Metro Vancouver to change the regional land use designation from Rural to General Urban and from Rural to Conservation and Recreation. Metro Vancouver has its own review process to consider this application. These policy approvals would establish the vision for the area and guide future development; however, no development can proceed until further steps are completed. The property owner must submit a rezoning application, which includes a detailed review and may involve negotiating a phased development agreement. If rezoning is approved, the next step would be submitting a subdivision application, which is subject to a separate approval process.

If all required processes and approvals are completed, it is estimated that the Anmore South property would be developed over 20 to 25 years.

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