Development Bylaw Update

Introduce requirements for all new commercial and multi-unit residential buildings to include rain capture and green roofs

Green roofs will go a long way to improving the city's greenery and steps to improve the environment, as well as to the benefit of those living/working under them as they help to keep buildings cooler during sumertime heat. Rainwater capture and re-use would help reduce the city's overall water usage as needs surge in the years and decades to come. Whether it's for grounds keeping, or made potable for drinking water through a filtration system, such plans should be mandatory for any new construction permitted within the city, and where plausible, adapted to existing buildings when extensively renovated.

Require more trees in new developments

Section 10.3(f) (p145) of the draft development bylaw seems to require a single "yard tree" for "each newly created single-family Residential parcel in a Development". However the draft Urban Forestry Strategy proposes 2-3 trees per lot in urban 3 infill areas (p21). Please update the development bylaw to reflect the higher density of trees recommended by the urban forestry strategy.

In downtown, create hourly schedule when car traffic volume is either heavily reduced or cut off to improve walkability/access to businesses

Cars rule the downtown area, which makes the old downtown area very unfriendly for people to spend a lot of time going to the businesses located there. One of the best things about the Berry Festival is that the streets are opened up for people, businesses, and vendors to enjoy the downtown space. I think it would really help the downtown businesses and make the city a better place to live if we could recreate that kind of an atmosphere on a weekly basis. One example of what this might look like could be that during the hours of 8:30am to 3:30pm on Saturdays, that all of the side streets between George Ferguson, Essendene, and South Fraser are all closed off to car traffic and the roadspace is open for businesses to have expanded seating, or for small business vendors to create a walkable marketplace.

Allow mountain bike trails without stairs

Section 10.13(d) (p149) of the draft development bylaw requires stairs on mountain bike trails with >30% gradient. Please make this optional, or specify that on bike trails there must also be a non-staired ride-around. Riding down a staircase is not what mountain biking is about.

N More off leash dog parks in Abbotsford One should of been included in the new McKee development under the power lines