Residents got a chance to see a new vision for downtown Ladner and the waterfront area at an open house last Thursday.
Organized by Delta's planning department, the event at the Ladner Community Centre was an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on proposed design guidelines aimed at revitalizing the area.
Several of the display boards had colourful illustrations depicting what the area could look like if redevelopment were to proceed. The photos were in sharp contrast to how things look today for a neighbourhood that's remained largely unchanged for decades.
The proposed guidelines increase building heights and provide financial incentives to developers such as a three-year property tax freeze, a 50 to 70 per cent reduction in development cost charges as well as waiving application fees.
The aim is to add retail, recreational and public uses at street level with office and residential above. The proposed guidelines also include streetscape improvements.
Marcy Sangret, deputy director of community planning, said the idea is not just to have newer buildings, but also to improve the look of the area.
"It's to celebrate the history and heritage of Ladner Village, and of the waterfront in particular. So the design guidelines and the streetscape, they all have elements of that. So, we wouldn't want buildings that create a wall where people can't see or don't have access to the water.
"We'd want to keep things like signage of a certain type where it matches a certain look or character.
The streetscape would allow people to experience the open space and the views and the wharfs, and learn a little bit about the history as well through interpretation."
The proposed guidelines are to go to Delta council for preliminary approval this spring, followed by a public hearing.
Delta initiated the latest revitalization process in 2009 and eventually came up with a plan to redevelop civic-owned properties along the waterfront into a marketplace with restaurants and retailers. That deal with a private developer has since fallen through, prompting the municipality to proceed with the proposed guidelines instead.
Meanwhile, longtime resident Doug Massey has his own vision for the vacant civic sites. Massey is a member of a group working with the Delta Museum and Archives that believes the properties can be turned into an interpretive centre for the fishing industry as well as the Fraser River estuary.
