Work is already underway on the South Delta Business Sustainability Strategy.
Approved by Delta council this year following extensive research by a consultant and consultation with Delta's business groups, the wide-sweeping strategy is aimed at helping the business communities of South Delta adjust to life next to the massive Tsawwassen Mills and Tsawwassen Commons shopping centres that will open next year at the Tsawwassen First Nation.
"We've had quite a few meetings with the groups just to go over the actual document and moving forward," said Sean McGill, Delta's director of human resources and corporate planning. "We've said, 'Let's get together on a regular basis and work together and there's a number of things we're doing already from our end.'" Council has agreed with a municipal staff report suggesting that while many of the recommendations are directed towards business groups as well as merchants and property owners, Delta has an important role to play. That's where the Invest in Delta Mayor's Standing Committee will come into play.
Nominations recently closed for the new committee and its members will be selected soon.
Some of the short-term actions to be discussed by the committee include ideas such as offering tax incentives for redevelopment and allowing street vending to increase the town vibrancy, but in collaboration with the Ladner Business Association and Tsawwassen Business Improvement Association.
Civic staff are also reviewing options to bring forward to council regarding spurring change and redevelopment of Ladner's waterfront, seen as important for the long-term future of Ladner Village.
Some of the longer term strategies include public wharfs and boardwalks and encouraging population growth in town centres by increasing density and height limits.
McGill noted staff have been meeting regularly with stakeholders and identified actions that could be taken immediately, even before the completion of the sustainability strategy, including a plan to have quarterly meetings with stakeholder business groups to discuss calendars and coordination of events.
Discussion has also been held regarding a new entrance feature for Tsawwassen, while work is underway on getting more wayfinding signage.
"The document actually has first-year, low hanging
fruit-type initiatives and we are already tackling some of those," McGill said. "The first one, obviously, is signage and we do have some approved new installation for Tsawwassen from a highway perspective but we have to get (provincial) highways (ministry) approval."
He noted capital improvement projects completed or planned will also help in the revitalization, including completed upgrades to the Ladner Trunk Road and Arthur Drive intersection and Magee Park, as well as the new Ladner Village entrance sign.
Delta Street is scheduled to undergo streetscape improvements next year, a $6 million project that will
include a new pedestrian street plaza, new lighting, bicycle racks and other street furniture.
Meanwhile, the museum building in the village will undergo a multi-million dollar upgrade to create a mixed-use facility for such uses as a community police station, public meeting rooms and an information area to showcase Delta's heritage and public attractions.
Civic staff will also be looking for opportunities to coordinate future infrastructure improvements in Tsawwassen with potential town core redevelopment.
As far the longer term plan for allowing new types of higher density development, giving property owners more incentive to redevelop, McGill noted staff are looking into that area "quite extensively and seriously" but nothing is ready to be presented to council as of yet.
"Our CAO, George Harvie, has made it clear to us to stay on top of this and make it a priority, so we have some concepts. It will likely go through the Invest in Delta Mayor's Standing Committee. Staff are looking at some proposals and options that we'd like to bring to that committee, get some feedback and ultimately bring back to council," he added.
