Maple Ridge, B.C., November 25, 2025 — The City of Maple Ridge is sharing results from Phase 2 engagement on the North 256 Street Industrial Lands Area Plan, which aims to attract new businesses, create jobs, diversify the property tax base, and support long-term economic growth.
The vision for the area plan is to facilitate a new, modern, light industrial area that accommodates new business and employment growth while considering the features of the land and area.
In this phase of engagement, the community was invited to review and provide feedback on three draft concept area plan options. Most respondents indicated support for local job creation and diversifying the tax base, while key concerns and considerations included traffic, infrastructure, and the environment.
Key Themes
A strong majority of respondents agreed that creating and expanding employment-generating industrial lands is important for supporting local jobs, meeting regional demand, strengthening community well-being, and diversifying the community’s property tax base. Key concerns and planning considerations were also noted, including:
- Road safety and traffic especially on 256 Street and Dewdney Trunk Road are the most urgent concerns. Many residents stressed that road upgrades, such as the Abernethy Way extension and improved intersections, must occur before any development.
- Environmental protection is a major priority, including protecting wildlife corridors, watercourses, wetlands, and preserving green space.
- Recreation users expressed concern about losing trails and natural areas currently used for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
- Infrastructure (water, sewer, drainage) must be in place before development, with requests for transparency around costs and responsibilities.
Feedback on Draft Concept Area Plan Options:
- Concept 1 received the most support in part due to its 100-metre-wide road/greenway. allowance, smaller industrial footprint, and stronger environmental protection.
- Concept 2 generated mixed feedback, with concerns about the reduced road/greenway allowance and limited added benefits to the impacted area residents.
- Concept 3 received slightly more support than Concept 2 but there were concerns raised regarding the designation of some residential properties could change to industrial, no road/greenway allowance, larger industrial area, and greater environmental and traffic impacts.
More information about the project, including a full summary of the engagement results, is available in the ‘What We Learned’ report and graphic summary posted at Engage.MapleRidge.ca/256AreaPlan.
Who Participated
Residents, industry interest holders, and community groups provided feedback on three draft concept area plan options through an open house event, two interest holder meetings, and an online/print survey. Phase 2 engagement was widely promoted via digital ads, City social media, area and facility signage, a Maple Ridge News ad, email newsletters, direct outreach, and a postcard delivered with local newspapers. 260 people completed the survey, 50 attended the open house, and 20 joined interest holder meetings.
Next Steps
Staff will use Phase 2 feedback and ongoing technical analysis to refine the draft land use concept and prepare the Area Plan. The North 256 Street Industrial Lands Area Plan and associated Official Community Plan (OCP) amending bylaw will be shared with the community and brought to Council in early 2026 for first and second readings, a public hearing, third reading, and referral to Metro Vancouver for regional approvals.
For more information, visit Engage.MapleRidge.ca/256AreaPlan or contact Eric Aderneck, Industrial Lands Program Manager, at EAderneck@MapleRidge.ca or 604-721-5528.
About the North 256 Street Industrial Lands Area Plan
Located in northern Maple Ridge, the North 256 Street Industrial Lands are one of the city’s last major areas for new industrial development. The area plan aims to balance economic growth with environmental protection, infrastructure needs, and compatibility. It will include a land use concept, transportation network, servicing strategy, and development policies, and is expected to be completed by late 2026 along with required Official Community Plan and Regional Growth Strategy amendments.
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Media Contact
Pardeep Purewal, Senior Manager Corporate Communications and Public Engagement
T 604 466 4319 C 778 955 4249
E Media@MapleRidge.ca