What are the Yennadon Lands?
The Yennadon Lands are comprised of 13 properties, ranging in size from 0.5 ha (1.5 acres) to 4 ha (10 acres) and are located to the south-west of the intersection of 232 Street and 128 Avenue. The total land area is 25.4 hectares (63 acres) and the existing uses on the lands range from single-family to vacant underutilized properties. The City is now amending the Zoning Bylaw to create a new M-7 Employment Park Zone, which will support the implementation of the Yennadon Lands Area Plan that Council adopted on July 23, 2024. (see OCP Section 8). The proposed new M-7 Employment Park Zone advanced to the Committee of the Whole Council meeting for consideration on April 15, 2025 (link to agenda available here). The Zoning Bylaw for the proposed new M-7 Employment Park Zone is being considered for first and second readings by Council on April 22, 2025 (link to agenda available here).
Why are we Doing This?
One of the short-term outcomes of the Commercial & Industrial Strategy was that the City will need upwards of 69-93 hectares (170 – 230 acres) of additional employment lands by 2040. The redesignation of the Yennadon Lands has facilitated the creation of a unique opportunity where the area could eventually serve the needs of the technology sector, light manufacturing companies, and professional offices; all of which offer a high employment density.
On April 16, 2019, staff provided Council with an update on an Employment Lands Process underway in the City of Maple Ridge, which included a focus on the suitability of the Yennadon Lands for future employment purposes. At that meeting, the Yennadon Lands were referred back to staff to meet with the landowners to assess their interest in the lands.
A Landowners Workshop was held at Yennadon Elementary on June 6, 2019, from 6 – 8 pm. Twelve letters were sent out to the landowners, representing all 13 properties, inviting them to attend. At the Workshop, 18 people attended representing 11 of the properties.
On June 18, 2019, staff provided a verbal update to Council on the outcomes of the June 6, 2019 Workshop with Yennadon Landowners, namely that there were strong levels of support for an employment future.
At the June 18, 2019, Council meeting, Council directed staff to undertake an employment land use redesignation process and consultation strategy for the Yennadon Lands. As of the June 18, 2019, Council meeting, Council directed that any new applications, or those already in-stream that have not reached third reading, be deferred until any potential OCP amendments are presented at Public Hearing and given third reading, except applications that propose future employment land uses.
Staff brought an Information Report to Council on March 31, 2020 as under Council's earlier direction, a public process was anticipated to begin in the spring of 2020. The recording of the Council Meeting is available here.
Under direction from Public Health Officials, City staff were unable to begin the public process at that time. Recognizing the timeliness of the Yennadon Lands Redesignation Process to the community, Council directed staff to bring forward preliminary concepts for Council consideration before proceeding with the public consultation process.
On July 14, 2020, staff in collaboration with a consultant presented three preliminary land use concepts for Council to review at the regularly scheduled Council Workshop meeting. The concepts are available in the staff report (Item 4.1) and the Council meeting is available to livestream here. At that meeting, Council expressed interest in Concept #2 of the Staff Report and directed staff to bring that concept to the public as part of the public consultation process anticipated for Fall 2020. It was also noted that the public consultation summary report should be accompanied by the Official Community Plan Amending Bylaw when it is brought back before Council.
On Wednesday, October 7, 2020, the City hosted a virtual Yennadon Lands Public Open House from 6:30 – 8:30pm online via Zoom. At the Open House, three preliminary land use concepts were presented. If you were unable to attend the Open House, or would like to review the material presented, a copy of the presentation is available here.
The Yennadon Lands Open House Survey was available from October 8, 2020 until October 29, 2020. Input through this Open House and Community Survey was used to help inform Council's consideration of the preliminary concept plans.
The consultation outcomes available here (item 4.1) were presented to Council at the December 8, 2020 Council Workshop meeting. The meeting was recorded and can be viewed here. At this meeting, Council endorsed Concept #2 – Neighbourhood Innovations Village and directed staff to prepare an Official Community Plan Amending Bylaw to designate the Yennadon Lands for “Employment” and to create accompanying policies and design guidelines.
At the May 4, 2021 Committee of the Whole Council Meeting, staff presented OCP Amending Bylaws (No. 7734-2021 and No. 7735-2021) to integrate the Yennadon Lands Concept Plan (endorsed on December 8, 2020) into the Official Community Plan. The OCP Amending Bylaws were forwarded to the May 11, 2021, Regular Council Meeting, where Council granted First Reading to the bylaws.
Staff presented OCP Amending Bylaws (No. 7734-2021 and No. 7735-2021) to integrate the Yennadon Lands Concept Plan (endorsed on December 8, 2020) into the Official Community Plan at the May 4, 2021 Committee of the Whole Council Meeting. The OCP Amending Bylaws were forwarded to the May 11, 2021, Regular Council Meeting, where Council granted First Reading to the bylaws. The full staff report and OCP Amending Bylaws are available here (Item 1101). Once available, the Council Meeting Minutes will be available here. The meetings are recorded and available for viewing at http://media.mapleridge.ca/Mediasite/Showcase.
In respect of Section 475 of the Local Government Act, staff submitted referrals to the following agencies regarding the proposed re-designation of the Yennadon Lands: Metro Vancouver, School District No. 42, local First Nations, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, as well as the Agricultural Land Commission.
Following receipts of the referral responses, Staff presented the Second Reading Report and three Official Community Plan Amending Bylaws at the April 5, 2022 Committee of the Whole Council Meeting. Council moved the item for debate and consideration of Second Reading at the April 12, 2022 Regular Council Meeting (7pm).
Council granted Second Reading of the bylaws at the April 12, 2022, Regular Council Meeting. The full staff report and OCP Amending Bylaws are available here (Item 1111). The meetings are recorded and available for viewing at http://media.mapleridge.ca/Mediasite/Showcase.
The three Yennadon Lands OCP bylaws were presented at the May 17, 2022, Public Hearing meeting. The Public Hearing agenda is available here and the three OCP bylaws are the first item on the agenda. The meetings are recorded and available for viewing at http://media.mapleridge.ca/Mediasite/Showcase.
The three OCP bylaws were considered for Third Reading at the May 24, 2022, Regular Council Meeting. At that meeting, Council granted Third Reading to the three bylaws. The meetings are recorded and available for viewing at http://media.mapleridge.ca/Mediasite/Showcase.
In the fall of 2022, application 2022-170-AL to exclude 23154 128 Ave from the Agricultural Land Reserve was presented to Council at the October 18, 2022 Committee of the Whole Council Meeting. Read the Committee of the Whole Report.
At the October 25, 2022 Regular Council Meeting, Council forwarded application 2022-170-AL to Public Hearing. The application was presented at the November 22, 2022, Public Hearing and at the November 29, 2022, Regular Council Meeting, Council forwarded the application to the Agricultural Land Commission for their consideration.
The City of Maple Ridge approved the Yennadon Lands Area Plan on July 23, 2024, through the Official Community Plan Amending Bylaw No. 7734- 2021 and No. 7735-2021. (see OCP Section 8). The Yennadon Lands Area Plan creates a complete neighbourhood where residents and business owners can live, work, and play within a short walk or bicycle ride of their residence. Development will be directed in a sensitive and scaled manner so that the employment park is compatible with the adjoining residential neighbourhood. For more information, you can view the staff report here.
Staff introduced the proposed M-7 Employment Park Zone, which outlines the parameters of the Zone that will be used in the Yennadon Lands, at the February 14, 2023 Council Workshop. The intent behind the M-7 Zone is to align with the Yennadon Lands Employment Park policies, which are very similar to an existing employment park zone, but have been tailored to take into account the existing residential context specific to the Yennadon Lands. Learn more about this project at https://www.mapleridge.ca/2424/Yennadon-Lands.
The purpose of the February 14, 2023, Council Workshop was to review and discuss policies and other items of interest to Council. At that meeting, Council directed staff to bring forward a Zone Amending Bylaw to introduce the M-7 Employment Park Zone into the Zoning Bylaw. The intent behind the M-7 Employment Park Zone is to align with the Yennadon Lands Employment Park policies, which aim to unlock the employment potential of these lands while ensuring the development of a cohesive overall design.
- Commercial & Industrial Strategy (2014)
- Commercial & Industrial Implementation Matrix (2015)
- Employment Land Use Suitability Assessment: Yennadon Lands (Staff Report – April 16, 2019)
- Employment Lands: Yennadon Landowners Workshop Report Back (June 18, 2019)
- Employment Lands: Update on Yennadon Lands process (Staff Report – March 31, 2020)
- Employment Lands: Preliminary Concepts for the Yennadon Lands (Staff Report - July 14, 2020)
- Employment Lands: Consultation Outcomes and Possible Next Steps for the Yennadon Lands (Staff Report – Dec 8, 2020)
- First Reading Report-Employment Lands: Re-designation of the Yennadon Lands to Industrial (Employment Park Category) Official Community Plan Amending Bylaw No. 7734-2021 (Policy); and Official Community Plan Amending Bylaw No. 7735-2021 (Land Use Designation) First Reading (Staff Report – May 4, 2021 Committee of the Whole; May 11, 2021 Regular Council Meeting)
- May 11, 2021 - Regular Council Agenda
- May 4, 2021 - Committee of the Whole Agenda
- Viewing Link: http://media.mapleridge.ca/Mediasite/Showcase
- Second Reading -Employment Lands: Re-designation of the Yennadon Lands to Industrial (Employment Park Category) Official Community Plan Amending Bylaw No. 7734-2021 (Policy); and Official Community Plan Amending Bylaw No. 7735-2021 (Land Use Designation) Staff Report – April 12, 2022 Regular Council Meeting; Second Reading:
- April 5, 2022, Committee of the Whole Agenda
- April 5, 2022, Committee of the Whole Viewing Link: https://media.mapleridge.ca/mediasite/Showcase/default/Presentation/1e743ff255cc4758ae9ea00e7471d3c11d
- April 12, 2022, Council Meeting Viewing Link: https://media.mapleridge.ca/mediasite/Showcase/default/Presentation/4ff377354cb845dab0e236cb1c22a2391d
- Public Hearing- Employment Lands: Re-designation of the Yennadon Lands to Industrial (Employment Park Category) Official Community Plan Amending Bylaw No. 7734-2021 (Policy); and Official Community Plan Amending Bylaw No. 7735-2021 (Land Use Designation)
- May 17, 2022 - Public Hearing Agenda
- Viewing Link: https://media.mapleridge.ca/mediasite/Showcase/default/Presentation/436f5988187241a38d38a191691376441d/Channel/f8f58e73c1c54ee5851ccf120465068c4d
- July 23, 2024 - Third and Final Reading Agenda
- ALC Application- Application 2022-170-AL to exclude 23154 128 Avenue from the Agricultural Land Reserve.
- Committee of the Whole - October 18, 2022
- Regular Council Meeting- October 25, 2022
- Public Hearing - November 22, 2022 https://mapleridge.primegov.com/public/portal
- Regular Council Meeting - November 29, 2022 (see item 12.1): https://mapleridge.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=225.
- Introducing the M-7 Employment Park Zone
- February 14, 2023 - Council Workshop
Have Questions?
If you have questions, please contact the Planning Department at Planning@mapleridge.ca.