Westminster Area Redevelopment Plan

Area Redevelopment Plans (ARPs) are a tool to help manage the changing needs of the older neighbourhoods. ARP's contain policies adopted by City Council. These policies must be considered when decisions are made regarding changing the use of a property (i.e. from a single dwelling to an apartment or business); demolishing a structure and rebuilding something new and improving roadways and public spaces.

The new Area Redevelopment Plan for Westminster will include policies that consider public input, City Policies, and technical research. These three different types of information are not independent and must be considered together.

The Westminster Area Redevelopment Plan was originally adopted by council in 1985, and is in the process of being updated. The updating process began in the summer of 2016.

The process guiding this project allows for public input, City policies, and technical research to be explored at the same time. During Phase 3 of the project City staff created the WARP Advisory Committee to work closely with and to learn from. The WARP Advisory Committee is made up of members of the Westminster Neighbourhood including individuals who live, work, and volunteer in the neighborhood.

During Phase 4, City staff will continue meeting with the WARP Advisory Committee to identify guiding principles which will inform the policies in the plan. This approach creates a space where the Advisory Committee is able to share their local knowledge and also take into consideration City Policies and technical research. The output of Phase 4 is a draft Plan which will be available for the broader public for their review and feedback. The feedback provided will influence updates to the draft Plan before it is finalized.

Once the draft Plan is finalized, the Plan will be brought to City Council for their approval, as per Phase 5.