Keep the sunglasses handy - the sun returns this weekend

Staff writer DON PITCAIRN this past week pondered future land usage in Crescent Beach and Ocean Park.  I have to admit with my plate very full with White Rock development future I have not paid close attention to what our neighbours to the north have been up to.  Oh don’t get me wrong, on my rather infrequent trips to Whalley I am constantly blown away at the number of highrise towers that have popped up over the years.  There never seemed to be a huge public push back on the densification of Whalley.  For years Whalley which at one time was a major town centre in Surrey, had devolved into triple x video stores, rundown bars, thrift shops etc.  It pained me to see my hometown become the butt of too many Surrey Jokes.

Regarding development in Ocean Park & Crescent Beach, I learned first hand a number of years back in the 80's when I lived tucked away in the forest on Dogwood Drive. I would come home from work and often I would find a handwritten note in my mailbox urging me to come to a community dinner/gathering to discuss sometimes an item as simple as how high a neighbour could erect a fence. For years there was NO development in the Ocean Park area, they were beyond organized and concentrated on having their opinion heard on any future development. For instance the little strip mall where the pet food, Dude's coffee shop and Beef and Brine is located was delayed for years.

Of interest in PITCAIRN’S article was the fact Surrey had not overhauled its OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN OCP for 12 years.  Not since 2014 had the city of Surrey made any significant changes in their OCP.  By provincial law every city must “review” its Official Community Plan.  that can be as simple as pulling it out of the virtual file having a look at it, agreeing nothing needed tweaking ant put it away for another 5 years.

Conversely here in little old White Rock with each change of council (every 4 years) the majority of the council of  the day has decided the rip up the previous councilor’s  OCP  and rework to fit their vision and the vision of their supporters.

The current reworking of White Rock’s OCP has now been driven in part by the Provincial government issuing density numbers for each city to attain.  Very difficult for a city with 22.000 residents packed into 2 square miles.

We have been working through creating a new OCP that each council member must weight their version of what the residents and or political backers would like to see.  Recently councillor ANTHONY MANNING called for a reworking of some densification of the proposed Official Community Plan that was created by staff, consultants input, residents feedback and the inherent vision of individual council members.

The call for another round of public input was met with questioning by members of council.  I have to admit I somewhat bristled when my fellow councillor ELAINE CHEUNG proclaimed we were reworking our OCP based on such a small percentage of resident’s feedback?  I bristle because if and when we ask resident’s what their opinion is, we should very seriously take it into consideration.  To that extent if we want to talk about percentages, over 85%  or the respondents in the community via email or in person participation said NO to densification anywhere other than along North Bluff.  That is exactly what staff has been reworking and it will be presented to council on March 20.  If the majority of council follow councillor MANNING’S lead there will be another legislated Public Hearing before final adoption.

If you care, we are giving you another golden opportunity to be heard. We're listening.

Editor/Publisher 

White Rock Councillor

David Chesney

White Rock invites submissions from local artists for its 2026 Street Banner Program

Applications end this weekend!

Have your art displayed all year in White Rock.

Applicants are encouraged to explore one or more of this year’s themes: Nature; The City; History; Arts + Culture. Selected designs will be displayed for two years, rotating between spring–summer and fall–winter seasons. 

For full details and to apply, visit: www.whiterockcity.ca/Street-Banners 

Workshop: Senior Driving

What are you doing to reduce your risk and improve your driving? Assess your driving skills and habits. Update your knowledge of vehicle safety features and road regulations. 

• Tuesday, March 31

• Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• Location: White Rock Community Centre, 15154 Russell Avenue

Registration

• Sign up online

Co-sponsored with White Rock Community Policing, the RCMP and the Semiahmoo Community Safety Society.

The City of Surrey has launched an innovative digital compliance tool designed to streamline the residential plan review process. eCheck provides rapid, automated reviews of building plans to help home designers identify potential zoning compliance issues before submitting a formal building permit application. This tool is now available for all residential home designers. 

“The launch of eCheck marks a major step in modernizing how we support home designers and applicants,” said Ron Gill, general manager of planning & development. “By leveraging technology, we’re improving efficiency, reducing delays, and making it easier for applicants to navigate the permitting process.” 

How eCheck is expected to make home building faster:

“We’re thrilled to partner with the City of Surrey to support their development objectives using Archistar,” said Joe Philbrook, vice president of customer at Archistar. “By automating newly defined houseplex design compliance reviews, we’re helping the City accelerate housing delivery for Surrey residents.”

The City is rolling out eCheck in phases beginning with single family homes, coach houses, garden suites, duplexes and houseplexes for R3 zones, with expansion to additional zones in the coming months. This approach ensures designers and homeowners can quickly benefit from faster, more accurate permit reviews.

To learn more about eCheck, visit our website. 

Police Investigating Early Morning Shooting in Cloverdale