The future of the Delbrook Lands
After detailed discussions with the community, we are moving forward with plans to provide affordable rental housing and local park space.
The old Delbrook Recreation Centre site will be the future home for residents of a below-market rental apartment building created in partnership with Hollyburn Family Services, BC Housing and the District.
The rest of this municipal land will become a neighbourhood park for all ages featuring accessible trails and walking paths, natural plantings, grass space, a sports court, playgrounds with a spray park, washrooms, and a covered picnic area. The existing tennis courts will be retained.
Following the closure of the old recreation centre in 2017, we worked extensively with residents to identify opportunities to repurpose this District-owned land.
News, events, progress
July 2023 — Construction begins
Construction has started for a non-market rental apartment building on the south parking lot of the former Delbrook Recreation Centre.
We are planning a new neighbourhood park on the rest of this municipal land. Our preferred plan for the park focuses on accessible and active recreation and sport amenities and features multiple path connections and access to the natural areas and creek.
June 4, 2021 — Funding for new affordable housing secured
BC Housing has announced that the proposal for an 86-unit, four-storey affordable rental building on the site of the Delbrook lands (600 West Queens) has been approved to receive a grant from its Community Housing Fund.
November 19, 2020 — Affordable housing partnership announced
Today, we announced an agreement to partner with Hollyburn Family Services Society on a project to create affordable rental housing on the site of the Delbrook lands. The next steps will be for Hollyburn Family Services Society to secure funding and then to proceed with design and implementation of affordable rental housing.
November 18, 2019 — Approved
This application was presented to Council, who voted to approve the rezoning. You can view the staff report with recommendation in the 'documents and related links' tab.
November 4, 2019 — Second and third reading
This application was presented to Council, where it received second and third reading. You can view the staff report with recommendation in the 'documents and related links' tab.
October 22, 2019 — Public hearing
We held a public hearing for Bylaws 8397 and 8398, proposed amendments to the Official Community Plan and Zoning bylaw, to permit the creation of a new neighbourhood park and a four-story building with low to moderate income rental housing and a seniors' care facility on the Delbrook Lands.
September 30, 2019 — First reading
This application was presented to Council, where it received first reading and was referred to a public hearing. You can view the staff report with recommendation in the 'documents and related links' tab.
September 16-30, 2019 — Community engagement
We asked for your input on a new community park for a portion of the land occupied by the old Delbrook Community Centre. View the results of the survey in the 'documents and related links' tab.
August 22, 2019 — OCP amendment and rezoning for site
The District of North Vancouver has initiated an OCP amendment and rezoning on this property. This proposal includes a neighbourhood park and a four-storey building containing non-market rental housing and a seniors' care facility.
July 22, 2019 — Council meeting
Staff presented consultation results from the online survey at the July 22 Council meeting.
At the meeting, Council directed staff to begin design work for a four-storey building located on the current parking lot in the southeast corner of the site. The building will include one storey for seniors' respite care and three storeys of social housing above.
They also directed staff to continue engaging with the community to create a detailed design for the neighbourhood park.
June 18-30, 2019 — Online survey
If you weren't able to attend the June 18 open house to see the latest options for the Delbrook Lands, we also hosted an online survey so you could share your thoughts.
Download the survey results in the 'Documents and related links' tab.
June 18, 2019 — Open house
We held a public open house to discuss the results of our recent survey about your vision for the Delbrook Lands. We reviewed some options for the neighbourhood park, affordable housing, and community services on the site.
June 13, 2019 — Summary of online survey results
A summary of the feedback we received during our online survey, which ran from May 14-27, 2019, is now available.
Download the survey results in the 'Documents and related links' tab.
May 14-27, 2019 — Online survey for Delbrook neighbours
We talked with Delbrook Lands neighbours about your vision for the neighbourhood park, affordable housing, and community services on the site. This was the first of two surveys. We will also be holding a public open house.
February 25, 2019 — Public engagement recommendations at Council
Staff presented Council with their recommendations for further engagement with the Delbrook neighbourhood regarding the future of the Delbrook Lands.
Previous Decisions
November 19, 2018 — Second and third reading
An application for a non-market housing and seniors' respite care centre on the south parking lot portion of this site was presented to Council. The application was defeated.
Learn more about the development proposal
October 11, 2018 — Public hearing
An application for a non-market housing and seniors' respite care centre on the south parking lot portion of this site was presented at a public hearing. The public hearing is your chance to speak to Council if you feel your interest in property will be affected by the application.
September 18, 2018 — Public hearing
An application for a non-market housing and seniors' respite care centre on the south parking lot portion of this site was presented at a public hearing. The public hearing is your chance to speak to Council if you feel your interest in property will be affected by the application.
July 10, 2018 — Public hearing (rescheduled)
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the public hearing scheduled for July 10 for the application for a non-market housing and seniors' respite care centre on the south parking lot portion of this site must be rescheduled.
Learn more about the development proposal
May 30, 2018 — Open house and public information meeting
Catalyst Community Development Society hosted a Public Information Meeting to share their proposal for a non-market housing and seniors' respite care centre on the south parking lot portion of the site.
District staff were also on hand to answer questions about the community engagement process for the Delbrook site, as well as an upcoming parks planning process, beginning in 2019.
Learn about the development proposal
July 24, 2017 — Update to Council
Staff updated Council on progress they made on Council's January 17, 2017 directions. This update included a review of discussions with non-market housing and community service providers for determining a model for delivering non-market housing and a community care facility on the southern portion of the Delbrook site.
Get details about the Council meeting and view the staff report and presentation to Council in the 'Documents and related links' tab.
January 17, 2017 — Report with recommendations presented to Council
Staff finished analyzing the community recommendations, and presented their report to Council at a workshop that was open to the public.
At that meeting, Council directed staff to develop a concept plan that incorporates parks and open space, non-market housing, and community services, develop refined cost estimates, and a funding strategy. They also directed staff to begin discussions with potential non-profit housing and community service providers in regards to development on a portion of the Delbrook Lands.
Review the staff report and minutes from the Council meeting in the 'Documents and related links' tab.
September 19, 2016 — Dialogue report presented to Council
Members of the SFU Centre for Dialogue presented their final report on the results of the Delbrook Lands Deliberative Dialogue that was held on June 18. The report was submitted for the information of Council only, and no decision was made during the meeting.
Review the final report in the 'documents and related links' tab.
June 18, 2016 — Delbrook Lands deliberative dialogue
We hosted nearly 90 community members and stakeholders at a day-long deliberative dialogue. Participants worked in groups generating ideas and providing input into what should happen with the land.
Their input will be used to make a recommendation to Council that is informed by community values and real-world constraints, and is broadly supported by area and local residents.
June 8 to June 15, 2016 — Delbrook Lands site ideas questionnaire
We put the six ideas that we would be discussing at the June 18 Dialogue on the website, along with the costs to implement each idea, and a number of factors (both pro and con) for consideration. We asked residents to tell us, in an online questionnaire, what they thought the most important factors were when evaluating these potential ideas.
The responses were summarized and provided to the community members participating in the Dialogue, in order to inform their discussion.
May 20, 2016 — Selection of Dialogue participants
We will be selecting the 100 people to attend the June 18 Community Dialogue during a random selection process at District Hall. The selection is open to the public, and starts at 10am.
April 26 to May 18, 2016 — Registration for the June 18 Community Dialogue
All District residents were invited to submit their names for the 100 available seats at the June 18 Dialogue session. The registration was promoted on our website, through social media, newspaper ads, area signage, and postcards to residents.
April 18, 2016 — Dialogue process and guidelines presented to Council
Staff from SFU and DNV presented Council with a report about the upcoming Community Dialogue, which included the draft process and guidelines, information about the discussion guide, participant selection, and other details.
Review the staff presentation and report to Council in the 'Documents and related links' tab.
February 22, 2016 — Ideas workshop report
The SFU Centre for Dialogue released a report summarizing everything we heard during Phase 1 of the dialogue process (the public ideas workshop on January 28, and the online questionnaire).
In total, we received over 1,000 suggestions for what to do with the Delbrook Lands — from almost 300 people — with the majority of ideas falling into four categories: parks and outdoor recreation, community programming facilities and structures, housing, additional ideas.
Consultants and staff are now analyzing these suggestions to determine a range of options, as well as their positive and negative impacts (Phase 2).
Download the SFU ideas report in the 'Documents and related links' tab.
January 14 to February 5, 2016 — Online questionnaire
We made a questionnaire available on the website for people who weren't able to attend the public workshop to share their ideas. The ideas shared online were given the same weighting as those we received in person. The questionnaire was available until February 5th at midnight.
January 28, 2016 — Public idea gathering workshop
We held a public workshop to generate ideas for potential uses for the Delbrook Lands. Staff were on hand to provide more information about the entire community engagement process, as well. Nearly 200 residents came and shared their thoughts.
September 28, 2015 — Staff report to Council
Staff presented Council with an overview of the approach for the engagement strategy they planned to follow to determine the future for the Delbrook lands
A copy of the staff report is available in the 'Documents and related links' tab.
Details
About the Delbrook site
The Delbrook site is located at 600 West Queens Road. It is:
- 4.3 acres (17,607m2)
- next to two arterial roads, and along two transit corridors and a future frequent transit network
- within walking distance of schools, parks, recreation facilities, and shops
- designated "Institutional" in the Official Community Plan (OCP)
- zoned "Public Assembly"
The site includes:
- the Delbrook north and south recreation buildings
- two parking lots
- three lit tennis courts
- a public children’s play area
- a child care facility
Community deliberative dialogue: An open and transparent process
We have partnered with Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue to conduct an innovative, open, and transparent public process to find options for what to do with the Delbrook Lands.
Working closely with the community, we are identifying ideas for potential future land use, and making a recommendation to Council that is informed by community values and real-world constraints, and is broadly supported by area and local residents.
The community dialogue process and goals
The goal of the community dialogue process is to determine the most broadly supported options for future use of the Delbrook Lands.
About the dialogue process
| Step | Activity | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public workshop (Jan 28, 2016) | You help us generate ideas at a workshop on January 28, 2016 (or through an online questionnaire) |
| 2 | Technical analysis | Consultants and staff analyze everyone's suggestions to determine a range of options, as well as their positive and negative impacts. The technical analysis will examine both financial impacts and consistency with District strategies, plans, and policies, such as the Official Community Plan (OCP) and Transportation Plan. This information will be summarized in a discussion guide, which will be used to support a community deliberative dialogue in June. |
| 3 | Community deliberative dialogue (June, 2016) | Residents and stakeholders take on the role of a city planner and recommend the options they feel are in the best interest of the entire community. |
| 4 | Council decision | Council considers all the input and makes a decision on the lands. |
This is the same process we used to create solutions to the parking and access challenges in Deep Cove last spring.
Selecting participants for the dialogue
Council has mandated that this process include representation from both the District-wide community and residents in the local neighbourhood. The SFU Centre for Dialogue will select 100 participants for the Dialogue, using a public selection process. In addition to striving for gender parity, the seats will be distributed like this:
Local neighbourhood
There will be 37 seats randomly allocated among residents and property owners within the local neighbourhood, including:
- A guaranteed minimum of 7 seats randomly assigned to interested young people ages 15-30
- Priority access for 7 seats randomly assigned to interested adults ages 31-45
- Priority access for 13 seats randomly assigned to interested residents or property owners within 100 meters of the Delbrook Lands
- A maximum of 3 seats for interested residents or property owners from the local neighbourhood who live within the City of North Vancouver. This group will otherwise be selected using the same random process as others from the local neighbourhood, with no guaranteed or priority seats.
There will also be 13 seats directly assigned by the SFU Centre for Dialogue to representatives from identified groups that currently use the Delbrook site and/or community organizations within the local neighbourhood, up to a maximum of two seats for any single group, space allowing.
District wide
There will be 37 seats randomly allocated to District residents and property owners from outside the local neighbourhood, including:
- A guaranteed minimum of 7 seats randomly assigned to interested young people ages 15-30
- Priority access for 7 seats randomly assigned to interested adults ages 31-4
There will also be 13 seats directly assigned by the SFU Centre for Dialogue to representatives from community groups outside the local neighbourhood with an interest in the future of the Delbrook Lands, up to a maximum of two seats per group, space allowing.
Current policies that guide land use changes on the Delbrook Lands
Any changes to the land use designation and/or zoning would require an OCP amendment and a rezoning process, including public hearings and Council approval.
In addition, the Public Assembly (PA) Land Strategy provides principles and criteria around which to evaluate any proposed changes to PA lands.
This framework supplements the evaluation that is undertaken as part of a rezoning or OCP amendment. The criteria are not intended to prevent changes to PA lands from taking place, but to help ensure that any change is in the public interest and provides an overall benefit to the community.
Documents and related links
2019 neighbourhood consultation
- Results from online survey held September 16-30
- Results from the online survey held May 14-27
- Display materials from the June 18, 2019 public open house
- Results from the online survey held June 18-30
November 18 Approval
November 4 Second and third reading
October 22, 2019 Public hearing
September 30 First reading
July 22, 2019 Council meeting
January 17, 2017 Council meeting
April 18, 2016 Council meeting
September 28, 2015 Council meeting
- Staff report to Council (September 28, 2015) (PDF; 20MB)
Dialogue process, guidelines, and supporting documents
Delbrook Lands Deliberative Dialogue final report (presented to Council on Sept 19, 2016)
Delbrook Lands Deliberative Dialogue process and guidelines
Delbrook Lands Deliberative Dialogue discussion guide
Delbrook Lands Deliberative Dialogue list of participants
Input from residents
SFU's report from the January 28 public ideas gathering workshop
Background information
Background and site information
Related projects
New Delbrook Community Recreation Centre
Deep Cove parking and access community dialogue
Related policies
These Council-approved plans and policies provide an important framework for any decision-making regarding the future use of the Delbrook Lands.
Delbrook Lands Transportation Study
Parks and Open Space Strategic Plan
Public Assembly (PA) Lands Strategy
Relevant land use regulations
Background
History of the Delbrook Lands
The Delbrook High School was built in 1956 and used as a school until 1977, when a portion of the school was destroyed by a fire.
The District purchased the site in 1981 and refurbished the buildings damaged by the fire. Since then, the site and remaining buildings have been operated by the North Vancouver Recreation and Culture Commission (NVRCC) as a community recreation centre.
Consolidating recreation centres
In 2006, the NVRCC completed a comprehensive study on behalf of the District and the City to assess indoor recreation facilities and services, and identify the community’s future needs. The research, along with public input, helped form the Indoor Recreation Facility Plan.
Included in the Plan's recommendations was the consolidation of William Griffin and Delbrook Community Recreation Centres into one facility. The William Griffin centre closed in December 2013.
Current site conditions
The existing north and south recreation buildings on the Delbrook site are in poor condition, and do not meet current health, safety, or seismic standards.
Since Council’s decision to build a new consolidated community recreation centre, the District has not made any major component renewals or capital investments to the Delbrook recreation buildings. This facility will close in 2017.
Social services and childcare on the Delbrook Lands
A number of social service agencies currently rent space in the Delbrook north building from NVRCC. These include the Capilano Community Service Society (CCSS) and their partner agencies (Red Cross, Restorative Justice Society, and Keep Well Society).
These groups are planning to re-locate to the not yet built community centre in Lions Gate in 2019. However, they may need alternate space until that new community centre is complete.
Little Rascals Child Care centre has a lease with the District on a portion of the Delbrook Lands until 2023.