Over the past several weeks, many of you filled out the Design Survey and shared questions you had about the MIB Master Plan.
We’ve done our best to try and answer those questions below!
Are you sticking to the housing list? How many homes will be going up? How long would the second reserve take to build?
These are great questions. We’ll answer them separately below, but in a different order, because the answers build on each other.
How many homes will be going up?
At a minimum, our goal is to plan for enough housing to accommodate every Musqueam family that wants to live on the reserve today, tomorrow, and in the future.
This requires taking into account the current housing needs, the needs of those community members living off-reserve, as well as the projected long-term growth of Musqueam families.
There may also be options to build additional housing now that could be used for future Musqueam members or families. In the meantime, before those youth of today are ready for their own homes, that housing could be used to generate revenue for Musqueam programs and services.
We need your help to answer some of these questions. So make plans to attend the Community Design Workshop, and you can share your opinion now at this survey, if you haven’t already done so.
How long would the second reserve take to build?
To clarify, this would not be a second reserve, but additional housing built on the current land at Musqueam Reserve IR2.
Development would be phased in over time, based on when certain land is available. For instance, the Musqueam Golf and Learning Academy and the “triangle lands” or “Block K” land on Marine Drive could be available for development relatively quickly.
On the other hand, the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club would not be available for development until 2032.
Other factors that influence the timing of construction include:
- If the land already has the required infrastructure for development (roads, power, sewer, etc.)
- What type of housing is being developed as some types can be built more quickly than others;
- Funding and financing sources. For example, there might be available funding for certain uses, like rental housing. Building revenue-generating uses can help fund things like community buildings or band housing.
If funding, planning, and programming are approved by the community, it could be possible for initial homes or residences to be ready within 4-5 years.
Are you sticking to the housing list?
Housing allocation will be based on MIB Housing policies, along with any requirements that might be a part of the funding source for housing. (For example, if project funding comes from BC Housing, that might require certain criteria on renting vs owning, income level, etc.)
In addition, the Master Plan will include different options for housing types. Band members on the housing list may have different preferences or housing needs for themselves and/or their families. These factors, along with the timelines for when different housing types may be available, will give more choices and options for members on the Housing List.
Again, the goal of this plan is to provide housing options for every Musqueam Band member and their family now and in the future. How this happens is up to the community.
So be sure and sign up today for the Design Workshop events, and fill out the survey if you haven’t already!
How can we live sustainably into the future? What are responsible businesses that align with our Musqueam values? How do we navigate and manage “nature” vs. “wild spaces” on IR2?
The community strongly emphasized the importance of sustainability during the December Dinner & Discussion event. The Master Plan consultant team is keenly aware of this emphasis and will be presenting several options and opportunities to protect, sustain, and potentially improve the natural areas on the reserve land.
This question is also central to the overall development of housing and other possibilities on reserve. Certain types of development will require more land, and will result in less preservation. Other development styles can preserve more natural areas and improve sustainability into the future.
But these are questions only the community can answer. The Master Plan consultant team will explain these trade-offs between development and preservation during the Community Design Workshop, so be sure and sign up to attend or watch online!
Musqueam needs a dyke built as most of the reserve is sitting in low flood land. Will Musqueam be dealing with this prior to building for the master plan?
The Master Plan consultant team is very focused on how to ensure future development is not at risk from flooding. We are reviewing flood data, computer modeling of how rainwater flows to the reserve and where it pools and creates flooding, as well as integrating climate change considerations for the future.
MIB’s Public Works and Emergency Planning and Safety teams are also leading a Flood Mitigation Strategy that the Master Plan team is involved in. There was an Open House on May 18th at the Cultural Centre where flood mitigation options were presented and where we heard from many community members.
There are several options to consider to address the flooding concerns. These include elevating (filling in) low-lying areas prior to development, enhancing natural runoff pathways to help rainwater empty into the creeks and rivers instead of pooling and flooding, or developing on land that is outside of the flood land, such as the “Block K” parcels on Marine Drive.
The Master Plan team will present these options, and possible solutions, during the Design Workshop.