The District of North Vancouver is moving toward permanently protecting 63.6 acres of forest and recreational land at Roche Point, including property that staff say could potentially generate more than $100 million in net revenue if developed under its existing residential zoning.
A public hearing on the proposed Official Community Plan and zoning amendments will take place Tuesday, September 8, at 7 p.m. at District Hall.
The District-owned site consists of 23 parcels and an undeveloped road extending north from Roche Point Drive. It includes a playing field, trails and a forested area containing older trees and habitat considered to have high ecological value.
Most of the property is already designated for parks, open space and natural areas in the District’s Official Community Plan. However, four lots remain designated for detached residential use, while approximately 35.8 acres within the larger site retain single-family residential zoning.
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District staff estimate that developing the residentially zoned land could produce net revenue of approximately $3 million to $4 million per acre after servicing and access costs. Applied across 35.8 acres, that represents potential net revenue of approximately $107 million to $143 million.
The figure is a staff estimate of potential development revenue, not a formal appraisal of the property—and the District is not currently proposing to develop or sell the land.
Instead, the two amendments before the public would redesignate the four residential lots for parks and open space and rezone the residentially zoned portions of the site as Natural Parkland.
Those changes would prepare the way for a separate park-dedication bylaw covering the entire site. Staff must also bring forward a bylaw closing approximately two acres of undeveloped road before that land can be included in the dedication.
Unlike park zoning alone, formal dedication would legally restrict the property to park purposes. Removing that protection later would require public approval through either a referendum or an alternative approval process.
The lands were once part of the Seymour Development Program established in 1983, which envisioned an extension of Roche Point Drive and a new low-density residential development. The plan was never fully implemented because of environmentally sensitive habitat, technical difficulties and significant community opposition.
Staff say the site contains moderate to very high biodiversity potential, including habitat associated with the critically endangered Pacific water shrew, documented raptor nests, Roche Point Creek and densely vegetated riparian areas. It also forms part of a north-south wildlife corridor connecting the mountains with the ocean.
Council gave the two amendment bylaws first reading on July 20. If the amendments and related road closure proceed, council could consider adopting the park-dedication bylaw in October. That bylaw would require the support of at least two-thirds of council.
