HISTORY

In 2004, the District of West Vancouver (DWV) approved a new Official Community Plan (OCP), which set new policy direction for the Upper Lands in West Vancouver. Among other objectives, the OCP contemplated the creation of a new village centre above Highway 1 located at the first switchback of Cypress Bowl Road.

 

In 2008, the Rodgers Creek Area Development Plan (ADP) with unprecedented housing diversity and green space protection, was approved by local Council. A key principal in the Rodgers Creek ADP policy, which guided planning decisions, was the existence of a future commercial village at the first switchback of Cypress Bowl Road. The ADP states:

“The current District Works Yard, one of the areas of moderate topography in the Upper Lands, has the potential to become redeveloped as part of the Village, should the District choose to relocate the current uses at some time in the future. Other sites suited to mixed use development are located on the west side of Godman Creek on a series of terraces with superb view opportunities in the area east of Cypress Falls Park.”

In April 2016 the DWV Council approved a report outlining an applicant-led process for the planning of Cypress Village.

In July 2017, DWV Council received a Cost Recovery Report from staff, informing the community that a Cost Recovery Report with BPP is proceeding for the planning of Cypress Village, enabling the DWV to hire consultants to assist in the planning of Cypress Village with costs being fully recovered from BPP. The scope of the cost recovery agreement has been focused on a series of ‘Preconditions’ (9 technical subjects) intended to ensure a mutual understanding between BPP and the DWV around performance goals for the Village, prior to further public consultation and policy development expected in the fall of 2019.

Under a cost recovery agreement with BPP, DWV staff engaged an independent consulting team led by Coriolis to review the technical requirements and preconditions for the Village including the work previously undertaken by BPP’s consulting team that would facilitate a public consultation to receive community input that will inform the Area Development Plan for Cypress Village and surrounding lands.

In July 2020, the DWV officially launched a planning and community engagement process to create detailed policy for portions of Cypress Village and Eagleridge in the Upper Lands. This process will be a comprehensive multi-phased public process with a high level of involvement from the West Vancouver community, and will result in an Area Development Plan (ADP) for Cypress Village. This process will build on the vision outlined in the 2018 Official Community Plan which sets out community aspirations and principles for protecting environmental and recreational areas of the Upper Lands and creating sustainable, compact community in Cypress Village.

In April 2022, a draft version of the Area Development Plan for Cypress Village and Eagleridge was released by the DWV.

In May 2024, the DWV finalized the proposed plan, associated proposed bylaws and legal agreements for the phased development of Cypress Village and the preservation of 262 acres of Eagleridge land owned by British Pacific Properties.

Alongside the Final Area Development Plan (ADP) for Cypress Village and Eagleridge, the DWV released a track-change version highlighting revisions from the previous draft, updated FAQs, community input overview, and traffic summary. Prior to formal adoption by the Council, the DWV held an Information Meeting about Cypress Village and Eagleridge on May 22, 2024, to address community inquiries and answer any remaining questions before the Council’s formal adoption process. All materials from the Information Meeting can be found at westvancouverite.ca/upperlands.

On June 3, 2024, the DWV Council unanimously approved the first reading of the Cypress Village and Eagleridge bylaws. Subsequently at the Public Hearing on June 25, 2024, the Area Development Plan for Cypress Village and Eagleridge received Second and Third Reading from the Council, marking a significant milestone in the planning and engagement process.

As a result of this historical decision, 262 acres of forested lands in Eagleridge and over 100 acres in Cypress Village will be protected and dedicated as parkland. Cypress Village is planned to become a new compact, sustainable mixed-use community on the mountainside, featuring diverse housing options, retail spaces, public plazas, trails, daycare facilities, a community center, a fire station, and an elementary school.

The staff presentation from the Public Hearing on June 25, 2024, can be found here.