Surrey Council restricts Industrial Land Rezoning

The Surrey Council has put a stop to the rezoning of industrial land - it looks like they're having a similar problem to Vancouver: Condo's just don't bring in the taxes like business do:

The city has only 1,300 acres of vacant developable industrial land, a figure which had been dwindling. Surrey put a stop to that Monday afternoon.

“An interim policy to protect the city’s current supply of industrial designated land is considered to be a first step in curtailing any further erosion in Surrey’s employable lands base,” the staff report says.

The latest housing boom hasn’t helped Surrey’s imbalance of taxation, Gill said.

“When you put residential everywhere, you’re not covering your costs of your infrastructure, in terms of your policing, your fire, your city costs,” said Gill, also the chair of the city’s finance committee.

Gill wants to see a plan beyond the industrial lockdown that would include enticements for industries “that would have a very high ratio of employment.”