The OCP Amendment has been approved by the City of Fort St. John

A complete community proposed for
the City of Fort St. John, BC

The Station is a new community proposed for the southwestern portion of the City of Fort St. John. The Station seeks to align with the vision and goals for efficient growth management in the City. A Neighbourhood Plan has been submitted to the city for an OCP Amendment and includes details on land uses, transportation and mobility, infrastructure and servicing, and implementation considerations.

The Station plan addresses both short and long-term objectives for the City including flexible housing options that can accommodate market demands and a portion of forecast growth. This website provides general information on housing and commercial areas proposed for the development.

The Station is located in the SE area of the City and is bound by:

  • The future extension of 85 Avenue to the north;
  • Northern Lights Drive (72 Street) to the east;
  • The Alaska Highway (Highway 97) to the south-west;
  • Existing residential to the west.

Fort St. John, Planning for the Future

The City of Fort St. John’s Official Community Plan (OCP) is the primary planning document describes future growth patterns including greenfield development.

The Station development location is identified as one of the City’s Urban Development Areas (Area 7) with existing residential and commercial developments surrounding the site. This developed context makes The Station a logical extension of the existing pattern of development for the City.

 

The Station development aligns with City OCP policies regarding the development of vacant sites to comprise a combination of residential, commercial, institutional and park areas, appropriate density, and complete communities, which is part of balancing growth with other areas where infill or intensification policies are appropriate.

Further, The Station is in an area where services exist on several boundaries and the developer is contributing to the City’s financial sustainability by meeting the cost requirements the City has in place for servicing through a phased implementation approach over time.

Proposed OCP Designations

The Station concept map (below) shows a variety of proposed residential land uses to offer diversity of housing choices and create an inclusive complete community.

This mix of land designations will allow for building single detached homes, duplexes, townhouses, secondary suites, detached suites, and multi-family apartments in the residential areas. This variety is intended to meet current and future needs of the City with unique building forms and various unit sizes.

 

The Station also includes areas designated for a new school and a nature area that remediates and improves the existing small water area on the parcel.

Residential areas will be developed in phases that are comprehensively planned with an integrated mobility network.

Community design will integrate winter design policies and solar orientation to maximize sun exposure and natural snow melt.

Estimated Population

The potential residential population provided by The Station has been estimated by applying the average Fort St. John residential occupancy rate of 2.4 residents per unit from the 2021 Census.

Providing an estimated 3,000 units, The Station is proposing housing for an estimated 7,200 new residents over the next 30 years.

Alignment with Growth Strategy

The Station is being developed in response to market indicators that FSJ will continue to grow, particularly in response to energy projects in the surrounding area.

The Station aligns with many of the 50 Year Growth Study forecast requirements including:

The Station is proposing a high-density development for a parcel of land on the southwest area of Fort St. John adjacent to existing development and the Alaska Highway. The development proposes an efficient use of land, services, and transportation to achieve a significant portion of the City’s growth needs for the next 30 years (representing the estimated build-out timeline for the site).

Land Needs

Develops 63.7 hectares, providing residential, institutional, and commercial growth for the City of Fort St. John.

New Housing

Creates up to 4,000 new dwellings proposing to house upwards of 9,500 residents once fully developed.

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New School

The Station includes 6 acre area dedicated for a new elementary school.

Nature Area

The Station dedicates 5% of the development to new parks and includes multi-modal trails through the development.