Surrey council to vote on industrial designation review in central Newton
Published 12:20 pm Friday, May 8, 2026
Surrey city staff will provide council with a status report Monday concerning an industrial designation review in central Newton that if approved includes consulting property owners in the study area.
The area being studied is bound by 128 Street to the east, residential lots on the west, 80 Avenue to the north and 76 Avenue to the south.
At its regular land use meeting on February 23, a proposal to build a five-storey commercial building came before council. Council considered the 7,466 square-metre lot application but rather than sending it to a public hearing requested city staff to do a comprehensive review of related area to see if the industrial designation should be maintained.
The study area contains 24 lots ranging from 1,800 square metres to 9,500 square metres with the majority zoned for light impact industrial or comprehensive development, permitting uses such as warehousing, office, automotive uses, recycling depots and recreation facilities as well as accessory uses such as coffee shops, community uses and childcare centres.
In a corporate report coming before council from Ron Gill, Surrey’s general manager of planning and development, Gill notes the study area directly abuts residential properties.
“While industrial uses next to housing can create compatibility issues, these are typically managed through requirements such as landscaped buffers and minimum building setbacks from residential lots.”
It’s also immediately south of south of Surrey’s Newton Cultural District – Canada’s largest South Asian shopping district – covering 40 acres “centred on” the intersection of 80 Avenue and 128 Street.
Gill notes that market demand associated with the district “is evidenced by previous land use re-designations from Industrial to Mixed Employment” and since 2022 city hall has received three development applications in that area seeking an Official Community Plan amendment favoring this.
Gill also notes in his report that a “broader re-designation” for the study area would “better align land use policy with changing conditions in the area immediately south of the Newton Cultural District, including demonstrated demand for complementary commercial and employment uses and the area’s strong transit connections.”