Village of Fruitvale
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Initiative
We are hard-wired to believe from a young age that bigger is better. We get excited by shiny new things….new development and buildings. But what if better was better?
Just like Goldilocks who preferred porridge, chairs and beds that weren’t too big, too small, but just right, a key community engagement insight was that residents didn’t envision “more” for the sake of it. They wanted an economic development strategy focused on specific, realistic opportunities aligned with village-size implementation resources. While some might say this feels protectionist or NIMBY not unlike many communities that push back against development pressure, this desire is a matter of simple pragmatics for Fruitvale residents.
Two significant challenges gave shape to development of a “right-sized,” infill-based Economic Development Strategy that converges niche opportunity identification and sharper focus on foundational asset management with maximized use of existing land: 1) lack of greenfield land and difficult annexation potential due to topography and existing development pattern; and 2) water and sewer infrastructure capacity constraints with a financially difficult pathway for expansion.
An infill strategy does have advantages, including greater taxation/acre, potential to have residents directly participate in economic development and affordable housing supply via addition of accessory dwelling units, more affordable /residential unit development costs, and renewed emphasis on downtown vibrancy, including seeking of zoning policy solutions that incentivize downtown investment (e.g. mixed use, lower parking standards, more permitted uses, allowance for temporary uses and structures, greater permitted density).
An infill strategy must have substance, and for the Village of Fruitvale this substance was informed by a quantitative (sector analysis) and qualitative (survey/interviews) Situation Analysis that identified competitive differentiation in housing costs and municipal cost competitiveness (business costs/cost of living), and sector growth in healthcare (professional services/clinics serving Fruitvale and Greater Trail) and other professional services. Surrounding this economic story is a community appreciated for its “wellness-living” focused on small community size, nature and access to outdoor recreation, and clean air – with modest housing cost, and good recreation, school, and healthcare amenities for a small community. Life is “well-lived” in Fruitvale.
The Strategy is driven by 6 goals and 41 initiatives that leverage local community features and further step into Fruitvale’s wellness-living story to come: innovate housing policy, enhance the downtown, develop craft agriculture opportunities, implement focused business retention & expansion initiatives, attract culture & recreation events, and develop and implement brand and marketing. Housing solutions = economic development. A desire for self-sufficiency is expressed in actions that nurture craft agriculture value-add and entrepreneurship, while creating more home-based and downtown enterprise spaces in forms that suit today’ entrepreneur desire for more flexible and affordable solutions.
A visual “plan on a page” Community Economic Development Roadmap helps the community understand the Economic Development Strategy, and the interconnectedness of initiatives that work toward an ambitious vision of the future.
In expression of generalities like “being a sustainable community for all,” too many communities miss an opportunity for their vision statement to serve as their hard-edged elevator pitch and guidepost for economic development strategy implementation. A crafted Fruitvale vision statement establishes value proposition that differentiates from other West Kootenay communities: The Village of Fruitvale is a health services hub and wellness leader in the West Kootenay. Connected to land and people – and family-friendly – we will enhance “life well lived” with solid core services, downtown vibrancy, housing attainability and choice, craft agriculture development, events, green ways forward in our parks, trails and active recreation lifestyle, and signature Creekside recreation at our heart.
The future will be what the Village of Fruitvale makes of it, using its Economic Development Strategy as a guidepost.
Results
The Economic Development Strategy was endorsed by Council in June, 2022.
A first implementation initiative in 2022 will see the creation of a new mixed-use zone to enable downtown investment and vibrancy.
The Future
Rynic continues to work with the Village of Fruitvale in 2022 on Economic Development Strategy implementation initiatives.
