A new festival is coming to Cloverdale.
“A Taste of Cloverdale” will debut in 2024 as a partnership with the town’s well-established “Market Days.”
Paul Orazietti revealed the information at the Cloverdale Business Improvement Association’s AGM Feb. 27. Orazietti said the new Clovy food fest will be held in August and will tie in with Market Days, thought the details of how exactly that will happen have not been ironed out yet.
Orazietti, the executive director of the Cloverdale BIA, acted as secretary for the AGM while Dean Moore, president, chaired the assembly.
The meeting, held in person at the Clova Theatre was called to order at 6:15 p.m. It was a hybrid gathering as some people chose to attend remotely (via Zoom) as there was a forecasted snowfall warning that night.
Orazietti said several key items were covered at the AGM, including the election of new directors, the renewal of the BIA’s five-year term, and an update on Cloverdale’s official community plan.
Orazietti said 12 new directors were elected to the 2024-2025 BIA board via acclamation: Steve Bednash (Cloverdale Magazine/Tricia’s Gems), Tyler Dennis (MacMillan Tucker Law Firm), Mike Garisto (Kearney Funeral Services), Natalie Gauvreau (HomeLife Realty Services), Troy Michaud (Harry and Sons), Dean Moore (Michauds Salon), Anita Parker (Delta Controls), Rob Paterson (New Mac Animal Feed), Roseanne Mitchell (Cloverdale Legion), Terry Stewart (Express Employment Professionals - Cloverdale), Coreen Windbiel (Surrey Association for Community Living), and Scott Wheatley (Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce).
Paul Grewal, from HWG, gave the treasurer’s report for 2023.
Orazietti said, “the BIA financials had a clean audit without any issues.”
The report noted the BIA has a surplus of money for some unfinished projects from the previous year, such as the 56A Avenue parking lot upgrade, improvements to the Highway 10 and 177B Street intersection, and some planned placemaking projects around Cloverdale.
The treasurer’s report also noted the BIA organized and contributed funding for multiple special events in town, including the Cloverdale Bed Races and the Surrey Santa Parade.
The report indicated the BIA made a “significant shift in its budget” in 2023 after they contributed $100,000 the City of Surrey for site prep work on the parking lot extension on 56A Avenue, west of 176th Street. The city had previously bought the property with their Parking Variance Fund.
Up next, Orazietti presented the 2024 budget with several proposed projects that it wants to partner with the city on. The biggest being the paving of the new parking lot on 56A Avenue.
“That will include landscaping, drainage, and lighting,” noted Orazietti.
The BIA is also proposing to partner with the city to make improvements in Hawthorne Square. This could include new lighting, landscaping, and potentially a heritage storyboard on past film projects in and around town.
The BIA also pledged money to continue to support the Cloverdale Arts and Entertainment Association. The group holds five events over the summer each year, one per month, from May to September.
Orazietti said the new special event “Taste of Cloverdale” will “piggyback” off the August Market Days date, but will take place over a longer period (possibly a few weeks or a month) and will extend further afield than just 176th Street.
“It will feature local food and both local farmers and growers,” he said.
The 2024 proposed budget passed unanimously.
The BIA also voted to change their quorum requirements from 20 down to 10 members. This was done at City Hall’s behest to bring Cloverdale in line with the other BIAs across the city.
The BIA renewed its five-year term at the AGM. The current term is up in February 2025 and the BIA sought member approval for another term. (The BIA may only operate with the consent of its members.) The approval vote passed unanimously. The BIA promised to conduct “an exhaustive survey of the membership” ahead of drafting its new five-year plan later this year.
The AGM wrapped up with Orazietti giving his executive director’s report. As part of that report, Orazietti said discussions with the city are underway to update the Official Community Plan (OCP) for the Cloverdale Town Centre, which going forward will include the Cloverdale Fairgrounds.
“Interesting, it will be the first time the Fairgrounds have been included in the OCP,” Orazietti said.
As the new OCP is drafted, he noted the BIA will be advocating for more density in the town centre, which will include support for more mixed-use developments that would add more residential space, office space and retail space.
He said the BIA also supports adding more entertainment and food service in the area along with more office space for rapidly growing health care services.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:20 p.m.