Anmore residents will be able to learn more about development plans for the southern part of the village at an open house scheduled for May 4 at the new Community Hub (2567 Sunnyside Rd.).
The information session is the first of several rounds of community engagement planned for a proposal by developer Icona Properties to construct up to 3,500 new homes on 150 acres of property the company owns at 1st Avenue and Sunnyside Road.
Icona’s plan includes a mix of low- and mid-rise condo, townhouse and rental buildings, a 25,000 sq. ft. community centre, about 50,000 sq. ft. of commercial space as well as a 9.3-acre park and more than four kilometres of accessible greenways and trails.
The project would take about 25 years to complete and could triple the village's current population of about 2,500.
In March, Anmore councillors approved a framework to guide creation of a detailed plan for the neighbourhood’s development, including specifics about construction costs and the developer’s plan to connect the proposed community to regional water, sewer and drainage services.
As well, said Coun. Doug Richardson, the plan should address the project’s impact on traffic and the capacity of Ioco Road that goes along Port Moody’s north shore to support all the new residents.
Mayor John McEwen said potential traffic challenges aren’t unique to the Anmore South proposal, adding a shuttle bus system could be implemented or consideration could be given to widening existing roadways.
Chris Boit, Anmore’s general manager of development services, said feedback collected from the May 4 open house as well as future public engagement events will be considered in the neighbourhood plan.
Representatives from the village as well as Placemark, a design and planning consultant company working with Icona, will be in attendance to answer questions about the project’s planning process, the application to amend the village’s official community plan to accommodate the development and the creation of the neighbourhood plan.
The open house runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
