A massive redevelopment of Port Moody’s Coronation Park neighbourhood is back on the table.
On Tuesday (Dec. 7), council voted to rescind its postponement of second reading for amendments to the city’s official community plan that would allow the project to proceed until further refinements could be met.
Instead, the development by Vancouver-based Wesgroup Properties that would bring six towers up to 31 stories — as well as office and commercial structures — to the 14.8-acre site directly across Ioco Road from the Inlet SkyTrain station will go to a public hearing once some conditions have been achieved.
They are:
- Continued exploration by the developer to alter the configuration of the site to concentrate taller towers along its eastern edge
- A commitment by the developer to explore more affordable housing options, with support from government programs
- Encouraging the developer to provide more job spaces in the project
Another condition for a more comprehensive study of potential delays to commuters in the city from traffic generated by Wesgroup’s project as well as another by Polygon that could see up to nine high-rise towers constructed on the Coquitlam side of the neighbourhood was rejected by a majority of councillors.
They said much of that information is already included in a traffic study the developer submitted with its application and the months it would take to complete a new assessment could end up derailing the proposal altogether.
Council’s reconsideration wasn’t originally on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting.
It was introduced in a motion by Mayor Rob Vagramov after private discussions with Wesgroup in the wake of its decision Nov. 23 to hold off second reading.
“I think there was confusion,” Vagramov said. “This is a way forward that makes everybody grit their teeth a little bit and move the project forward.”
Earlier, during public input prior to Tuesday’s meeting, Wesgroup’s president, Beau Jarvis, told council since the Nov. 23 postponement the company and city have been working on further refinements to the project, including shifting some of its density around the site.
But, he added, “we are out of time on this proposal. It either needs to move forward or be voted down.”
With that shot across councillors’ bow ringing in their ears, several said haste to move the proposal to a public hearing would open the door to further collaboration to achieve a project that will serve the city’s needs as well as provide certainty to the owners of the neighbourhood’s existing 59 properties, all but one of whom have agreements to sell their homes to Wesgroup.
“This really presents a much clearer path forward,” Coun. Zoe Royer said. “I feel like we need to bring the residents out of purgatory.”
Coun. Diana Dilworth reminded council it’s still early days and the final development will likely look quite different than it does now as housing markets and employment trends evolve.
But, she added, keeping the project alive presents “an opportunity for this council to leave a legacy. Let’s just get on with this please.”
Jarvis said getting the project to a public hearing will allow the company to continue its work to bring it more in line with council’s desires.
“We’re going to work to improve where we want to be,” he said.
