Two bids that will see more than 900 condos and rental homes for the Burquitlam/Lower Lougheed neighbourhood were greenlighted at the last Coquitlam council meeting of the year.
Last Monday, Dec. 11, following a public hearing, council unanimously OK’d the rezoning application from Ledingham McAllister and renewed its support for the Rize project after that company updated its plans to include a child care centre.
Still, for the LedMac project called Sienna — the twin to the adjacent Sierra development — at 530, 532, 534, 538, 542, 546, 550 Delestre Ave., 316 Loring St. and 527, 533, 539, 545, 551, and 555 Sunset Ave., the company won’t be able to build until it buys seven lots owned by the BC Transportation and Finance Authority (BCTFA) to extend Alderson Avenue.
In his report to council, Chris Jarvie, Coquitlam’s director of development services, wrote that proposals before council normally have the land assemblies completed but, because the timing of the land purchase is out of LedMac’s control and the ongoing consultation with the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation, "city staff have come to an agreement with the applicant to advance the subject application."
Once the lots are secured, Sierra will be made up of four six-storey apartment buildings — north of Highway 1 — with a total of 327 market homes, of which 11 per cent are three-bedroom units; there will also be an underground with 425 parking stalls.
Jarvie said Sienna will generate for the city:
- $7.1 million in development cost charges
- $2.5 million from the surplus road disposition
- $1.4 million in community amenity contributions
- $6,500 for transportation demand management monitoring
Still, before granting second and third bylaw readings, Coun. Brent Asmundson took aim at the company for not including a child care facility for the approximate 66 children who will live at the Sierra.
Instead, LedMac plans to kick in cash to the city’s community amenity fund to make up for the missing 17 child care spaces.
"I find it difficult that they could not find [the space]," Asmundson said.
Oakdale development
Meanwhile, the lack of child care is the reason why Rize (Oakdale) Limited Partnership brought back its bid following a public hearing in the summer.
The company returned its application for 567 market and rental homes for a second public hearing after council in June pressed for child care spaces in the proposed development and noted the recently passed Child Care Incentive Policy.
During the Dec. 11 hearing, Coun. Robert Mazzarolo questioned Rize officials about their child care reversal for the properties at 595, 597, 601, 605 and 609 Westley Ave., 639 Elmwood St. and 600, 604, 606, 612 and 616 Kemsley Ave. where the company plans to build:
- a 38-storey market residential tower with 364 units
- one six-storey market residential building with 40 units and a child care facility
- two six-storey rental buildings with 163 units
And company officials confirmed the change was because of the city’s new incentive policy.
That policy allows for:
- a density bonus incentive of up to three times the indoor floor area of the child care facility
- a common amenity area credit of up to 20 per cent, to a maximum of 100 sq. m.
In his report, Jarvie wrote that Rize plans to convert the common amenity space in its six-storey strata building to a 4,189 sq. ft. child care hub for 37 kids.
"Overall, the project will still meet its requirements for common amenity areas," he wrote.
Afterwards, Mazzarolo told council he was pleased with Rize’s child care addition.
