Coquitlam plans to add more homes around its yet-to-be-built commercial and social hub on Burke Mountain.
This week and next, the city’s land and real estate division will host information sessions for the public to learn more about the extra density around Burke Mountain Village and to ask questions about its bid.
The application, which is set to come before city council this spring, calls for a change in the citywide Official Community Plan, as well as rezoning and subdivisions, for some of the city-owned lands closest to the Village.
Once built in the Partington Creek Neighbourhood, the Village will be the only major shopping district for the entire northeast region, where the municipality plans to house 50,000 residents.
The Village itself will have 120,000 sq. ft. of retail space plus the 80,000 sq. ft. North East Community Centre and about 2,000 residents.
Curtis Scott, Coquitlam’s director of land development, told the Tri-City News on Tuesday (March 15) that the new plan is for more apartment units — not just townhouses — on the outside edge, across from the street and Village.
The proposed housing uptick, he said, is to make up for the land use at current townhouse sites on Burke Mountain.
“We’re noticing that townhouse developments on the mountain are not achieving their full density,” he said, adding the proposed apartment complexes around the Village would be wood-framed, if approved.
“We want to make-up ground and ensure that we have a population close to the Village, with a mix of housing types.”
Scott said with higher growth on the outskirts of the Village, in taller buildings, it will free up space for public parks in the vicinity, boosting them from 1.8 acres to 4.6 acres.
As well, under its land use application, more environmental measures will be placed around Baycrest Creek, he said, and trails added to link with the Village.
Should the bid be OK’d by council, the city intends to service the land and put it on the market.
Of the 100 acres in the Partington Creek Neighbourhood that are owned by the municipality, about 60 acres remain — including the 39 acres in the Village, Scott said.
To learn more about the division’s application, you can tune in via Zoom on
- Friday, March 18 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. (register at burkevillage.ca/community-development for a link)
Or, you can attend an in-person session on
- Monday, March 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Burke Mountain Discovery Centre (3537 Princeton Ave., Coquitlam)
Alternatively, you can leave comments or questions about the proposal via LetsTalkCoquitlam.ca/BurkeMountain.
Visit burkevillage.ca for more information.
