Burquitlam Community Association put its stamp of approval this week on a 70-unit apartment block planned close to a planned North Road Evergreen Line station.
At Monday's public hearing, BCA president Don Violette gave high marks to Mosaic Homes for its development proposed for 604-610 Como Lake Ave., saying the company had addressed parking, carpooling and security concerns raised by the association.
Violette also said his group was "surprised to see so many parking spaces" for the complex given its proximity to the rapid transit line, and that it's only four storeys tall.
The city has allowed developers building projects close to the Evergreen Line to apply for fewer parking spots - a topic that has annoyed many city councillors, who argue suburban commuters need vehicles and places to park them at home.
The Mosaic project, which received second and third readings, calls for 76 parking spaces, a 9% reduction from what the Burquitlam Neighbourhood Plan recommends.
Meanwhile, at Monday's land use committee meeting, Mosaic also presented its preliminary rezoning plans for a 161-unit red brick apartment building at 539-557 Foster Ave., also close to the Burquitlam Evergreen Line station.
If okayed, the development would include an expansion of Cottonwood Park, Mosaic's Luciano Zago told the committee.
COMO CONCERNS
The owners of a Como Lake Avenue property that has sat empty for years are mired in a Catch-22 with the city, their spokesperson said at a public hearing Monday to consider a rezoning.
Realtor David Kearney said his clients, Chang Suk Soh and Choong Ja Soh, have tried to sell their residential land at 1649 Como Lake Ave. four times but, to date, have been unsuccessful.
The Sohs want to consolidate the property with their land next door, a commercial lot located next to the Chevron gas station that used to be home to the Harbour Mart grocery store, said Arno Matis, principal of Iconstrux Architecture Ltd., who is also representing the Sohs.
Matis said the owners want to zone the two lots to commercial to sell the property, a move many neighbours oppose.
"We don't know what is going there," said neighbour and retired realtor Pauline Hing, adding, "We do not need a commercial building in a residential area."
"If you think we need more businesses there, you're wrong," said Margaret Weckesser, who lives across from the property.
Other neighbours described the vacant lot as a "pig pen" and said when temporary businesses have operated on the commercial lot, the owners have allowed parking on the adjacent residential property - a violation of city bylaws, said Jerry Stuart, whose home backs onto the Soh land.
In 2007, the Sohs received 13 bylaw tickets for unlawful residential use because of the parking infractions, bylaw manager Andrea Macdonald said.
