The old fire hall site at the corner of Ioco Road and Murray Street in Port Moody will remain empty after a majority of city council rejected a motion last week by Coun. Rob Vagramov to program the property with community events like a pop-up picnic park, petting zoo, outdoor movie nights or public gardens.
Vagramov said until residents get a chance to have their say on the fate of the property in a referendum to be held in conjunction with civic elections Oct. 20, “the land just shouldn’t sit there in a dilapidated state.”
At its meeting April 8, council decided to put the brakes on the city’s application to rezone and redesignate the property, which includes the former fire hall site as well as the public works yard a little further west on Murray Street from public institution to mixed comprehensive development. That would have paved the way for the property to be subdivided and then sold off to developers to build a high-density neighbourhood of condos and offices, as well as possible public amenities such as a new library or seniors housing.
Instead, council elected to defer its decision on whether to approve the proposal until after the referendum vote.
Until that time, Vagramov proposed, the high-profile lot that sits adjacent to Port Moody’s civic centre and across from the Newport Village and Suter Brook Village developments could be activated for short-term uses.
“I think it would be great to use this site while we come up with a plan,” he said.
But Coun. Diana Dilworth said the location at the corner of one of the city’s busiest intersections would present safety and liability concerns.
“Parents would never bring their kids to a park at that location because of safety,” she said. “Getting in and out would cause chaos.”
Coun. Meghan Lahti cautioned there’s no such thing as a “temporary park,” suggesting there are other under-utilized spaces in the city, like the Queen’s Street plaza, that could be programmed to add vibrancy to community life.
