Northwest Burke Mountain is mostly wilderness and rock quarries today but the city of Coquitlam has begun the process of examining what the area could look like 30 years from now.
A high-level study of the 400 hectares of land is underway, examining topography as well as geotechnical and environmental constraints. The information will be used in the second phase of the visioning process, which will look at options for the area, before a final draft is put together.
But putting roads, parks and houses in the area could be tricky, said Steve Gauley, the city's acting manager of community planning. High grades and steep slopes run throughout the property and there are significant setbacks from the watercourses in the area that have to be considered, he said.
Of the 379 hectares, he said between 102 and 144 hectares are considered non-constrained, meaning they could be suitable for development.
The land being studied sits between Pinecone Burke Provincial Park, Upper Hyde Creek, Smiling Creek and Partington Creek neighbourhoods on the north and east sides.
On the western portion of the area sit the quarries, some of which may be coming to the end of their lifespan in the coming decades, said Jim McIntyre, the city's manager of development services.
Staff said that once the visioning process is complete, it will provide the city with guidance for future planning in the area. Public consultation will take place throughout the multi-phase process.
MORE INFO
For more information on the Northwest Burke Vision process, go to www.coquitlam.ca/nbv.
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