Port Moody councillors get their first chance Tuesday, Feb. 20, to provide feedback on a proposed development that would bring 972 new homes to the city’s downtown as well as 40 units of women’s transitional rental housing.
The plan, by Vancouver-based developer Beedie Living, would be comprised of three residential towers — 32, 34 and 38 stories — at the corner of Spring Street and Electronic Avenue along with commercial spaces and a public plaza.
The transitional housing would be in a separate six-storey building further west along Spring Street.
In its application documents, Beedie said the development would generate more than $23 million in amenities to the city along with $3.6 million in cash. The project would also contribute $2.1 million in property taxes annually.
According to a report to be presented to council’s city initiatives and planning committee, previous assessments of the proposal by the advisory design panel and land use committee identified several concerns.
This included:
- the possible repositioning of the 38-storey tower in the middle to reduce shadows on neighbouring properties
- more study on the project’s traffic impact
- not enough trees at street level
- more open-use space in public areas
- more clarity on what Spring Street will look like and how it will integrate with adjacent projects
- consideration to making Electronic Avenue car-free
- the need for more employment spaces
- increasing the number of three-bedroom units as well as affordable non-market homes
The land use committee also suggested the developer might want to consider adding more storeys to the non-market rental building given its proximity to mass transit and the need for more supportive and non-market housing in the region.
However, in her report, senior development planner Bita Jamalpour said the city is in “active discussions” with Beedie and “other parties” about the possibility of merging the Spring Street transitional housing location with surrounding properties “to allow for a more comprehensive and mutually beneficial development.”
For the project to proceed, Beedie will have to secure rezoning and amendments to Port Moody’s official community plan (OCP) to....
- allow the towers to be higher than the currently permitted maximum of 26 storeys
- an increase in the size of their floorplates
- a decrease in the separation between the towers
- an extension of the city’s transit oriented development area further east from Electronic Avenue to Buller Street
No OCP amendments would be required for the six-storey structure further west on Spring Street.
