A public hearing will be held Feb. 4 for Beedie Living’s proposal to build three condo towers on Spring Street at Electronic Avenue in Port Moody’s downtown and a non-market residential building up to nine storeys a little further west on Spring.
The three towers of 32, 34 and 38 storeys will comprise about 983 strata homes.
They’ll be built atop podiums with up to 72,118 square feet of commercial and office space as well as a child-care facility for up to 107 kids.
The non-market building, near Spring and Moody streets, would provide up to 50 “safe, affordable” transitional apartments for six to 18 months to women and children escaping abusive situations.
In December, Port Moody senior planner Dejan Teodorovic told council Beedie Living is also working with the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation to include another 20 units of below-market rental homes in one of the towers. But if that deal falls through, the transitional facility could be expanded from six to nine storeys.
Teodorovic said the developer also eliminated 58 studio apartments from the towers but increased the number of one- and two-bedroom plus den units as well as those with three bedrooms. He said the two- and three-bedroom units now account for 51 per cent of all the apartments, exceeding the city’s policy to encourage the construction of family-friendly units.
Teodorovic also said adjustments to the size of the buildings’ floor plates along with other architectural tweaks mean many units will have more square footage and smaller apartments will be configured more efficiently.
The commercial podiums will be anchored by a public plaza that serves as a kind of outdoor “living room” for residents and the community.
The project requires amendments to Port Moody’s official community plan and zoning bylaws to proceed.
During council’s consideration of second reading of those amendments in December, several councillors said they were eager to hear from residents.
“I want to hear more from the greater community,” said Coun. Kyla Knowles. “I hope they come out in droves.”
To help ensure that happens, council approved an amendment to send notices of the public hearing to every address in the city, an initiative that was delayed by the Canada Post strike.
But Coun. Haven Lurbiecki said she expects to hear dissatisfaction about the project.
“It’s not the community’s vision,” she said, adding residents are fearing the impacts such a large development will have on traffic, parks, infrastructure “and all the things that people love about Port Moody.”
The public hearing commences at 7 p.m. Comments can be made in person or electronically. Submissions can also be made in writing before 12 p.m. on Feb. 4 by emailing [email protected], faxing 604-469-4550, or mail to City Hall (c/o Clerk’s Office).
📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected].
📲 Want to stay updated on Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
💬 Words missing in an article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.
