Port Moody residents will be able to speak out Tuesday about the future of the Ioco lands.
At the same time, the neighbouring village of Anmore is moving forward on on the process of considering a proposal that could bring 4,200 residents to a new mixed-use development on a 50-acre parcel of the property close to it's border with PoMo.
At a public hearing to be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Inlet Theatre, residents will weigh in on a Port Moody council motion to remove the special study area designation for the 82 acres of the Ioco lands property in its jurisdiction from the city’s official community plan and retain its current zoning. That would limit future development of the property to no more than 253 single-family homes.
That’s far less than was envisioned for the area when the 232-acre property that straddles both Port Moody and Anmore was acquired from Imperial Oil in 2015 by Brilliant Circle Group, which is now known as Gilic Global Development Management Inc.
BCG quickly hired an architect to formulate plans for a dense urban community of townhomes and shops, as well as an enhanced waterfront and preservation of the historic Ioco townsite, which was once home to workers at the nearby refinery.
But the scale of the project also depended on improving road access to relieve pressure from an already busy Ioco Road, raising concerns that access could be built along an existing right-of-way through Bert Flinn Park.
During Tuesday’s regular council meeting, council is expected to approve the expenditure of $75,000 from Port Moody’s accumulated surplus to remove that right-of-way and incorporate it into the park.
Meanwhile, Anmore is mapping out its community engagement strategy for Gilic’s Burrard Commons project, which would almost triple the village's current population of 2,200.
According to a report presented to Anmore council’s committee of the whole Jan. 21, the first round of public consultation will include an online survey and a pair of open houses. It is expected results would be presented to council April 7. A second round of consultations would then wrap up in May.
At the same meeting, Anmore council was also presented a staff report outlining three options to bring water and sewer services to Burrard Commons and, potentially, the rest of the village, whose residents currently have individual septic systems.
The report, by the village’s manager of development services, recommended a southern route for the water pipes, beneath Ioco Road in Port Moody, from a Metro Vancouver water main at Guildford Way. Construction costs are estimated to be $16 million.
A sewer pipe should also run under Ioco Road to connect to a Metro Vancouver main at Barnet Highway, said the report. It would cost $11 million to build.
Anmore council decided to defer a decision on the sewer and water connection routes until it got more information.
If you want to know more about this story:
Ioco open houses draw record turnout
Ioco lands architect seeks the right mix
PoMo mayor acts quickly on Bert Flinn road
Bert Flinn right of way to be removed
Anmore considers plan for 4,200 new residents on Ioco lands
Proposed Anmore project raises alarm in Port Moody
Ioco townsite caught in the middle of density tussle
