There will be no referendum on tower heights in Port Moody’s downtown.
But council will invite representatives from Strong Cities and the Foundation for a Path Forward to present ideas that might help the city better communicate facts and combat disinformation about its development plans.
Tuesday, Feb. 11, six of seven councillors voted against Coun. Haven Lurbiecki's call for a pause on new developments in the 23-acre neighbourhood around the Moody Centre SkyTrain station so residents could vote in a referendum on how high some of those projects should be allowed to go.
Currently, Port Moody’s official community plan allows for towers up to 26 storeys in the neighbourhood, but a framework to guide its development that was approved by council in December, 2023, envisions the construction of up to 14 towers as tall as 40 storeys.
The planned transformation of the area from a collection of commercial and light industrial properties to a dense urban neighbourhood has sparked consternation and division within the community, said Lurbiecki, adding residents are feeling like their concerns about the city’s pace of growth aren’t being heard.
“They want their voice to matter. They want a say about their future.”
Lurbiecki said a referendum would give them that say and could even unite residents on a path forward.
"If it's yes, we know our vision we put forward as council is the same as the community's," she said. "If they say no then we can work on a revised vision that tries to unite rather than divide."
But several councillors said rhetoric prior to the vote could further heighten emotions, shut down dialogue and polarize the community.
“I appreciate a lot of people are worried about towers,” said Coun. Amy Lubik, adding the either/or nature of a referendum question would gloss over discussion about nuances like the amenities the city could gain from greater density. “It’s sad that we have this much discord.”
Coun. Samantha Agtarap said even a referendum might not resolve the issue once and for all, as such a vote is only just “a snapshot” of those who choose to cast a ballot.
“It won’t improve our understanding,” she said. “We can still have a low turnout.”
Coun. Diana Dilworth said pausing development applications for the neighbourhood to hold a referendum would be “wasteful and time delaying.”
She said urban planning issues like tower heights are better addressed during the next update of Port Moody’s official community plan, which had to be put on hold a year ago while staff considered the implications of new provincial housing legislation but is poised to recommence in the coming months.
Mayor Meghan Lahti agreed.
She said relying on public opinion to guide city planning “will lead to poor choices,” adding the ultimate referendum on Port Moody’s growth will occur at the next municipal election when residents will be able to decide whether they agree with choices current councillors have made.
“We were elected to make decisions,” Lahti said. “In my opinion, the next election is the referendum.”
Following the debate that was occasionally punctuated by jeers and catcalls from the gallery at Inlet Theatre, along with admonitions from the mayor, Lubik suggested disinformation spread through social media channels was at the root of residents’ raw emotions.
“I’m really worried how these conversations are going,” she said. “There has to be a better way of doing this.”
Council then subsequently endorsed her call for the Strong Cities network, a global organization of more than 260 cities and other local governments that work together to address hate, extremism and polarization, to present strategies Port Moody could implement to cool temperatures and bring people back together.
“There are best practices for how cities can combat disinformation,” she said, adding those could include a special FAQ with facts about developments in the city on Port Moody’s website.
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