Despite having more housing units than parking spots, Coquitlam council approves apartment between the highways

This story has been amended since first posting to correct an error regarding the project’s proximity to SkyTrain.

Either this is the opening salvo in a neighbourhood parking war – or the new residents will take the bus.

Despite opposition from two city councillors, Coquitlam council ultimately approved a six-storey rental building on Monday.

The development is spread over six lots at Alderson and Grayson Avenues and Guilby Street in the neighbourhood between the highways just northwest of the Ikea.

The apartment includes 175 units. However, residents would share 112 parking spots – a prospect that didn’t sit will with Coun. Teri Towner.

“This isn’t within walking distance of the SkyTrain and I just think that people are going to move in there and have a vehicle per unit – maybe two vehicles per unit . . and the parking will overflow into the neighbourhood,” she said. “It’s not livable for our city.”

The project is about a 1.4 kilometre walk to the Lougheed Town Centre SkyTrain station.

Under the new provincial housing legislation, the project is within a transit-oriented area and therefore exempt from parking requirements. The development also includes 26 visitor parking stalls.

Typically, residents have the option to rent a parking stall by paying a surcharge for on top of their rent, explained the city’s director of development services Chris Jarvie.

“Or they won’t rent parking and they’ll park on the street,” Towner replied.

Either tenants will face the burden of higher costs, or the city could witness: “Parking wars like you’ve never seen,” according to Coun. Brent Asmundson.

While the city would likely require more parking on the site, that’s simply not an option, he explained.

“We can’t vote it down because it doesn’t have the proper parking requirements.”

Rather than providing childcare for 11 children, Quantum Properties is set to contribute $96,821 to the city’s childcare reserve, a trade-off that concerned Asmundson.

“We keep getting money for childcare but where are we going to get the spaces to put the children?” he asked.

The development includes 121 studio and one-bedroom units. However, 57 of those units include extra space that could be used for storage or potentially a bedroom, although with no window or closet.

Noting that one-bedroom units make up 69 percent of the development, Coun. Robert Mazzarolo renewed his call for more three-bedroom units.

“We have to find a way to get more family-sized units in developments,” he said.

The project includes 37 two-bedroom units and 17-three-bedroom apartments.

In total, the units range from 380 to 909 square feet.

“I think if this weren’t a rental project it would be a rougher ride for me,” said Coun. Matt Djonlic.

However, given that “we desperately need” rental housing, Djonlic supported the proposal.

Council ultimately voted for the project with Towner and Mazzarolo opposed.

The development is largely surrounded by single-family homes. However, there is a development application in the neighbourhood which, if ultimately approved, would bring five six-storey apartment buildings to the area west of the development site.

If approved, the developer would pay the city approximately $4.5 million in developer cost charges and community amenity contributions, as well as $3,500 for transportation demand management.

The project requires one more formal vote from council before construction can begin.

Mayor Richard Stewart did not attend the meeting.