New 82-space childcare centre to open by Moody Centre SkyTrain Station

A new childcare centre is one step closer to opening in Moody Centre.

On Tuesday, July 22, Port Moody council approved a development variance permit to accommodate reduced parking at 84 Moody St., clearing the way for a two-storey, 82-space childcare centre to open in a repurposed industrial building.

“I’m so glad that this daycare is coming. It’s something that we desperately need,” said Coun. Amy Lubik.

The City of Port Moody has acknowledged a deficit of childcare spaces in the community, and have actively encouraged the creation of new spaces through new development agreements.

The permit would allow the applicant to turn the currently vacant building at the corner of Spring and Moody streets into a fully licensed daycare serving infants to five-year-old kids. 

The facility, already approved by Fraser Health, will include dedicated infant and toddler rooms, nap areas, staff offices, and two outdoor play areas.

The proposed operation anticipates approximately 15 employees and offers eight surface parking stalls – two of which will be used for dedicated pick-up and drop-off.

Although the city’s zoning bylaw normally requires three parking spaces for every 93 square metres of childcare floor space – amounting to 18 spaces for the facility – staff recommended approval of the variance due to site constraints and the building’s location within Moody Centre’s transit-oriented development (TOD) area.

The site is within a five-minute walk of Moody Centre SkyTrain Station and is adjacent to a large city-owned parking lot.

Lubik praised the applicant’s proposed solutions for minimizing parking demand, which includes a $60 monthly transit subsidy for staff, bicycle parking, and a staggered drop-off and pick-up system.

“I think that everything they are trying to do to decrease the need for parking spaces is really innovative,” she said. “I’m hoping that we can learn from how that goes if there are opportunities in other businesses.”

Coun. Kyla Knowles also voiced support, despite  her early concerns about the limited number of drop-off spots, however, she said she appreciated the applicant’s communication plan and staggering system.

Knowles highlighted the centre’s location beside the SkyTrain station as ideal for future TOD residents

“I really don’t think we could put a daycare any closer to the skytrain than this one,” she said. “As the TOD develops and we have more people living there, my expectation is that in 10 to 20 years, all the kids attending this daycare will live a block or two away.”

Coun. Haven Lurbiecki expressed more caution. While she ultimately supported the variance, she raised concerns about the lack of local data on how many families actually use transit to access daycares.

“I just get concerned when we’re saying that there’s solutions, but we don’t have any data to show that it will actually solve the problem,” she said. “I’m worried this could really not go well, even though it’s right beside the SkyTrain.” She described the approach as “a very optimistic view, well intentioned, but I’m not sure that we’re there yet,” and warned against sacrificing practical planning to serve “some utopic vision of the future.”

Lurbiecki said she was “reluctantly” supporting the application due to the city’s pressing need for more daycare spaces.

City staff responded to her concerns by noting they have coordinated with the applicant on a formal drop-off system, and that if traffic issues emerge, bylaw enforcement and follow-up reviews could lead to adjustments, including identifying additional pickup stalls.

Other councillors pointed to changing transportation habits as reason for optimism. 

Coun. Samantha Agtarap said she has observed more families embracing transit and active transportation. 

“I don’t think we can make any assumptions here, because things are changing,” she said, adding that the SkyTrain parking lot behind the building is “rarely full.”

Coun. Diana Dilworth shared similar observations, noting she’s often seen families take transit to access the daycare in Suter Brook Village. “If there are issues,” she said, “six other parking stalls can be converted into pickup and dropoff stalls.”

“This is a new business that is trying out just a new plan and a new parking plan,” Dilworth said. “And I think we’re all very cognizant that if something isn’t working for a business, they’re going to change it.”

Dilworth added she was “really excited” to see another daycare open locally so that families don’t have to travel to other municipalities for childcare.

Coun. Callan Morrison said he shared some of the concerns around parking. He said that garbage bins sometimes end up occupying industrial parking areas, and asked staff to relay these concerns to the applicant.

He also flagged the compact parking lot design, raising questions about ease of maneuverability.

Nonetheless, he praised the “amazing” addition of 82 new childcare spaces – especially outside of a typical development agreement.

Morrison also emphasized the area has a 30-to-40-year redevelopment timeline.

“Two daycares in that area is very good,” he said, referring to another temporary childcare space opening nearby. “It’s going to serve so many buildings in that area as the community grows.”

With council’s approval, the project is now cleared to move forward. City staff confirmed that nearby residents were notified of the application through mail, email, public postings, and social media.

No residents spoke in opposition to the application during the public hearing.