Port Coquitlam mulls change of Official Community Plan
Over the next 25 years, Port Coquitlam is looking to add around 20,000 residents and 10,000 new jobs.
The Official Community Plan is about figuring out where to put everyone.
The city is set to update its OCP next year to better align with provincial housing legislation and Metro Vancouver’s growth strategy – a prospect that raised a concern for at least one Port Coquitlam councillor.
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“At the end of all this, how much control are we actually going to have about how the city moves forward?” Coun. Glenn Pollock asked Tuesday, noting that council is now not permitted to hold public hearing for OCP-compliant developments.
“Right now we still retain a lot of control,” answered the city’s director of development services Bruce Irvine.
However, Irvine noted that a rush of homeowners deciding to add new, small homes on their property could cause serious problems for the city.
“We don’t have the infrastructure, we don’t have the school capacity,” Irvine said, explaining the need to have a plan that balances growth with infrastructure.
The OCP is also set to rezone some land near Lougheed Highway and Shaughnessy Street. Instead of building and gardening supply shops and supermarkets, the lands would be earmarked for larger developments with a mix of housing and commercial space.
The public is invited to weigh in on those changes at a public hearing scheduled for Dec. 9 at city hall. More info here.
Related: Port Coquitlam sets for OCP ‘refresh’ as council bashes province
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