Coquitlam council advances Burke Mountain townhouse project in split vote

Despite objections from the immediate neighbourhood, a 404-unit townhouse project located near a bear hotspot on Burke Mountain is moving forward following a 5-3 vote from council on Monday.

Spanning nine lots on Victoria Drive and Edwards Street in the Partington Creek neighbourhood, the area is nicknamed Bear Alley. To maintain some distance between the development and the wildlife, city staff recommended establishing a 50-metre-wide wildlife corridor along Partington Creek south of Victoria Drive, as well as a “100-metre buffer” around the wildlife hot spot where Partington Creek approaches Cedar Drive.

Neighbour and developer Ken Helm objected to the project, which he said would take away development potential from four nearby properties.

“It’s effectively expropriation without compensation,” he said. “I’m a developer, I don’t want to stop a development from happening . . . I just want to take care of my neighbours and our interests.”

Generally, the city would look to arrange density transfers with another site on Burke Mountain or land-use changes with affected property owners, explained Coquitlam’s general manager of planning and development Andrew Merrill.

Coun. Dennis Marsden was skeptical of the approach.

“I just don’t see where there’s anything to transfer,” he said, explaining that the development might orphan those sites.

Marsden also questioned shifting the density to another location in the area.

“So now we’re going to talk about even more density in an area that we will not see decent transit from TransLink in my lifetime?” he asked.

While he complimented the project, Coun. Craig Hodge agreed with Marsden.

“I do worry about the unintended consequences,” he said. “I’m not hearing a solution that I think is viable.”

Hodge added that he would have preferred a plan that incorporated the affected parcels.

While acknowledging those concerns, Coun. Robert Mazzarolo ultimately supported the project, praising the family-oriented, three-bedroom townhouses as: “the new single detached home” for younger generations.

Coun. Matt Djonlic also voted in favour of the project, suggesting an arrangement could be worked out with the neighbours.

“For the property owners, let’s do continue to work with them around what some of those paths forward might be,” he said.

While Couns. Brent Asmundson and Steve Kim supported the development, both Couns. Teri Towner and Mayor Richard Stewart expressed uncertainty in their comments.

The project passed 5-3 with Marsden, Stewart, and Towner opposed. Coun. Trish Mandewo did not attend the meeting.

Developer Paddington Properties has submitted three applications covering 11.7 hectares.

With an estimated 72 childcare spaces needed, the developer is planning to pay into the city’s child care reserve fund.

If approved, the developer would pay the city approximately $19.8 million in development cost charges and community amenity contributions.