It’s a 50-fold housing increase.
Following a unanimous vote from Coquitlam council on Monday, 11 single-family houses west of Clarke Road are set to be replaced by 567 units spread between a 38-storey tower and three six-storey buildings.
Stretching over approximately 1.78 acres on Westley Avenue, Elmwood Street and Kemsley Avenue, council praised the project’s design and its inclusion of 22 below-market units.
Local news that matters to you
No one covers the Tri-Cities like we do. But we need your help to keep our community journalism sustainable.
The issue of childcare was a matter of some concern.
With an estimated 112 children living in the project, the city will likely need another 30 childcare spaces.
If the developer, Rize Alliance, can’t provide childcare, they will likely need to pay the city $194,000 earmarked for Coquitlam’s childcare reserve fund.
Oakdale resident Dave Irving encouraged the addition of a bricks and mortar daycare, noting that in the vast majority of instances, the developer have “written a cheque” rather than providing childcare.
Couns. Craig Hodge and Brent Asmundson concurred, with Asmundson explaining that Fraser Health policies appear to be overly restrictive and can limit the building of new childcare.
While Irving ultimately supported the project, he emphasized the need for cement trucks to be washed safely during construction.
“We’ve seen far too many cement trucks hosed down into the storm sewers and that ends up either in Harmony Creek for this site or down into Stoney Creek and it spikes the ph level and kills the fish.”
The city is investigating those incidents, according to Coquitlam staff.
Breakdown
- 404 strata units, including 225 studio and one-bedroom units, as well as 35 three-bedroom units
- 141 market rental units, including 99 studio and one-bedroom units, as well as 26 three-bedroom units
- 22 below-market units, including one three-bedroom unit
Units range in size from 415 square feet for a below-market studio unit to 1,038 square feet for a three-bedroom strata unit.
Cash on the table
If approved, the developer would be on the hook for approximately $27.5 million in development cost charges, a density bonus, as well as other charges.
That sum also includes the $194,000 earmarked for the city’s child care reserve fund and $2.1 million in exchange for providing 543 parking stalls – approximately 15 percent fewer than typically required.
The project requires one more formal vote from council before construction can begin.
