It would put 355 units of housing on six lots.
Coquitlam council unanimously gave first reading to a development that, if approved, would bring a 29-storey concrete condo tower and a six-storey purpose-built rental building on Tyndall and Claremont streets.
While he wasn’t opposed to the development, Coun. Craig Hodge asked if there was a way to save and move the houses.
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“Maybe there’s a coordinated effort that could be undertaken in this neighbourhood with economies of scale to try to save some of these really good houses during a housing shortage,” Hodge suggested.
Located north of Como Lake Avenue about 250 metres from Burquitlam SkyTrain station, the single-family block is the last pocket of the neighbourhood set for high-density development.
Generally, the city requires that three-bedroom units make up 10 percent of the total units in a new development.
With 30 three-bedroom units, the project is about five three-bedroom units short of the city’s target, much to the chagrin of Coun. Robert Mazzarolo.
“It troubles me that this application and the applicant is putting me in a position to try to advocate that they get to the bare minimum,” he said. “We should be looking to do over and beyond.”
Mazzarolo has frequently suggested the city’s 10 percent provision is inadequate for three-bedroom units.
Explaining that decision to city staff, the applicant, Strand Holdings Ltd., noted that the average household size in Coquitlam decreased in the last two census periods.
Mazzarolo promised to have questions at the April 24 public hearing.
“I think the logic has some holes in it, and that’s putting it mildly,” he said.
Breakdown
- 250 market condos
- 92 market rentals
- 13 below-market rentals
The project is slated to include 395 parking spots. The applicant is also planning to provide 71 child care spaces as well as a $114,000 payment to Coquitlam to support more child care in the city.
Cash on the table
If approved, the developer is slated to pay the city approximately $15.2 million in development cost and density bonus charges, as well as $7,100 earmarked to help the city deal with transportation demand. Those figures are preliminary.
