Luxury car dealership set to be built in Coquitlam, industrial land rezoned

By Jeremy Shepherd ● City Council ● January 10, 2023 January 10, 2023

More than a year after the project got third reading, Coquitlam unanimously gave final approval to a Mercedes Benz dealership in December.

Located north of Highway 1 near the Coquitlam IKEA, the 3.87-acre parcel was formerly zoned for industrial use. The change to service commercial previously elicited questions from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

One of the pillars of Metro Vancouver’s Regional Growth Strategy includes supporting a sustainable economy – in part by protecting industrial land. “Has this been considered?” asked MOTI area development and operations technician Gillian Harrison.

Harrison also asked if the city has “plans to increase industrial land elsewhere?”

Industrial land is marked in blue. Most of the surrounding area is zoned service commercial with some mixed use zoning to the north and extensive recreation to the south. image supplied

The change in land use would “be complementary” to other service commercial businesses to the west, east and north, according to a 2021 city staff report. The report anticipated the project would support 135 jobs at the dealership, car wash and adjacent office.

The ministry approved the project prior to fourth reading, according to a city staff report.

The developer, Multiland Pacific Holdings, is on the hook for approximately $318,000 in development cost charges.

The site is set to include 106 parking spots, 44 fewer spots than the city initially required. A traffic consultant retained by the developer concluded that 106 parking spots was enough to meet the dealership’s demands.

Author

Jeremy Shepherd

A chiropractor and a folk singer, after having one great kid, decided to push their luck and have one more, a boy they named Jeremy Shepherd.

Shepherd grew up around Blue Mountain Park in Coquitlam, following a basketball around and trying his best to get to the NBA (it didn’t work out, at least not yet).

With no career plans after graduating Porter Elementary school, Jeremy Shepherd pursued higher education at Como Lake Middle School and eventually, Centennial High School.

Approximately 1,000 movies and several beers later in life, Shepherd made a change.

Having done nothing worth writing, he decided to see if he could write something worth reading.

Since graduating journalism school at Langara College, Shepherd has been a reporter, editor and, reluctantly, a content provider for community newspapers around Metro Vancouver for more than 10 years.

He worked with dogged reporters, eloquently indignant curmudgeons and creative photographers, all of whom shared a little of what they knew.

Now, as he goes about the business of raising two fascinating humans alongside a wonderful partner, Shepherd is delighted to report news and tell stories in the Tri-Cities.

He runs, reads, and is intrigued by art, science, smart cities and new ideas. He is pleased to meet you.

Author

Jeremy Shepherd

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