Coquitlam boosts density to preserve Rochester heritage house

It’s been standing for 85 years and now it’ll stand for a little longer.

Coquitlam council recently voted unanimously to ad six units and two secondary suites to 651 Rochester Ave. in a bid to preserve the 1939/40-era Goddard House.

Cited as an example of Arts and Crafts architecture, the house features bottle glass-dash stucco and original windows.

As part of the deal, the house would be shifted on the property and retained.

Council approved the arrangement without discussion at their Sept. 8 meeting.

The site dates back to a 1936 subdivision when it was owned by Joseph D. Goddard and Rochester was known as Rural Route 2. Goddard, who owned the house until 1951, worked as a joiner for West Coast Shipbuilders and later for Superior Shingles.

At the time of the subdivision, the property was valued at $1,805 – including improvement value.

Following council’s approval, the applicant is slated to pay the city approximately a total of $315,700 in development cost charges and community amenity contributions.

Of the 21 trees on the site, 17 would likely need to be chopped down, according to an arborist report. Two of the mature trees are set to be retained.

Under the new provincial legislation, housing trumps heritage and trees, Mayor Stewart said during a previous council discussion. Those changes will make it harder for municipalities to preserve heritage houses, he said.

“We can’t dangle any density. The density’s already made available by the province,” Stewart said.

These types of heritage revitalization agreements may become a thing of the past, said Coun. Craig Hodge.

“Many of the incentives that we’ve offered in the past to save heritage homes are actually being eliminated,” Hodge said, noting new housing legislation allows extra density on many lots.