MLAs letter shows lack of understanding and lack of respect, Mayor writes

After involving everyone in Port Moody, the Coronation Park discussion has reached the premier’s office.

One week after council unanimously approved the six-tower, 2,857-unit development, Mayor Meghan Lahti wrote a letter to Premier David Eby about the project and particularly about an open letter penned by MLA Rick Glumac.

Prior to the Oct. 3 public hearing, Glumac suggested the Coronation Park project be reconfigured. By reducing the development’s 2,845 parking spots, Glumac reasoned, money saved on construction costs could be put toward building affordable housing.

While the proposal features 101 market rentals, the project does not include any below-market rentals.

Glumac’s letter had the: “potential to create unnecessary fear and doubt in our community with respect to this project which could have led to further delays for this approval process,” Lahti wrote.

“Not only did his letter contain inflated and unrealistic information, he showed both a lack of understanding and an unwillingness to respect the process to date,” Lahti wrote. “In essence, we believe that the path chosen by MLA Glumac was a missed opportunity.”

While below-market rentals weren’t on the table for Coronation Park at the Oct. 3 meeting, affordable housing could be added through extra density on the site through an arrangement with Wesgroup development company or a partnership with B.C. Housing and/or CMHC, Lahti added.

“The city fully intends to further discuss affordable housing opportunities in a future application with Wesgroup,” she wrote.

Ultimately, Glumac’s letter risked creating delays and hurting the working relationship between the municipality and Victoria, according to Lahti.

“Instead of working with the community and city Council, in a genuine attempt to strengthen the relationship between the province and the City of Port Moody, he opted instead to cause unnecessary division,” Lahti wrote.

The mayor also noted that Glumac appeared to be “speaking on behalf of government,” and “directly involving himself in local matters as a provincial representative.”

Lahti urged the premier to have his staff review the correspondence.

“I would appreciate anything that your office could do to ensure that local provincial elected officials do not hinder the city’s efforts in working towards provincial residential targets in the future,” Lahti wrote.