Hawthorne seniors centre expansion plan gets shovel ready
It’s ready and set, although it may not get going for quite some time.
On Tuesday evening, Port Coquitlam council unanimously approved a rezoning that clears the way for a two-phase development that would add between 300 and 350 beds to the Hawthorne Seniors Care Community.
“I’m looking forward to the province stepping up on this and funding it,” said Coun. Darrell Penner, emphasizing the importance of having the project shovel-ready.
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The society has applied to Fraser Health to replace four cottages with an eight-storey care facility. In the second development phase, a building on the western side of the five-acre site would essentially mirror the other structure, with the amount of beds determined by need.
“We don’t put shovels in the ground tomorrow if we’re successful,” explained Hawthorne CEO Elissa Gamble.
However, city council switching the zoning from Institutional to Comprehensive Development should allow Hawthorne to move ahead when Fraser Health or another organization is ready for a partnership, Gamble said.
“We do know that by enabling this zoning we enable their application,” added the city’s director of planning Bruce Irvine.
In an Institutional zone, building heights are generally limited to three storeys and lot coverage to 40 percent. When zoned for comprehensive development, the society could build up to eight storeys and cover 55 percent of the lot.
In her remarks to council, Gamble noted that the population of B.C. seniors is growing.
“The growth, as you all probably know, is wildly outpacing the supply of long-term care beds,” she said.
Consisting of a six-storey tower built in the 1970s and additions added in 2004 and 2016, the facility currently provides 131 long-term care beds and 70 assisted living units – both of which have long waitlists, according to Port Coquitlam planner Natalie Coburn.
Council was uniformly supportive of the change, with several praising the Hawthorne facility.
“They’re a non-profit society and all the profits go back into the care of residents,” Coun. Glenn Pollock said, noting some other companies seem far less concerned with the wellbeing of residents.
The project would require a further council vote and the issuance of a development permit before construction could begin.
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