Port Coquitlam looks to boost industrial land on Dominion

Dominion Avenue may be getting a little more light-industrial and a little less agricultural land.

Port Coquitlam council took the first steps toward rezoning the five-acre site 590 Dominion Avenue to allow for the construction of two new light industrial buildings during Tuesday’s meeting.

After previously opposing the project due to the loss of agricultural land, Coun. Nancy McCurrach said Tuesday that – given the location of the property – she is now in full support.

While the land is termed agricultural, the parcel at the corner of Dominion and Fremont Street is in the floodplain and has “no existing agricultural uses,” according to a city staff report.

If approved, the site would be unevenly split into two parcels, allowing for Orion Construction to build two multi-tenanted concrete buildings with a total floor area of 90,336 square feet. The buildings could then be used for warehousing, manufacturing or “commercial indoor recreation,” according to a city staff report.

The rezoning would likely lead to “an increase in property tax revenue from this property,” the report stated.

The development potential is “significantly impacted by a BC Hydro right-of-way that spans half of the site,” stated a city staff report.

If the project advances, the three power poles in the middle of the property could be replaced with a monopole, according to the city staff report.

The project still needs to go through a public hearing and receive final approval from council before construction can begin. City staff have not received any comments about the project.

Because of the site’s proximity to the Mary Hill Bypass, approval from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is required.