This article has been updated since first posting to include additional information.
Port Coquitlam council voted unanimously to approve the proposed Tesla repair shop/import facility on Nicola Avenue.
Following Tuesday’s meeting, the project requires one more formal vote from council before construction can begin.
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The approximately 60,000 square foot facility would serve as the Lower Mainland’s main Tesla repair shop as well as a terminal destination for imports from the United States and China, according to a representative from Bosa development company.
Bosa would develop the property at 1021 and 1032 Nicola Ave. and Tesla would be the intended tenant, according to the staff report.
Workers at the facility will likely deliver about 40 cars a day and repair about 50 vehicles, as well as dispatching mobile mechanics.
In total, the facility should bring about 80 jobs to the city, according to a staff report.
Full build-out is tentatively slated for 2024.
Council did not discuss the project on Tuesday evening. However, the project did get an endorsement from a representative of the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce, who cited economic benefits and innovation.
Charging
Despite requests from the mayor and one city councillor, the repair shop/import facility will not include a charging station.
When the proposal came before council earlier this summer, Coun. Steve Darling suggested the development include a charging station for Teslas and other EVs.
While the city’s zoning allowed for an electric charging station, Tesla “expressed strong resistance” to the idea, explained the city’s director of development Bruce Irvine.
Noting the large site which includes 686 parking spots, Darling asked Tesla to reconsider.
“I’m not suggesting that they do it for free,” Darling added. “They’ve got an abundance of property in that area. . . . There can’t be four parking spaces where people can charge their Teslas?”
Mayor Brad West agreed, calling the charging station as a “no brainer.”
However, Tesla indicated they didn’t plan to develop a public charging station at the site, Irvine explained in an email to the Dispatch.
The only other point of contention centred on the rezoning what has historically been agricultural land.
“I do believe that agricultural land is precious, even if it’s small,” said Coun. Nancy McCurrach, who previously voted against the project.
Traffic
Intersections in the neighbourhood generally operate at “acceptable levels of service,” according to a report prepared by CTS Traffic Engineering Specialists and submitted by Bosa.
The development is estimated to generate about 245 car trips during morning rush hour, 678 car trips during afternoon rush hour, and 800 trips during peak hours on Saturday.
The project will likely lead to a 3.8 percent increase in terms of vehicles on the road during weekday morning rush hour and 8.8 percent during afternoon rush hour, according to the report.
The centre is slated to include 686 parking spots.
Watercourse
The development runs alongside a waterway that is currently designated as a fish-bearing watercourse.
However, Bosa provided an assessment from Envirowest Consultants that indicated the waterway should be reclassified as non-fish bearing. Attempted fish sampling in 2021 turned up no fish, according to the report.
