‘Public consultation should be considered a right, not a delay,’ Coquitlam blasts province’s decision to axe public hearings

They were all opposed but, with no other compelling options, Coquitlam council unanimously voted to get rid of most public hearings for new developments.

Previously, public hearings were an established part of the municipal process, offering a venue for any resident to express support or concern or to ask questions about a proposed development prior to council’s decisive vote.

Intended to streamline the development process, the province has prohibited public hearings for development projects that conform with a city’s Official Community Plan.

Calling the legislation “misguided,” Coun. Craig Hodge noted that Coquitlam’s affordable housing strategy, parking standards, and child care policy have all been influenced by comments council heard at public hearings.

“Public consultation should be considered a right, not a delay,” he said.

The acrimonious nature of public hearings often leads to good projects being slowed down or stopped, according to a statement from the Ministry of Housing.

Public hearings tend to feature an over-represented group of neighbours while failing to include the voices of renters who would benefit from more housing choices, according to the ministry.

Concerned residents can still contact city staff members. However, given the extent of the housing crisis, it’s worthwhile to skip over the public hearing process for OCP-compliant projects, according to the ministry.

The public hearing prohibition also applies to OCP-consistent mixed-use projects in which at least half the floor area is earmarked for residential development.

Noting the decision had already been made, Hodge asked city staff if there were any other choice for council.

“I don’t want to support but I don’t know that I have an option,” he said. “What happens if we don’t vote for it?”

“If we fail to do this then it will be done to us,” explained city manager Raul Allueva. “This is a mandated requirement. We are children of the province.”

That child-parent relationship can be challenging, noted Coun. Brent Asmundson.

“As children, sometimes your parents listen to you. This time, our parents have not really listened to anything that we have provided them.”

Rather than local governments, the province seems to have been “listening to the development community,” Asmundson said.

“The development community, I believe, feels that public hearings are a nuisance that they don’t want to have to deal with,” he said.

Several councillors expressed the concern that nixing public consultation could create resentment in the community, particularly as the city is undergoing substantial change.

“Change, without consultation, without engagement, can create fear,” Coun. Steve Kim said.

The legislation would likely benefit from further debate, according to Kim.

“Are we going to have a public hearing on this piece of legislation?” Kim quipped.

Coun. Teri Towner suggested development signs that previously alerted the public to pending public hearings could be redesigned to encourage residents to send their concerns directly to council.

With public hearings off the table for OCP-compliant projects, it’s crucial the public play a role in crafting the city’s Official Community Plan, according to Coun. Trish Mandewo.

“Because that’s the only opportunity, really, that they’re going to get,” she said.

The provincial legislation is partially the product of some local governments acquiescing to public pressure instead of making tough but necessary decisions, according to Mandewo.

“It’s because of the other local governments that were not following the system that we find ourselves here,” she said.

While there may be flaws with the public hearing process, the decision to prohibit it is, “something that I don’t understand,” said Mayor Richard Stewart.

Coquitlam tends to hold a public hearing three or four weeks after a project gets first reading Stewart said, noting the process hasn’t resulted in development delays in Coquitlam.

The elimination of public hearings could make the development process more efficient in the immediate future, but there could also be unintended consequences, Stewart said.

“You don’t want to make the battle more efficient and lose the war,” he said.

Stewart said he was “almost in favour” of adding some sort of “public information requirement” to the city’s development process.

The change passed unanimously, “and with some expressions of regret,” Stewart said.