Density without community: Roy Stibbs residents call on Coquitlam council to build livable neighbourhoods

There’s something missing between the buildings.

Amid the density around their neighbourhood, Roy Stibbs residents Cheryl Andrichuk and Janet Krgovich note a lack of bakeries, cafes, daycares, and the sort of hubs that make a community.

“We were promised a community and we’re getting a bedroom community,” Andrichuk told Coquitlam council at a meeting earlier this week.

Provincial legislation targeted areas around SkyTrain stations for highrises with the density dipping for developments farther from transit hubs. Coquitlam has a goal of creating “logical land use breaks and transitions,” with vibrant corridors between those developments, according to a city staff report.

However, the city has received “notable opposition” to land-use plans in North Oakdale, East Burquitlam near Roy Stibbs Elementary School, portions of the West Austin shoulder, the East Austin corridor, and the Como Lake corridor, the report stated.

With major development, there’s a risk of residents being displaced, small businesses disappearing, and sold structures ending up in the landfill, Andrichuk told council.

“What we have today is density without delivery,” Andrichuk said. “The housing arrives but the community and the affordability doesn’t.”

Coquitlam recently announced plans to scale back land-use changes with council set to revisit those changes in early 2026.

Besides reducing the amount of land earmarked for townhouses in favour of small-scale residential development, the city is mulling new parks at Guilby Street and Sydney Avenue as well as Morrison Avenue and Dogwood Street.

The city is also doing away with proposed land use changes east of Blue Mountain Street.

Much of the conversation has wrongly centred on whether residents are for or against density, Andrichuk said. The issue is more about how growth is balanced with livability, she said.

Several councillors emphasized the challenges of recent provincial housing legislation.

“I believe that we can do it in spite of the province,” Andrichuk responded. “Maybe this economic slowdown gives us a chance to do things right.”

For updates on the city’s plan, click here.