Good morning, friends.
Today we’ve got big changes on Burke Mountain as Coquitlam council approved one townhouse development Monday night and then went across the street and approved another one.
New COVID cases are down a bit, construction on Sheffield Park is set to start in June, and, a special note for fans of dark deduction: April 14 marks 180 years since Edgar Allan Poe published The Murders in the Rue Morgue, often cited as the first modern detective story.
Now, the news
The public was divided but council was united.
What happened: The prospect of 52 stacked townhouses and a childcare centre arrayed over five buildings seemed to energize the Burke Mountain community, as council heard hours of comments – largely in favour of the project.
- Supporters described the struggles of finding childcare and the travails of working parents in the neighbourhood.
The other side: Opponents of the project objected to increases in traffic caused by dense development inconsistent with the Smiling Creek Neighbourhood Plan.
The 2006 document noted “the desire of existing residents to retain the established large estate character of development in some parts. . . ” The planning document also put an emphasis on mid-density housing.
That was then: When the document was written there wasn’t an acute rental problem, an acute affordable housing shortage or a dearth of daycare, said Coun. Brent Asmundson, who added that he worked on the initial plan.
- “All these plans are living documents,” Asmundson said.
In the past: When the report was written the idea of townhouses was viewed as attracting: “People you might not want in your neighbourhoods,” while causing property values to sink, Asmundson said.
- The daycare will benefit the community. The townhouses – slated to start at around $600,000, according to the applicant – will provide an option for people who can’t afford $1.8 million for a house, Asmundson said.
The breakdown:
- Three-bedroom units: 49
- Two bedroom units: 3
- Daycare capacity: 94 children
- FAR: 1.1 (excluding the 8,137 square foot childcare centre) Floor area ratio measures a project’s total floor space against its lot size.
- Applicant: Ankenman Marchand Architects
- Parking spots: 133
- Development cost charges: $1,363,950
- Community amenity contributions: $237,633
- Community amenity enhancement program: $250,000
- Total: $1,851,583
When completed: At full build-out, the neighbourhood is currently expected to have 8,680 residents. In 2006, the projection was for 7,230 residents.
As Port Coquitlam prepares for this year’s May Days the city is asking kids and teens to submit artwork in support of the municipality.
Art display: Port Coquitlam artists up to age 18 might have their work displayed online or festooned on signs and the billboards on Lougheed Highway and the Mary Hill Bypass.
- The theme: I Love Poco.
- Deadline: April 28
How to participate: For more information or to submit work click here.
Status: Despite some opposition from neighbourhood groups, Coquitlam council approved a 23-unit townhouse development on Burke Mountain on Monday.
The location: Located on a vacant lot on the 3400-block of Queenston Avenue and largely surrounded by single-family homes, the density is “well above,” what is recommended, argued Jim McNeil, who was speaking on behalf of the Northeast Coquitlam Ratepayers Association.
The breakdown:
- Two-bedroom units: 2
- Three-bedroom: 12
- Four-bedroom: 9
- FAR: 0.76
- Parking spots: 46
- Development cost charges: $607,500
- Community amenity contributions: $113,000
- Community Amenity Enhancement Program: $20,000
- Total: $740,500
- Applicant: Annesley Homes
The vote: Council voted 7-1 in favour of the plan for 3421 and 3431 Queenston Ave. with the lone note of opposition coming from Coun. Bonita Zarrillo, who voted against the project over concerns about daylighting the creek.
British Columbians born in 1971 can register for their vaccine today beginning at noon.
Today’s numbers should be treated as preliminary, according to a release from the province.
In and around the Tri-Cities
- New cases in Fraser Health: 512
- Active outbreak: Dufferin Care Centre in Coquitlam
- School exposures: 17 exposures between April 6 and 9 at Central Community Elementary, Ecole Glenayre Elementary, Ecole Riverside Secondary, Heritage Woods Secondary and Terry Fox Secondary, Pinetree Way Elementary and Suwa’lkh School.
The rest of B.C.
• New cases: 873
• Active cases: 9,756
• Deaths: 2
• Current hospitalizations: 377 | Patients in intensive care: 116
• Total cases: 113,702 | Deaths: 1,515 | Recoveries: 102,268
• Vaccines administered: 1,148,993 | Second doses: 87,785
• Variant cases: 5,221 | Active variant cases: 258
Happenings around town
- Port Moody offering virtual yoga classes
- Port Coquitlam Heritage helps writers capture their life story. April 19 via Zoom
- Registration opens for Port Moody summer arts camps
- Coquitlam library holding virtual book club April 19
In other news
- Terry Fox’s resilience resonates in the time of COVID
- Failed fitting blamed for last year’s crude spill in Abbotsford
- B.C. puts $45 million toward jobs and skills training for young people
- Also, if your hospitality of fitness business was hit by the March 30 provincial restrictions, you might be in line for up to $10,000
One more thing
If you’re having trouble seeing the beauty on your doorstep these days, try looking through the eye of photographer Fernanda de Aquino, who was the ability to make the everyday look extraordinary.
For more of her photos follow de Aquino on Instagram.
