Approval of 27-lot subdivision spells big changes for Port Coquitlam neighbourhood

Port Coquitlam’s approval of a large subdivision of a vacant residential property has cleared a path for a significant development project to move forward, despite neighbours’ concerns.

City council approved the 27-lot subdivision of the 4.3-acre property on Victoria Drive by a vote of 5-2 on April 23.

Mayor Brad West said numerous development proposals have been pitched over the years, including townhouse forms, which were also opposed by local residents.

“That’s not what is before us, and I’m sure that’s to the comfort of a number of people in the neighborhood,” West said. “The developer chose to go a different route.”

The current rezoning application was formally submitted in 2019, and has undergone extensive reviews due to a watercourse being discovered on the property, layout requirements and neighbourhood concerns, according to staff.

A single home on the property has sat vacant for a number of years, and the surrounding areas were rezoned and subdivided in the 1980s.

A total of 26 single family homes are planned for construction on the 187,000 square foot site, and more than a quarter of the property will be dedicated to the city for a natural park and protected riparian and wetland areas, as well as a future fish-bearing creek.

During the review process, the developer identified an unnamed watercourse passing through the southwest portion of the site, which eventually drains into Hyde Creek.

They have proposed making modifications to the stream, which staff say will result in around a 6,700 sq. ft. increase to its riparian and wetland areas.

Staff said the changes will also significantly improve the stream’s function, and result in it eventually being upgraded to a fish-bearing watercourse, pending provincial and federal approvals.

Port Coquitlam is also getting public infrastructure upgrades as a result of development, including a new road connecting to Lynwood Avenue, sidewalks, crosswalks, streetlights, watercourse drainage works, and a pedestrian pathway.

Council put a number of additional conditions on their approval, including tree protection requirements, and privacy features such as fences, tree rows, restrictions on second-floor balconies, and frosted glass windows.

The developer asked for two variances regarding lot depth and rear yard setbacks; the former was approved, while the latter was denied due to changes associated with new provincial housing legislation.

Staff said the proposed zoning and subdivision are consistent with the official community plan, and provide new housing opportunities as well as a substantial land dedication allowing protection of sensitive environmental areas.

Not everyone in the neighbourhood is pleased with the development proposal, however, with staff citing “significant interest” from surrounding residents.

Vehicle speed and pedestrian safety were the most common concerns heard during two rounds of formal consultation in 2021 and 2023, while other issues raised related to secondary suites, parking, property values, environmental considerations, park capacity, traffic infrastructure, and land use and privacy were also voiced.

West said under new provincial housing legislation, any single-family property can be developed into fourplexes, stating the site could have been significantly denser. “You could potentially see this site developed into 104 units,” he said.

Staff note the developer has consistently engaged in dialogue with the neighbours to address complaints, and made several revisions to mitigate potential impacts.

Coun. Dean Washington said he doesn’t recall many developers being this responsive to accommodate local concerns.

“If you were to actually poll people in any neighbourhood, they’d say, ‘Yeah, I’d rather just not have this at all,’ no matter how nice the development is,” Washington said.

One of the biggest points of contention on council was where the access point for the new road would be located.

A traffic impact study was conducted in the fall of 2023, which concluded the development was not expected to add significant traffic volume to the local streets, with Lynwood Avenue being be the best access option. A staff review of the study concurred.

Couns. Steven Darling and Paige Petriw voted for a through-road connecting the new street to busier Victoria Drive, but the rest of council opted for staff’s recommendation.

Coun. Darrell Penner said that neighbourhood concerns about potential traffic increases from 26 properties were overblown.

“We are trying to create neighborhoods. The design and the road access that is proposed by staff would create . . . that really intimate place,” Penner said.

Patrick Penner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tri-Cities Dispatch