Coquitlam councillors vote to advance development, despite opposition

The debate over density has become a common theme in Metro Vancouver and now a group of Coquitlam residents have taken their fight to city hall.

A development in a Coquitlam neighourhood straddling Burnaby is closer to moving ahead following a Monday night vote.

Coquitlam city council voted unanimously to give first, second and third readings to a proposal to replace a dozen single-family homes with three buildings – one seven-storey building and two six-storey buildings –near Roy Stibbs Elementary school.

One after another, councillors shared their reservations with the project proposed by the developer Anthem, but also expressed concern that if they voted “no” on Monday, the developer could come back with something larger, which it would be entitled to do.

For residents opposing the project, the fact they weren’t able to voice their opposition through a public hearing isn’t going down well.

“We’ve had individual councillors come into our neighbourhood, walk around, and us explain to them what our concerns are, and they’re all sympathetic, but nobody seems to think there’s anything they can do about it,” said Janet Krgovich with the Roy Stibbs Residents group.

It’s the latest example of frustrations in a municipality over rules imposed by the provincial government, which is aiming to speed up home construction amid record-breaking population growth.

“We need to have the government back off, let us do our own planning, and let us do it the way the community needs to grow, because we were doing a really good job before they stepped in and messed things up for us,” said Cheryl Andrichuk with the Roy Stibbs Residents group.

Members of the group had a range of concerns, but insisted it’s not about density, stating not enough of the units are intended for families.

There are also environmental concerns, which include fears about mature trees being removed.

“The provincial government is talking about calling for transit-oriented development,” said Kathleen Wallace-Deering with the group Protect Coquitlam Urban Forests. “And what these residents and what we’re all saying, is have transit-oriented living. Livable neighbourhoods, healthy urban forest, tree canopy and the right kind of housing – affordable housing.”

Ultimately the lack of a public hearing or the sense of meaningful consultation has rubbed the neighbourhood the wrong way.

“We talked to the city planners and they said, well, city council tells us what to do,” Andrichuk said. “And then we talked to city councillors, and they said, well, the province makes the rules. So we keep going around and around and around in this circle, and we’re shut out of this whole process.”

On the topic of a public hearing, Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart says it’s out of his control.

“About 90 per cent of our developments comply with the OCP, the Official Community Plan, and the province has said we’re not allowed to hear from the public on those ones, because they believe it will speed [the process],” Stewart told CTV News on Monday. “These residents have every right to be frustrated, that they don’t perceive that council gets to listen – we don’t get to listen.”

The developer, Anthem, declined an interview but said in a statement it met with residents, even though it had no obligation to do so, noting its proposal was within the limits set out in the community plan.

During a public question period session as the meeting stretched into early Tuesday morning, councillor Dennis Marsden responded to comments made by Andrichuk, saying he would send a video of her statement to the provincial government, and raise the issue in September when council hopes to meet with new Housing Minister Christine Boyle.