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Coquitlam residents worry about parking, traffic with new tower proposal

49-storey tower proposed for Como and Clark
Tower
A proposal for a 49-storey tower in Burquitlam received a cool reception from area residents during a public hearing Monday.

A proposal for a 49-storey tower in Burquitlam received a cool reception from area residents during a public hearing Monday.

Most of the people who spoke to council said the plans, which include 364 units of market condos and a separate 15-storey 101 unit rental building, were too big for the area.

“Forty-nine just seems way over the top for Burquitlam,” said Dan Derpak, a nearby resident. “The shadowing you talk about — I am worried about not seeing the sun.”

He added that traffic pressures that would come with the development would increase congestion on Como Lake Avenue and Clarke Road.

Several other residents echoed Derpak’s comments.

“I find the height excessive,” said Rob Campbell, another area resident. “The other concern I have is the parking. Where are all these people going to park?”

Councillors had questions of their own. One of the issues highlighted in a staff report is the fact the proponents — Marcon Clarke Homes Ltd. and Kevington Building Corporation — are seeking a variance for a road width for a street on the west side of the property. Nic Paolella, the director of development with Marcon, said the project requires the road to be 9 m wide, narrower than the 10 m width required by the city guidelines. He said he would continue to work with city staff to find a resolution but widening the road would affect parking stall numbers in the underground lot.

Most councillors agreed the building design was one of the more interesting proposals they have seen for the Burquitlam area. 

The tall glass tower features a two-storey amenity space at the midpoint of the structure as well as another glass-enclosed area on the top floor. There is also a large pedestrian area at the ground level between the condo tower and rental building, which would feature a plaza and several commercial retail spaces.

The highrise would have 122 one-bedroom units, 217 two-bedroom units and 25 three-bedroom units while the rental building would have 44 one-bedroom units, 53 two-bedroom units and four three bedroom units. There would also be 530 parking spaces for the tower and 90 stalls for the rental building.

The property, which is located at the southwest corner of Como Lake Avenue and Clarke Road, is within a short walk of the new Burquitlam Station on the Evergreen Extension.

While the majority of the speakers during Monday’s public hearing expressed negative views about the project, some people supported the proposal.

Christine Scott, the executive director of Simon Fraser Community Living, which works with people with disabilities, said the area needs more rental units. Her organization is also in preliminary talks with the city about potentially operating several units for subsidized housing. 

“We simply need more rental housing,” she said. “We are very concerned about the rental stock in Coquitlam.”

David Irving, who is vice-president of the Oakdale Residents Association but said he was not speaking on behalf of the organization, told council he likes the proposal, adding that he would prefer to see one tall tower next to a shorter tower instead of two 30-storey towers on the property. 

“If you shorten the [tower], you are going to fatten it out,” he said. “You will lose the plaza and some of that openness.”

Council voted unanimously to approve second and third readings of the rezoning but staff and the proponents have a list of issues to address before the item is brought back for fourth reading.

A housing agreement is necessary for the rental building and council have asked staff to work on addressing the road width issues. The city also wants the developers to reduce the number of small car spaces in the plans to a maximum of 30% of the overall parking stock.

gmckenna@tricitynews.com

@gmckennaTC