A Coquitlam neighbourhood booming under the Evergreen Extension will see one of its key parks under construction for the next few years.
Starting this spring, the city will begin the first phase of renovating Cottonwood Park, a 2.2-acre green space on Aspen Street in Burquitlam — a community that’s experiencing massive growth since the arrival of the rapid-transit line.
Monday, city council OK’d the detailed design for the $4.7-million capital project — to be funded with development cost charges (DCC) — and also allowed $450,000 in bonus densities to upgrade offsite utility services. It also approved another $350,000 to complete both phases of the water play park, for a total price tag of $5.05 million.
Under Phase 1, the city will add a playground, water play area, youth activity and social area — including skateboarding space and basketball hoop — and a covered picnic shelter as well as a washroom and temporary parking lot.
Construction for that phase is set to wrap up in June 2019.
Raul Allueva, Coquitlam’s general manager of parks, recreation and culture services, said city staff worked with the consultant to drill the costs down; however, higher than anticipated construction fees as well as development and grading costs “made it challenging to achieve a design that delivers within budget the amenities initially envisioned in the concept plan,” he wrote in his council report last Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the second phase of the park makeover is due to start next year.
Phase 1B, which in 2017 was earmarked at $2.25 million, will see two new tennis courts plus a full-sized multi-sprit court, a combined baseball diamond/sports field and outdoor games tables.
During that construction phase, Cottonwood Park will increase in size to five acres thanks to a partnership with the YMCA of Greater Vancouver (which is building a new community centre nearby) and Concert Properties (which is building homes in the area).
Subsequent renovation phases are contingent on land acquisition, Allueva noted in his report, but it’s expected the park will eventually grow to 11.5 acres.
Allueva said the redevelopment of Cottonwood Park is similar in scope and budget to Rochester Park in Maillardville. The park update is listed as an “A” priority in the city’s 2018 business plan and is part of the revised Burquitlam-Lougheed Neighbourhood Plan.
In other Coquitlam news:
PARKS E-NEWS
Want to know what’s going on in Coquitlam parks and recreation centres?
The city now has a monthly newsletter to be delivered to your electronic devices.
Starting next Wednesday, the city will publish its first e-edition for subscribers wanting to get the latest news on parks, recreation and cultural service programs.
The newsletter will come out on the last Wednesday of each month. Sign up at coquitlam.ca/enews.
DUPLEXES, LANE HOUSING
The city’s push for more affordable housing in southwest Coquitlam is up for public debate.
Between April 30 and May 14, residents can fill out a survey (coquitlam.ca/housingchoicesreview) and attend an information session on May 3 (Poirier community centre, from 5 to 8 p.m.) to give feedback on the existing Housing Choices policy.
Residents can have a say on such topics as neighbourhood character and infill housing with garden cottages, duplexes and triplexes.
Much of southwest Coquitlam is already designated as Neighbourhood Attached Residential in the citywide OCP.
jcleugh@tricitynews.com
