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Port Moody home on the move

Beautiful 1940s' era home will be relocated to make way for townhomes
Sutherland house
The house at 2830 St. George St. in Port Moody, also called The Sutherland House, was built in 1944 and will be moved to 123 Douglas St. for its preservation. On Tuesday, Port Moody council approved a zoning amendment bylaw to permit a 12-unit townhouse development in four two- to three-storey buildings located at 2830 and 2824 St. George St.

Another Port Moody heritage home will be on the move after a rezoning for 2824 and 2830 St. George St. was approved to permit the construction of 12 townhouse units in four buildings.

Restauranteur Fred Soofi has acquired the Sutherland House, built in 1944, and will be moving it to 123 Douglas St. when he can get approvals.

"If you don't do it, all the character houses are going to be demolished, especially in Port Moody with the price of land," he said.

Moving the house was the "icing on the cake," Port Moody councillors said as they approved the rezoning application by Trillium Projects. Other aspects of the townhome project the councillors liked included family-oriented details such as a play area for children, fencing and front yards, and Craftsman-style details of the homes, which will have three and four-bedrooms.

Trillium spokesperson Michael Brown said the project will also involve adding sidewalks and sprucing up St. Andrews Street, which is now more a lane than a road, and adding $23,000 to the city's affordable housing reserve fund plus a $5,000 contribution to the city's Art Works Reserve Fund.

While the removal of two single-families homes to make way for higher-density developments might worry some, there were few objections to the project, and it was noted that the development is in keeping with the Official Community Plan. It will be just 350 m from the Moody Centre Evergreen Line station.