A 17-unit townhouse proposed for St. Johns Street will go back to the drawing board after Port Moody council decided it was too soon to allow amendments to the new official community plan.
At Tuesday's meeting, council denied giving third readings to the proposed OCP and zoning bylaw amendments for the development at 2313-2315 St. Johns, which scored an 84% on the city's sustainability checklist.
The 17 units, designed to be in keeping with nearby heritage buildings, were to have been divided among three buildings with a community walkway between them; from St. Andrews Street, the structures would appear as two storeys, and four storeys when viewed from St. Johns.
But council expressed concerns about the access on St. Andrews and whether emergency personnel and city utility trucks would be impeded, although staff said those issues were studied and no concerns were raised. Parking was also flagged as a potential issue, particularly with plans for just three visitor spots for a 17-unit complex.
Also at issue was the structure's roof-top decks, with an access point that put the buildings at four storeys instead of the allowable three, with residents living to the south concerned it would impede their views.
Council was reluctant to permit amendments to the OCP so soon after the lengthy update process and denied the requests.
