A proposal to build a four-storey, 71-unit condo building in Burquitlam cleared another hurdle this week at Coquitlam city council.
On Monday, council voted in favour of the Regan Avenue development, which is part of a broader effort to increase density in the neighbourhood leading up to construction of the Evergreen Line.
But while the proposal received the necessary council approval to move forward, not all were happy with the development.
During a public hearing prior to the council meeting, several residents said they had concerns with the neighbourhood's transition from a predominantly single-family area to one with large condo developments and multi-family housing.
One speaker told council she wold prefer a smaller building and said residents had concerns about the amount of parking included in the plans.
Coun. Craig Hodge echoed the concerns, saying the city needed to be diligent about ensuring developments had enough parking spaces - particularly above-ground stalls - so surrounding streets are not cluttered with cars.
"I do think the challenge we have on parking is not whether we are putting enough underground but how much we put on the street," Hodge said. "What impacts our residents is street parking."
Because the project is located near the Evergreen Line route, the developer can reduce the amount of required parking by 5%. The developer has also opted to pay the city $80,000 to reduce the number of stalls by another 5% for a total of 88 parking spaces.
Coun. Mae Reid cautioned residents moving into the neighbourhood to make sure they are informed of the development slated to take place in the area. She said people need to educate themselves about the changes taking place so they are not caught off guard when construction on some of these projects begin.
"Your neighbourhood has changed and it is going to continue to change," she said. "Know what you are buying."
Council voted in favour of approving third reading of the development on Monday night, with fourth and final reading expected to take place at an upcoming meeting. Coun. Lou Sekora voted against the approval.
