Will Port Moody retain its small-town skyline over the next 20 to 30 years or will it emerge as another Metrotown?
That was the overarching question as the eight candidates in the city’s upcoming council byelection spent half of Thursday’s all-candidates debate at the Inlet Theatre talking about growth and development issues. The debate was hosted by the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce.
From the dense, transit-oriented neighbourhoods planned around the Moody Centre and Inlet SkyTrain stations as well as along the waterfront, to the Ioco lands on the north shore, few candidates saw eye-to-eye on what the city will look like as it moves towards a projected population of more than 50,000 people by 2041.
While Sager Jan advocated for the construction of single-family homes to discourage an influx of new residents from other communities while preserving the views for “old-time people who live here,” others said the city needs to take a more measured approach to new development.
Gerry Kent said projects need to be scaled to fit in to the rest of Port Moody.
“I’m not opposed to highrises,” Kent said. “It’s when you have too many, it doesn’t respect the community.”
But former three-term councillor Karen Rockwell, who’s seeking a return to PoMo council, said she’s excited about high-density projects like the one proposed for the site of the Flavelle sawmill that would include 11 towers ranging from 16 to 38 storeys.
“It’s going to be an iconic draw for Port Moody,” she said. “It’s going to be like Granville Island meets the area around the convention centre in Vancouver.”
Hunter Madsen cautioned that a proliferation of towers would be out of scale with the community and the people living there. “We’re really not a Metrotown,” he said. “We don’t want to be a Metrotown.”
Cathy Cena said while Port Moody needs condo towers to create affordable housing choices for downsizers and young people, she doesn’t want to see towers taller than 26 storeys.
Shane Kennedy suggested 12 storeys is high enough. “There’s smart development and there’s just keep building up,” he said. “I’m picturing the 7-Eleven on St. Johns Street with a 30-storey tower on top.”
But Rockwell said limiting development to mid-rise buildings would create the exact kind of situation the city is trying to avoid: walls of buildings that cut off views and neighbourhoods.
“We need a mix to create a vibrant community,” she said.
Richard Biedka said part of that vibrancy comes from creating a city that is more than just a place for people to live. He said new developments at the Flavelle site and the former Andrés wine property should include more industrial components to “build the tax base."
“To put seven to 10,000 people around the port, it doesn’t look good,” he said.
The debate over density and highrises even spread across the Inlet to the Ioco lands, which are in the very early stages of a development plan by Brilliant Circle Group.
Biedka said including a tower as part of that plan would “reduce the footprint of construction to maximize the forests and greenspace."
Madsen, who formed a community group to fight a proposal to build a new road through Bert Flinn Park to create a second connection to the Ioco lands, conceded development of the property is inevitable but he said it should be low-density so the existing road network and services can handle it.
“We really should decide how much density is appropriate for that spot,” Madsen said.
Jeanette Jackson said the site is too important not too develop.
“Right now, it’s vacant space,” she said. “It’s not just Port Moody, it’s also Anmore and Belcarra that are looking for amenities.”
But Rockwell said any big development on the Ioco lands would put too much pressure on traffic as well as city services like fire and police, noting, “The city needs to focus its objectives of densification around transit areas.”
BYELECTION DETAILS
The byelection for the city council seat vacated by Rick Glumac after he was elected the new NDP MLA for Port Moody-Coquitlam is Sept. 30 but there is an advance poll on Sept. 23 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Port Moody recreation complex.
Residents can also vote with a mail-in ballot that can be picked up at city hall during regular office hours until Sept. 29.
Those mail-in ballots don’t actually have to be mailed in; they can just be sealed and handed back to the clerk, who will ensure they get to the city’s chief electoral officer by the voting deadline of 8 p.m. on Sept. 30.
If you can’t get to city hall to pick up a mail-in ballot, you can request one by calling 604-469-4603 or by emailing [email protected].
To be eligible to vote, you must be 18 years of age on general voting day, a Canadian citizen, a resident of B.C. for at least six months immediately before they register and a resident of Port Moody for at least 30 days before registering. Anyone not already on the provincial voters’ list can register at the time they vote by completing an application form at the polling station and presenting two pieces of identification — at least one must have a signature — that proves their residency and identity.
For more information, go to portmoody.ca.
