A procedural glitch at Tuesday’s Port Moody city council meeting almost scuttled its decision to give third reading to a bylaw amendment to the city’s official community plan to change the land use designation for the Flavelle sawmill property from industrial to general urban.
While the motion to read the bylaw amendment a third time was passed — Mayor Mike Clay and two councillors voted in favour while only Coun. Rob Vagramov was opposed — the absence from Tuesday’s meeting of two councillors meant the 3-1 vote didn’t comprise a majority of council as required by section 744(2) of the Local Government Act.
That necessitated the convening of a special meeting of council on Thursday evening to get the necessary votes that would allow council to proceed with a request to the Metro Vancouver board to change the site’s designation so it can be redeveloped into a mixed-use neighbourhood that could eventually be home to up to 7,000 people.
With all councillors but Vagramov in attendance at the special meeting, the amendment was unanimously given its third reading. It will now be referred to Metro.
The owner of the 11.9-hectare waterfront property, Flavelle Oceanfront Development, is proposing to redevelop the old sawmill that has occupied the site for more than 100 years to an urban neighbourhood comprised of condos and townhouses as well as retail, office and light industrial spaces. Almost a quarter of the site would be dedicated to park and open spaces, including a new boardwalk along the shore of Burrard Inlet that links to Rocky Point Park.
The proposed project is still many legislative hurdles and two to four years from beginning construction. The company estimated it would take at least 20 years to be fully completed.
