Coquitlam city hall will try to cast a wider net for input as it plans for two neighbourhoods.
Carl Johannsen, Coquitlam's community planning manager, vowed the municipality will extend its reach as it develops the Northwest Burke Visioning Study and it updates the Burquitlam-Lougheed Neighbourhood Plan (BLNP). Both documents will guide growth over the next 20 years.
In the past, city hall had only consulted with the specific community - plus abutting property owners - when shaping an area. But it ran into criticism on the Austin Heights and Maillardville neighbourhood plans when residents living close to those boundaries didn't get communication from the city about what was intended to happen nearby.
For the NW Burke and Burquitlam processes - both of which will stage will their first open houses this fall - Johannsen said the mail-outs will also go to home and business owners whose land falls within the shoulder areas. City planners will define the shoulder by studying maps and determining what surrounding properties will be affected.
"We want to broaden the net so that property owners - within a reasonable amount away - are aware of what's going on," he said.
Besides the letters, the city will also convey its message via its website, social media, newspaper ads and street signage.
"We are always looking for ways to improve and to make sure everyone is aware of the plans," he said, "and we want to make sure we're clear about what's being proposed. Our job is to illustrate as best we can and to paint a picture about what the future is."
Under the NW Burke vision, up to 8,000 more people are expected to call that area home while the BLNP anticipates 14,000 more residents.
Meanwhile, Burquitlam and Lougheed area residents and business owners wanting to be part of the BLNP Public Advisory Group have until Monday, April 28 to apply. Visit coquitlam.ca/BLNP to download a form.
Other Coquitlam news:
GREEN STREETS
Residents of Burke Mountain's Upper Hyde Creek neighbourhood are being surveyed about the mountain's only green street.
The municipality is asking homeowners whether they use the grassy strip of land - which serves as the common front yard for about a dozen houses on Watkins Avenue - how often they use it and if parking is sufficient.
Their ideas are being sought for the next green streets that are being considered for the Lower Hyde Creek and Partington Creek neighbourhoods.
