There were a few familiar faces in the Coquitlam city council chambers this week for the inauguration of two new city councillors.
Among those in the crowd Monday night were byelection candidates Michael Bell and Teri Towner as well as Coquitlam-Maillardville NDP MLA Selina Robinson, whose election to the legislature in May - along with former councillor Linda Reimer - prompted last month's vote.
Ken Landgraff, president of CUPE Local 386, which represents city workers, was also on hand to witness the oath of office taken by union-endorsed Chris Wilson and Bonita Zarrillo.
Wilson, a former Olympic wrestler and community organizer, and Zarrillo, a business owner, had their families in the audience as well.
The formal ceremony was presided by Port Coquitlam provincial court Judge Shehni Dossa, Coquitlam RCMP and firefighters.
Other Coquitlam council news:
Eighteen homes on one side of a Coquitlam city block will be torn down to make way for a mega-housing project near the future Burquitlam Evergreen Line station.
On Monday, city council unanimously granted fourth and final readings to rezone the land, plus a development permit, for 107 townhomes and a five-storey apartment block with 99 units at 514-554 Foster Ave. and 636-640 Aspen St.
As a result of the project, developer Intracorp will pay the city $1.9 million in development cost charges, $360,000 for park upgrades in the area plus $600,000 in community amenity contributions (CAC) toward a new recreation centre.
Intracorp is the first developer in Coquitlam to pay CAC as uts project falls under the new Transit-Oriented Development Strategy for new housing near the Evergreen Line.
