Landing a daycare spot in Port Moody should be a bit easier once the new Suter Brook office building goes up because its entire second floor will be the home of Kids & Co.
At Tuesday's meeting, council approved the rezoning application and land use contract amendments for the office tower at 220 Brew St. to allow for the 157-spot daycare - but with some reservations.
"This is going to be an office building and there will be lots of people going in and out and traffic is going to be an issue at the end of the day," said Coun. Rick Glumac. "I want to be sure what we're putting in place here is the most appropriate traffic plan looking forward."
Concerns about parking, traffic congestion and children's safety had dogged the application since it first came up for council consideration in July. Onni Development went back to the drawing board, tasking Diamond Parking with stepping up enforcement in the cramped village and hiring a traffic consultant to re-jig the parkade entrances at Morrissey Road and Brew Street, and submitted a new application.
Many of the people who spoke at Tuesday's public hearing were still not satisfied, however.
"Congestion in the few streets is overwhelming," said one Suter Brook resident, complaining that streets are often jammed with delivery and maintenance trucks, moving vans and garbage trucks because the parkade ceilings are too low to accommodate them. "When it gets so congested, people will stop doing business here."
Others questioned the appeal of a "big-box daycare" with no grassy space for kids to play on. (Kids will use the 6,000 sq. ft. deck, with a rubberized surface, for outdoor play.)
One resident also noted too much attention had been paid to the Morrissey entrance, not the Brew Street parkade entrance that would be used by most daycare parents.
A representative of Creative Transportation Services, which drew up plans for improving the flow of traffic in and out of the parkade, said the proposed solution took into account both entrances.
"We're trying to improve the overall underground parkade," he said of the plans, which will largely shift traffic flow to one way in a circular path.
Coun. Diana Dilworth pointed out the nearly 30 written submissions in support of the application and said it was up to council to provide a much-needed service for parents in an area where many young families live.
Coun. Bob Elliott, in the last council meeting of his 12-year run at the PoMo table, voted against the amendments out of concern for children's safety in the high-traffic area. Coun. Rosemary Small and Gerry Nuttall, both of whom were defeated in the Nov. 15 civic election, did not attend the meeting.
The proposal passed with Mayor Mike Clay and councillors Dilworth, Glumac and Zoe Royer supporting it.
