Port Moody council only waded partway through the newest draft of the official community plan (OCP) Tuesday in a four-hour long meeting punctuated with discussion about building heights.
Council went through the 231-page document chapter by chapter, hearing from city staff about new additions or corrections made since the last go-around, and making some alterations.
A debate ensued once chapter four (overall land use strategy) was reached.
The 2012 version of the OCP contained a floor space ratio (FSR) map for certain neighbourhoods but this was removed from the current version (the ratio is the measure of the building relative to the lot).
According to Port Moody's general manager of development services, Tim Savoie, removing these numbers would provide developers "with more flexibility" and enable more "innovative proposals" to be brought forward to council.
Coun. Rick Glumac made the motion to incorporate the map with FSR to create a density vision; he also called for there to be a ratio of 2.5 for Inlet Centre station transited-oriented development area, 2 for the Gateway district and 1.5 for the other areas. A map would allow residents to have a "sense of the density" or certain neighbourhoods, Glumac continued.
The motion was defeated.
"Just because we don't agree with the motion doesn't mean we're not concerned with density in our neighbourhoods," said Coun. Diana Dilworth. "I don't think we can put specifics in this document at this time. Why should we put limits in right now? We haven't seen any developers' plans."
"I'm uncomfortable labelling every possible project with an FSR of 2.5 as a bad plan," said Coun. Zoe Royer. "Newport [Village] is 2.5 and it's a great plan."
Mayor Mike Clay then made a motion, which was ultimately defeated, to remove a reference to the maximum number of storeys from the Moody Centre, Inlet Centre and Oceanfront areas.
Glumac disagreed.
"We've just spent months getting public input on heights throughout the community and you're talking about removing heights from this document?" he asked.
The mayor said "Yes" and Glumac responded, saying, "It seems to me to be, frankly, a cowardly approach as a mayor that you want to just step back from this because you don't want to take the flack on heights in Port Moody."
Clay said he didn't appreciate being called cowardly and suggested any proposed developments should be brought forward to the community.
"I believe it would be misleading the public if we remove the heights," said Royer, while Coun. Bob Elliott said he wouldn't support this "mid-stream" change.
A date to finish discussing the OCP still has not been chosen but it will happen before the final town hall meeting, scheduled for Sept. 30, according to city staff.
