Two heritage homes in southwest Coquitlam are expected to be preserved and incorporated into new developments after council approved third reading for heritage revitalization agreements (HRA) Monday.
The Alsbury-Munday house at 907 Walls Ave. was built in 1918 by James Alsbury and his wife Cora, who were part of the Munday family for which Mundy Park, Mundy Street and Mundy Lake are named.
As part of the heritage revitalization agreement, the home, which currently faces west, will be reconfigured to face Walls Avenue and a coach house will be built at the back of the property. The land will be further subdivided to accommodate two new single-family homes, both with secondary suites.
But while the agreement for the Alsbury-Munday house was tentatively approved — it will need a final vote at a future meeting — the amount of density raised concerns among some councillors.
“It’s just too much for one small space,” said Coun. Mae Reid, who voted against the project.
Coun. Bonita Zarrillo noted that while the house is close to 100 years old, it is not on the city’s inventory of heritage properties. She added that developers are using heritage revitalization agreements as a way of increasing density on their projects.
“I think it is a feeding frenzy right now,” said Zarrillo, who also voted against the proposal. “If you do an HRA, you can go ahead and get all this density on a lot.”
Third reading for a heritage agreement for a second property — the Marcellin home at 225 Begin St. in Maillardville — was also approved at Monday’s council meeting.
The project will see the original home restored while a new single-family home with a secondary suite will be added to the lot. If fourth reading of the bylaw is approved, it would make the home, built in 1932 by Rene and Rachel Marcellin, a protected heritage property.
According to a staff report, the structure represents the type of modest homes built during the Great Depression.
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