Chris Boit, Anmore’s manager of development services, says terms of reference to guide the creation of a neighbourhood plan for a proposed development that could triple the village’s population should be ready in fairly short order.
On Tuesday, Feb. 6, Anmore councillors gave their unanimous assent for staff to develop the guidelines so the developer, Port Coquitlam-based Icona Properties, can lay out its specific plans for the 150-acre property it owns near the intersection of 1st Avenue and Sunnyside Road.
The company has pitched a proposal to construct approximately 3,300 new homes, as well as commercial and mixed-use spaces.
The project would be comprised of low- and mid-rise condo buildings, townhouses, rental apartments, a new 25,000 sq. ft. community centre, a 9.3-acre park and more than four kilometres of accessible greenways and trails.
Boit said a neighbourhood plan would demand more specific information though, such as the project’s environmental considerations for protecting trees and natural habitat, what its streets look like, how the neighbourhood will be serviced, its construction schedule, the mix of land uses and even its impact on traffic.
“We want to know about these important components of the neighbourhood,” Boit said, adding the terms of reference will read like a table of contents the developer must follow while creating its plan."
Will community members have input?
Anmore residents will also get a say, he added. “Community engagement would be a vital component.”
That seemed to assuage Coun. Doug Richardson, who admitted Icona’s proposal “doesn’t feel completely right to me.”
He said residents need to have an opportunity to express their own desires and wish list for the project.
“I always worry it’s going too fast.”
Coun. Paul Weverink said the devil of the proposal will be in its details. But first, council and residents need to know more about those details.
“It’s hard to move forward on a big decision like this without details,” he said. “This is the stuff people need to visualize what’s going to be there.”
Coun. Polly Krier said while the developer will take the lead on formulating the neighbourhood plan, it will ultimately be up to the community, staff and councillors to determine if it’s the right fit for the village, that is currently home to about 2,200 residents.
Coun. Kim Trowbridge agreed.
“There will be lots of back-and-forth discussion, lots of negotiation,” he said. “At no time do we hand over power to the proponent.”
'Get it right'
Mayor John McEwen conceded the property will get developed. But it will be council that determines what that development ultimately looks like.
“I don’t want to see one-acre estates on this site,” he said. “Change is happening and we want to have a say in how it get developed.”
Representatives from Icona were scheduled to appear as a delegation at Tuesday’s council meeting but they cancelled.
Previously, Paul Fenske, the principal of Placemaker Design and Development that is working with Icona, said the proposed development of Anmore South gives the village an opportunity to confront challenges common to many communities in Metro Vancouver, like housing affordability and diversity.
And, he added, it would be able to do so on its own terms rather than having solutions imposed upon it.
McEwen said prudence is paramount.
“We’re going to take our time and we’re going to get it right.”
