A residential complex featuring two towers and two low-rises is being proposed to replace a longtime Lougheed Highway car lot.
Representatives of Ledingham McAllister appeared before Coquitlam council Monday to provide initial details on a proposal to build highrises of 29 and 25 storeys, a five-storey low-rise and a four-storey building with 10 townhouses. Alderson Gate would be built at 688 Lougheed Hwy. — which is currently home to a used car dealership and formerly housed Brian Jessel BMW — with a total of 571 units, including 159 for market rentals.
Ledingham McAllister president Ward McAllister told council initially the company planned to build medium density on the triangular-shaped property. But during consultations with the city's transportation and planning staff, the requirement to create a new north-south road on the west side, the site's topography and sunlight angles created restrictions on that plan. McAllister said that forced a rethink on the project's density and form.
If it gets the green light, the right turn off Lougheed onto Alderson for eastbound traffic would be eliminated in favour of emptying onto the new road instead.
Coun. Trish Mandewo questioned whether the city would be able to sustain the roads in the area with so much density being built in Burquitlam and southwest Coquitlam.
Jozsef Dioszeghy, the city's general manager for engineering and public works, said the road changes will help to disperse the traffic more easily and cause less congestion at the intersection of Lougheed and Alderson.
McAllister said the development would feature two park spaces available to the community as well as a large courtyard for the residents. He told Coun. Brent Asmundson no commercial or retail is planned for the development because there would be no direct access off Lougheed.
Consultants hired by Ledingham McAllister told the developer commercial or retail would not be viable for the site, said McAllister, who was open to Asmundson's suggestion of a contribution to support a daycare at some other site nearby.
