Port Moody’s new mayor is wasting no time acting on one of the cornerstone issues of his campaign platform.
But a veteran councillor is wondering what is the rush to make a decision on a complex issue with long-term ramifications for the city.
In a report to be presented to council at its meeting Tuesday evening, Rob Vagramov proposed resolutions to remove the right-of-way designation from the old roadbed that bisects Bert Flinn Park and to incorporate the current path into the park for recreational use.
Vagramov and the report’s co-author, Coun. Hunter Madsen, are also calling for an amendment to the city’s official community plan to restrict future development of the Ioco Lands to the density that is already permitted under its current zoning, which is for 111 single-family homes.
As well, the pair wants staff to investigate the feasibility of removing Ioco Road from Metro Vancouver’s major road network.
“Protecting quality of life on Port Moody’s north shore is a top concern for residents and must be a top priority for the city as it guides future development in the area,” said the report.
But Coun. Diana Dilworth said it’s too soon to address that concern.
Dilworth, who will miss Tuesday’s meeting along with Coun. Meghan Lahti as they travel together out of town on an extended road trip, said the haste to make such a decision is confusing.
“This is the second business meeting of a new council and it seems extremely premature to be bringing forward such significant decisions in such a rushed manner,” she said in an email from Niagara Falls, Ont.
Dilworth and Lahti — along with fellow councillor Zoe Royer as well as former mayor Mike Clay and former councillor Barbara Junker — voted last July to retain the right of way that has been part of the city’s plans since the 1980s and was included when the park was created after a referendum in 1999.
Council’s decision was in line with a staff technical report that cited limited capacity of the existing traffic corridor along Ioco Road to handle more vehicles from new development as well as any future growth at Belcarra Regional Park.
The report also said adding additional traffic on Ioco Road would mean more noise, pollution and congestion for residents who already live there.
During more than four hours of public hearing and input prior to council’s July decision, it heard from 32 speakers who supported retaining the right of way while seven were opposed.
In their report to council, Vagramov and Madsen said Port Moody’s previous strategy of waiting for the Ioco lands developer, Brilliant Circle Group, to make a formal land-use proposal before determining how to deal with the traffic development would bring “sparked concern among some north shore residents.”
Vagramov, who had previously tired to remove the designation in 2016 and voted against it again last year along with Madsen, said the results of October’s civic election indicated public distaste for putting a road through the park is widespread.
“Our residents have spoken quite loudly this election,” said Vagramov, who won his seat with 52% of the vote, adding the timing of the resolutions was to give direction on the issue heading into the new year. He also said he didn’t learn Dilworth and Lahti couldn’t attend Tuesday’s meeting until Monday.
Dilworth, who said her trip has been common knowledge at city hall for three weeks, said the new council still has much to learn about the issue.
“The decisions regarding the right-of-way and Ioco Road have serious strategic and financial implications,” she said. “I am concerned that decisions may be being made without a fulsome understanding of the history and future impacts for the city.”
In their report, Vagramov and Madsen also criticize the previous council for not being proactive enough about the direction for potential development of the Ioco lands after the 252-acre property was acquired by Brilliant Circle Group (BCG) in 2015.
Since then, the developer held several open houses and workshops to determine a vision for the site, which includes land in both Port Moody and Anmore, and used to be the townsite for workers at the nearby Imperial Oil refinery.
BCG's latest architect, Peter Busby, told The Tri-City News in 2017 he envisioned a vibrant, waterfront-focussed community with recreational, social and educational opportunities for residents, as well as shops and services.
“The challenge is to find the right mix,” he said, adding the construction of an additional traffic route to the property would be a key ingredient for the development’s success.
The Tri-City News reached out to BCG for its reaction to the proposed resolutions, but had not heard back by press time.
— with a file from Grant Granger
