It looks like Coquitlam came away with a win in the lead up to the rezoning for Concert Properties’ upcoming projects with an expanded park, a park-and-ride facility and a YMCA recreational facility worked into the deal.
These types of community amenities are key if Burquitlam is to be livable in the future.
It’s not enough for people to live within a kilometre of rapid transit — they also need parks, trails and community centres if they are going to live in close proximity to one another in increasingly smaller suites.
Already we see that local and provincial governments take note of this when they protect land for parks and we are fortunate that Tri-Cities residents have access to a number of natural areas.
But it’s not enough to have a park accessible by car. People need to be able to be within walking distance of nature to be able to relax under a peaceful canopy of trees.
This is critical for mental wellness in an increasingly stressful world.
Town Centre in Coquitlam has Lafarge Lake, Port Moody’s downtown has Rocky Point and Shoreline parks and Port Coquitlam has a beautiful bike and walking trail while the increasingly developed area of the Dominion Triangle also has access to dyke trails and the Pitt River shoreline.
Burquitlam, soon to be home to thousands more residents, also needs as much park space and pedestrian walkways as possible.
It’s as simple as this: if we are going to build taller denser neighbourhoods, we have to ensure residents have access to nature and green space close to home.
Meeting some of that need will be the upgraded and expanded Cottonwood Park, with water and children’s play areas, sports courts and tennis courts, grass areas and play fields (Cost of the first phase of the two-phase development is estimated at $6.5 million, paid for mostly through development cost charges.)
The YMCA recreational facility will also be a key benefit to the community.
But as the area further develops, let’s ensure that there are also some passive walkways so the area isn’t simply a collection of tall towers where people are stuck with no place to go.
