The Editor,
Port Moody council took a step backwards Feb. 26 when it rejected the terrible thought of actually sending a development application to public hearing to get community input.
The perceived monstrosity in question was a 45-unit townhouse development in the 2800-block of St. George Street.
Marcon was the applicant and this project looked to restore and sell a heritage house on the corner of Moody and St. George streets and add 45 townhouses 500 metres from an Evergreen Extension station — a station with among the lowest ridership in the SkyTrain network.
The applicant had also proposed a public space on the corner of Hope and St. George.
Although a development like this isn’t something I would like on every block, it seemed appealing in many ways to the councillors. But Mayor Rob Vagramov and councillors Steve Milani and Hunter Madsen wanted less density and more green space.
Well, don’t we all? Who knows, as the community will not be heard.
Additionally, I wonder if the councillors realize every time they ask for something else, prospective owners will be digging deeper into their wallets.
Marcon had already gone to Moody’s Community Planning Advisory Committee (CPAC) and hosted a community consultation and received some feedback — positive and negative — then made some small changes.
Apparently, that wasn’t enough for local residents to even have an opportunity to express an opinion.
Meanwhile, council members expressed theirs: Coun. Madsen was critical, saying he wanted half the units and more greenspace. Wow, that will help affordability, whatever that is these days.
Mayor Vagramov said it wasn’t transit oriented.
Um, OK.
And Coun. Milani quoted stats from a blog rather than city staff.
I encourage residents to walk by the south side of the 2800-block of St. George to see what a vibrant area it isn’t right now.
Better yet, do it after dark from the SkyTrain station that has maybe a dozen vehicles in the parking lot after 6:30 p.m.
I hope Marcon comes back with an even better proposal but, in the meantime, Moody Centre will not Port Moody’s centre anytime soon.
Mitch Williams, Port Moody
