In Port Moody, B.C., 59 owners of single-family houses in the Coronation Park neighbourhood are hoping that, nine years after the city designated the area for high-density development, City council may finally decide April 5 on a proposed development.
Wesgroup Properties assembled the 59 lots, which are close to the Ioco SkyTrain station, but payment to the homeowners is contingent on Wesgroup achieving development approval from the city.
Since May 2020, Wesgroup has submitted multiple proposals for the Coronation Park redevelopment and have made significant revisions based on feedback from council.
Despite completely redesigning plans for the 14.8-acre site several times to respond to direction provided by the city, council continues to move goalposts and force delays, according to Brad Jones, senior vice-president of development for Wesgroup.
“We have been committed to working with city council to meet the needs of the community, but time is limited,” said Jones. “Residents need clarity and so do we. If this can’t be achieved in the first part of 2022 it is not certain that we will be able to move forward”.
Ahead of the April 5th public hearing on the redevelopment of Coronation Park, frustrated residents are urging city council to decide.
"It’s been a roller coaster over the past eight years,” said Coronation Park resident Kirsten Ueland. “Because plans for this neighbourhood are so uncertain, there has been deferred maintenance to a lot of properties and the community is crumbling. We have outgrown our home and are bursting at the seams, but we can’t move. We need out for quality of life”.
Coronation Park residents have seen multiple city councils and development proposals come and go since 2013. That is when the initial draft of the city's Official Community Plan (OCP) designated the area as a future multi-family residential neighbourhood including high-rise residential and mixed uses.
Despite promises of an expedited process and numerous attempts at redevelopment, planning for the single-family home neighbourhood has gone forward at a snail’s pace and the area has become run down.
Residents remain unsure as to what’s in store for their property and their future. Elaine McDonald, 83, has lived in Coronation Park for 52 years and is discouraged by the continual delays.
“I’m frustrated with the city and worried the whole thing will be dropped,” she said. “You can’t really get on with your life.”
McDonald has a leaky roof but says there is no point doing the repairs if she is selling her home.
“I’m on a fixed income and already had to put money into a new furnace and water heater because I couldn’t wait any longer,” she added.
Port Moody city council remains divided on the issue with Councillor Meghan Lahti as a vocal proponent for bringing closure to the residents of Coronation Park. “It’s time for community and residents to weigh in, get this process finally moving forward,” said Lahti.
In November of 2021, City council had voted to postpone allowing the development to proceed to a second reading. A few weeks later, it changed its mind and said it could proceed, but would have to go first to an April 5 public hearing.
Mayor Rob Vagramov seemed reluctant. “This is a way forward that makes everybody grit their teeth a little bit and move the project forward,” he said at the time, as he outlined a further series of conditions Wesgroup would need to meet.
These included:
• Continued exploration by the developer to alter the configuration of the site to concentrate taller towers along its eastern edge;
• A commitment by the developer to explore more affordable housing options, with support from government programs; and
• Encouraging the developer to provide more job spaces in the project.
In a March 21 letter to the Tri-City News, Coronation Park resident stated, “Wesgroup Properties has gone above and beyond trying to please the wish list of the City of Port Moody.”
She adds, “The Wesgroup plan provides much-needed housing for Port Moody, bringing with it a daycare, public space, office space, city use space and retail/office space. This would truly be an asset to our community.”
The public hearing is slated for April 5, 2022, at which time Council will entertain presentations regarding raising the tower height limits in some portions. No final decision on the development is expected at the public hearing.
