A proposal to build a townhouse complex and seniors rental building at Johnson Street near Guildford Way in Coquitlam will move forward despite opposition from nearby residents.
During a public hearing Monday evening, city council heard from neighbours who said the project would increase traffic congestion and negatively affect the esthetics of the neighbourhood.
“The change will increase the population density of the Scott Creek neighbourhood,” Sijiang Du, who lives in the area, said in an email to council. “The change will make the overall design of the neighbourhood lack… consistency.”
The proposed project would be located north of Guildford Way and on the west side of Johnson Street, between two existing townhouse complexes. It would include 76 townhouse units and 67 seniors’ apartment rental units, which would be run by the Finnish Canadian Rest Home Association. The land is designated for townhouses under the official community plan.
Still, many residents voiced concerns about the proposal.
Brian Johnson told council he had the support of many neighbours in the area who did not want to see the new development built. He said he is particularly concerned with a linear trail connecting Nash Drive and Guildford Way, saying the path could invite criminals into the area.
“We get a front-view seat to the suspicious activity in the north-south greenway,” he said during the meeting. “We see garbage gets thrown in the forest… When we bought our house, we were actually warned to reinforce our adjacent back doors.”
But some on council disagreed with some of the comments that came from the opponents to the project.
Coun. Brent Asmundson noted that if the north-south trail was formalized and designed properly, it would likely reduce suspicious activity in the area.
Most councillors said they support the project, noting the city is in desperate need of more rental housing for seniors.
Coun. Terry O’Neill took exception to residents’ suggestions the undeveloped land should be turned into a park or kept as a green space. He noted that the property is privately owned and unless the city purchased the land at great expense, keeping the land undeveloped would be unfair for the land holder.
“I would never want to tell a private owner, ‘No, you have to keep that as green space for the enjoyment of the people that live above you,’” he said. “That is palpably unfair and I think you have to admit that.”
The proposal was carried unanimously by council and will now go to fourth and final reading in the new year.
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