Downtown New Westminster is growing at such a rapid rate that it would exceed population projections for 2021 with the currently proposed projects.
Staff recently suggested the city “pause” applications for high-density developments in the downtown so they can complete some policy work on issues such as density bonusing, integration of the downtown parking study into the city’s zoning bylaws and a construction management plan for the downtown.
“Our feeling is that we need to finish this work before we consider more development applications,” said Bev Grieve, the city’s director of development services.
A staff report states that the 4,020 new units expected to be added in the downtown through current development applications already exceeds the 3,457 new residential units projected for the downtown in 2021.
“That means that if all current development applications/inquiries were to be approved by council, they would be providing sufficient housing units for the projected growth in the downtown to just beyond 2021,” stated the report.
The community has raised a number of concerns about the number of projects being considered in the downtown, Grieve said.
Staff noted that the city has started to experience a “dramatic increase” in development activity in the last year. Residents have voiced concerns about traffic, parking, density, size of housing units, the mix of the sizes of units being proposed, livability, the pace of development and potential impacts to community services and amenities.
Grieve told council that the “pause” in considering new development applications in the downtown would allow staff to finish important policy work that would inform future policy decisions about development applications in the downtown.
“We expect that this work will take no longer than a year,” she said.
Not all council members, however, liked the idea of putting major development applications on hold for up to a year.
Coun. Bill Harper said a developer could come into city hall next week and want to build a wonderful 20-storey residential building, but the city would say it couldn’t be built for another year.
“I think that’s a huge issue – I think there are potential revenues to the city that are going to be foregone,” he said.
Harper said the staff report about a strategic approach for downtown development activity in 2014 is too vague to make a decision at this time. Mayor Wayne Wright also expressed concern that the action could halt development in some areas of the downtown needing to be fixed.
Council tabled the report so staff could report back with more information.
The downtown community plan, approved in 2010, indicated the city’s population could increase by 26,000 residents (42 per cent) between 2008 and 2031. The staff report states that 36 per cent of that projected growth is expected in the downtown, which would result in that area having almost one-quarter of the city’s population.
