What kind of housing would you like to see in your neighbourhood? What characteristics of your neighbourhood are worth saving in the years ahead?
As the City of New Westminster works on an update to its official community plan, Mayor Jonathan Cote said it wants to hear what qualities currently exist in New West that need to be preserved – and what’s missing and needs to be addressed.
“One of the big topics that has come up quite significantly is housing choice. In New Westminster, you either live in a condo or you live in a single-family home, and there is very few options in between,” he said. “There’s been a strong appetite in the community saying we probably need a few more of those middle options, and if the city does go ahead and try to find some areas for that, where are the best places to put those options.”
Cote said the city is considering a variety of land-use scenarios for New Westminster neighbourhoods but notes that not all areas of the city will necessarily have the same types of housing. Laneway housing, townhouses, duplexes, triplexes and row-houses are some of the housing forms being explored in the official community plan.
The Moody Park Residents’ Association has held two public meetings to help inform residents.
Christopher Bell, the residents’ association’s president, said some of the land-use scenarios being considered by the city could have major impacts on neighbourhoods in the future. He fears hundreds of lots across the city could become available for redevelopment through subdivisions or lot consolidation if some of the land-use scenarios being proposed are approved.
“You may have a far greater diversity of housing. Some people think that’s great. Others may be alarmed that the enclave of dozens and dozens of heritage homes may be at risk,” Bell said. “Unrecognizable? That’s a tough term. As a compact, historic neighbourhood over time, with higher land uses, that compact, historic neighbourhood could become slowly unrecognizable from its former self.”
Cote said the city has put forward three different scenarios for residents’ consideration in the OCP update. While Scenario 1 is “the more cautious, slower kind of growth” scenario, he said Scenario 3 talks about putting in “a lot” more infill density.
“The purpose of putting Scenario 3 out there is to generate the conversation,” he told the Record. “I fully anticipate there’s going to be many elements in Scenario 3 that we are probably not quite ready for in the community and it’s not the right time. To me, I didn’t think it was a value to the process to not put that out there. I think it’s an important conversation to have.”
Cote suspects the city will ultimately pick elements from the various scenarios when developing the plan.
“That is why we are really trying to get some fine-grained responses from people to really get an idea of where their comfort levels are, where they see some of these changes enhancing neighbourhoods, but also where do they feel some of this infill density might actually take away from the character of the neighbourhoods,” he said.
Cote encourages residents to attend the upcoming OCP workshops and make their thoughts known.
“I would strongly encourage people to participate in the process. Council is really eager to hear that feedback, either through the three sessions we are going to be having or online,” he said. “Please do try and contribute because it’s going to help shape the discussion that we have, completing the official community plan and ultimately it’s going to help shape the future of our community over the next 20 to 30 years.”
Want your voice to be heard? If you’d like to participate in the update to New Westminster’s official community plan, here’s what’s happening in the coming weeks:
* Centre neighbourhoods workshop for Queen’s Park, Moody Park, Brow of the Hill and Glenbrook North neighbourhoods – Saturday, Jan. 30, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., Century House, 620 Eighth St.
* East neighbourhoods for McBride-Sapperton and Massey Victory Heights neighbourhoods, Saturday, Feb. 6, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Richard McBride Elementary School gym, 331 Richmond St.
* West neighbourhoods for West End and Connaught Heights neighbourhoods, Saturday, Feb. 13, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Connaught Heights Elementary School gym, 2201 London St.
