Dear Editor:
I would like to correct some of the information contained in a Nov. 4, 2014 letter to the editor regarding the development approval process for a residential tower at 200 Nelson's Cres.
On Sept. 25, 2014, Council received a development permit application for this address which is part of the Brewery District in Sapperton. The application is for construction of an 18-storey residential building.
This is a development permit application as the proposed development meets the existing zoning of the site. More specifically, this site is zoned as Comprehensive Development (C-CD-3), which allows for four residential buildings and includes regulations on maximum allowable density and building height. As a result of concerns about building height expressed during the rezoning process in 2007, this zoning district allows some ability for the transfer of density from the northernmost building on the site to the three others while still limiting maximum allowable construction height to 180 feet.
In New Westminster, a development permit application typically goes through three stages.
First, city staff review the application and assess its alignment with policies and regulations. During this stage, staff also point out any potential issues to the applicant. A preliminary information report is also provided to council around this time.
Second, the applicant commences formal consultation with applicable City of New Westminster committees and the public which includes presentations to the New Westminster design panel and the local residents' association as well as, for more complex applications, hosting a public open house. Information gathered during this consultation process is typically used by the applicant to revise their proposal. This comment/revision process may occur several times depending on how well issues are addressed.
Third, once comments have been addressed and revisions have been made, city staff present a report to council requesting approval or rejection of the application.
Currently, the application for 200 Nelson's Cres. is early in the second stage of the development permit review process. A preliminary information report was presented to council on Sept. 29, 2014. The project was presented for the first time to the design panel on Oct. 28, 2014 and at least one further presentation to the panel will occur.
While the applicants have already attended a meeting of the McBride-Sapperton Residents' Association to provide preliminary information, they will attend another meeting in the coming months to provide more detailed information resulting from any revisions made. In addition, the city has requested that the applicants host a public open house prior to their second design panel appearance and before their application can be put to council for further consideration. These meetings and the open house are to provide opportunities for the community to learn more about the proposal and obtain answers to questions and concerns.
To clarify, the role of the New Westminster design panel in the development approval process is to review the architectural and urban design of applications and provide expert guidance to both the project's design team and city staff. For this to occur, city staff provide the panel with a report containing application details, including any design issues, and remain available to answer panel questions on specific design aspects of the proposal. To ensure transparency, the public is invited to attend and observe all meetings of the design panel and is also invited to provide input through communication to staff, mayor and council and/or by presenting in person at regular council meetings.
The current issues section of the city website contains detailed information on important topics in New Westminster. Information on the 200 Nelson's Cres. development permit application, including council and design panel reports, the site's zone and design guidelines, and the rezoning history, including the public hearing record, can be readily accessed here.
We encourage all interested residents to visit www.newwestcity.ca/residents/current-issues to learn more about the 200 Nelson's Cres. project application. Dates and times for the open house and design panel will be posted here in addition to New Westminster's Citypage and Citypage Online.
Beverly Grieve, director of development services, City of New Westminster