Sovereign is an apt name for the residential and retail tower that will loom 500 feet over Burnaby's Metrotown neighbourhood.
But many developments in the area are heading up, and not all of Burnaby's politicians think it's a good idea.
Rick McGowan, who is running for the Burnaby Green Party in the upcoming civic election, thinks the focus on increasing density with the new 's' zoning designation is not the way to go.
The new zoning, introduced last winter, allows for greater density in certain multi-family residential districts so long as developers agree to give building space or money to the city to be used for space for local non-profits and community groups.
McGowan believes that previous proposed developments for the area - submitted before the new zoning designation - were much more realistic for Metrotown.
"When the 's' zoning came into effect, those properties were kind of thrown out the window," he said.
While Bosa Properties' Sovereign tower at the corner of Willingdon Avenue and Kingsway was put forward before the new designation, the size of the development is a concern to McGowan.
"The original proposal by a different developer was to put in a seniors' care facility," he pointed out, saying that would be a better fit for the area. "It seemed like a really good idea."
As for Sovereign, he was surprised to see such a big project get approved so quickly.
Sovereign will be the highest highrise above sea level in the Lower Mainland, according to a press release from Bosa.
McGowan would like to see multi-family units on a lower scale, such as townhouses and low-rise buildings, approved for the area.
He would also like to see rental houses and condos in the area that are in disrepair get replaced with a few additional floors, rather than mega projects in a neighbourhood he is afraid can't sustain them.
The increased flow of traffic is a concern for McGowan, who pointed out the Metrotown SkyTrain station is already the busiest in the city, and there aren't any current plans to extend the platform for additional cars to come through the station.
"I find it hard to believe that all the people in these towers are not going to be driving," McGowan said.
He would like to see a moratorium on 's' zoning developments being approved until after the November election, when the designation's effectiveness could be reassessed.
Garth Evans, who is running in the civic election with TEAM Burnaby, would also like to see more consultation with TransLink on accommodating new residents in the area.
While Evans said he is generally in support of redeveloping the area, he is concerned about the effect such large-scale, rapid development could have on the surrounding neighbourhood.
"I have some concerns," he said.
Of particular concern to Evans is the Maywood neighbourhood, which is composed of rental housing primarily for lower-income people.
"I'm concerned with how much the Maywood community has been engaged," Evans said, adding, "I've got friends who live in that area who are telling me they don't like what's going on in their neighbourhood.
There's a lot of poorer people living in Maywood, such as new immigrants, and it's the only place they can afford to live," he added.
Evans would prefer the city focus on low-income housing and developing plans for a homeless shelter, something he says he brought up frequently when he was previously on council.
He would also like to see council reassess the Maywood/Metrotown community plan and update it to include the larger developments taking place, and how community amenities will be updated to support an influx of residents.
Mayor Derek Corrigan did not respond to requests for an interview on the subject of Metrotown developments before press time, but he was at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Sovereign tower on Tuesday.
"With their new Sovereign project in Metrotown - Burnaby's tallest building to date - Bosa Properties is again helping to shape our growing city in a way that will benefit business, visitors and residents," Corrigan said in a press release from Bosa.
jfuller-evans@burnabynow.com
