The developer looking to transform Port Moody’s Woodland Park neighbourhood is confident lessons being learned from the COVID-19 pandemic can be addressed by its plan to create new homes for about 3,800 people.
Peter Edgar, the president of Edgar Developments, said worries about crowded urban environments where contagions can easily spread is driving people out of cities to the safer embrace of outlying communities that offer more room and easier access to open spaces.
And while that may have not been the driving motivation when the Vancouver-based company embarked upon its ambitious project for the wooded neighbourhood in the Port Moody’s west end, that allure certainly became clear through a series of virtual open houses and meetings with various interest groups through the summer and fall in preparation for formally taking the proposal to council early in the new year.
“People are wanting to own outside of urban centres,” Edgar said. “They’re moving to smaller communities like Port Moody.”
Of course, with that migration comes a whole set of other challenges that can affect quality of life for existing residents and newcomers alike.
Edgar said his team has been working on a plan to manage traffic that will take into consideration burgeoning developments nearby as well, like Burquitlam and new projects planned for the lower part of Clarke Road.
“The most common concern is congestion,” he said. “We understand more residents will mean more traffic.”
Edgar said revisions made to the proposal earlier last fall — like increasing the amount of commercial space to 19,000 sq. ft. to attract a full-service grocery store as well as the ongoing plan to connect the entire L-shaped neighbourhood with a 1.5-km multi-use trail — will help to create a more “complete community” that reduces the reasons people have to commute to other parts of town.
As well, in the new year, the company will be parking a car share vehicle in the area to test the viability of such a program for residents.
Other changes that were implemented after its first pitch was cooly received by council include an overall reduction of the number of units by 20%, the addition of a second park, and scrapping a plan for several high-rise towers up to 26 storeys. Instead, the tallest buildings will be terraced up to 12 storeys to reduce their visual impact on the surrounding area.
Edgar said the neighbourhood is beloved by current residents because they’re surrounded by trees and green space, and that will be preserved — even increased.
Most importantly, those existing residents will be the first to move into the 325 non-market rental homes that will be constructed in the first phase of the 15- to 20-year buildout. Edgar said those who chose not to take advantage will then have dibs on the first market rental homes.
“Our goal here is to provide homes for everyone,” he said.
For the project to proceed, it will require an amendment to Port Moody’s official community plan, as well as rezoning.
