A 29-storey building being proposed in uptown New Westminster could be heading to a public hearing in June.
Orr Development Corp. is proposing to build a mixed-used development that includes 142 market strata residential units, 95 secured market rental housing units, and 12,384 square feet (1,250.55 square metres) of at-grade commercial at 616 and 640 Sixth St. At its May 6 meeting, the city鈥檚 land use and planning committee passed a motion recommending city council consider a zoning amendment bylaw for first and second readings and forward the bylaw to a public hearing on June 24.
Emilie Adin, the city鈥檚 director of development services, said the committee previously considered a proposal for the site in March 2018. Based on discussion at that meeting, she said was determined that further transportation analysis was warranted, in relation to potential impacts on Princess Street, concerns about commercial loading and city plans for creating a 鈥淕reat Street鈥� on Sixth Street.
Adin said there have been some changes to the project since it was first considered last year, including: an increase in the number of secured market rental units from 79 to 95; a reduction in the number of market condo units from 158 to 142; a reduction in site coverage from 65 per cent to 53 per cent; and changes to the lobby entrances.
鈥淭here is also now two separate but equal lobbies on the ground floor that are available for the rental units and also for the market strata units,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is also a proposal for a privately owned, publicly accessible plaza at the northeast corner of the site 鈥� that鈥檚 meant to address the importance of Sixth Street as a Great Street and also Seventh (Avenue) as a Rotary Crosstown Greenway location.鈥�
Coun. Mary Trentadue, one of three council members on the land use and planning committee, voiced some discomfort about the idea of having separate lobbies and amenity spaces for rental and strata residents.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 feel right to me, but that鈥檚 just intuitively. I don鈥檛 have anything specific to rely on but it does feel a bit like we are segregating different groups of people, and I am uncomfortable with that,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to know more about it. We haven鈥檛 had a fulsome conversation about that at the table, so I would have a hard time supporting this without further information on that.鈥�
Trentadue also said she鈥檇 like the commercial to be smaller commercial units that are suitable for independent businesses, as that is more suitable for Great Streets. (Great Streets strive to be places where people want to stay awhile, rather than pass through.)
Tim Orr of Orr Development said the family-owned and operated business prefers to have smaller commercial spaces that are suitable for neighbourhood uses in its buildings.
鈥淭he lobby entrances are going to be the same specs, the same tile. Everything you can think of is going to be all the same. There鈥檚 not like 鈥榯he poor door鈥� 鈥� you hear that term a lot,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are appealing to two different users.鈥�
According to Orr, buildings having market condo and market rentals have elaborate cost-sharing agreements, and one of the issues that arises is that stratas are infamous for 鈥減ushing off costs鈥� until they鈥檙e left with major bills to make repairs.
鈥淲e are going to build, own and manage this building for its lifespan,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to have that problem where we have to constantly go to a strata that鈥檚 not willing to pony up for something that needs to be done. So that was more of a business decision for us.鈥�
In addition to separate lobby entrances, the rental component would have an indoor/outdoor amenity area at the podium levels that would include garden plots, seating areas, an outdoor kitchen, fireplace and playground, while the strata units would have an indoor/outdoor amenity area on the ground level near the building鈥檚 main entrance and on the rooftop, which would include outdoor seating areas.
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr said he understands the developer鈥檚 point about renters feeling that owners are looking down on them.
鈥淚t happens. It鈥檚 a historic class struggle,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we can make that comfortable and it means a different entrance, I have no problem with that. You make a good point about the stratas, how they (boards) come and go and the costs.鈥�
Trentadue said the developer provides some interesting insights about the plan for separate lobbies, but she鈥檇 like staff to provide more information about the issue when reporting back to council.
鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 a philosophical issue. I feel like we are still suggesting renters 鈥� and I know you are not saying this 鈥� but it still smacks a little bit like renters and not renters should not be in elevators together,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just feel like we are never going to overcome this if we continue to feed into it. I think this is a good project. I support it in all other ways.鈥�
Mayor Jonathan Cote said this is the first time there鈥檚 been an application for separate entrances for owners and renters in a New West building, but it鈥檚 been a hot topic in some communities. Because separate entrances could become a more common proposal in the future, he said the city should start developing policy around the issue.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 no reason why a rental building and strata building can鈥檛 share a lobby and elevators 鈥� I can actually see that as being really positive. Having said that, I think the applicant does make a good case about cost-share agreements about maintenance,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know, living in a strata, how difficult it can be to do some of those things.鈥�
Staff is aiming to provide council with a report about the rezoning application at its May 27 meeting.
聽鈥淭here is a lot of anxiety in that community. I think it鈥檚 time to move forward with this,鈥� Puchmayr said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 wish to delay this.鈥�
