A massive development on the east side of the city has cleared its first hurdle.
City council has approved an amendment to the official community plan to change the land-use design of 97 Braid St. to SGTMC – Sapperton Green Transit-Oriented Mixed-Used Community. The new designation would allow for the development of the future Sapperton Green, which could include 150,000 square feet of retail commercial, 750,000 to 1.5 million sq. ft. of office space and 3.4 million sq. ft. of residential floor space.
Having cleared this hurdle, the proponent is now able to proceed with the development of a master plan for the site. Public hearings would be required as the site is rezoned.
While some community members have voiced concern about access to the site, located near Braid Street and Brunette Avenue, no one spoke at an Oct. 26 public hearing.
“I was really surprised that nobody came and spoke in opposition,” Coun. Chuck Puchmayr later told the Record.
Coquitlam city council recently wrote to New Westminster expressing concern about the potential future transportation impacts associated with the proposed Sapperton Green development and asked New Westminster to consult with Coquitlam on traffic and other applicable issues before proceeding with the official community plan process.
New Westminster believes the redevelopment of the 38.35-acre site next to the Braid SkyTrain station offers an opportunity to address longstanding concerns about the transportation network around Braid and Brunette.
Bev Grieve, the city’s director of development services, recently told council that staff believe the application is a catalyst to moving forward with these discussions in a more focused way. She noted that staff from New Westminster and Coquitlam have been having “very detailed conversations” about the project.
The City of New Westminster’s goal is to develop a joint position with Coquitlam so they can approach the Ministry of Transportation about a preferred solution for the Brunette interchange.
“I think that ultimately Coquitlam’s interest and the City of New Westminster’s interest around that overpass are exactly the same thing,” said Coun. Patrick Johnstone. “We both want that intersection to be a functional gateway to our respective communities.”
Once city council approves a high-level official community plan amendment that confirms the city’s intention for the site, staff say the city and the developer would then begin to prepare a master plan for Sapperton Green. The master plan will include guidelines outlining how Sapperton Green will be developed, a conceptual site plan and a detailed traffic study.
