A section of Glenbrook North will remain as single-family homes – a move some think is a missed opportunity to create more family-friendly housing.
On Monday, council received a report about the official community plan and the proposed land-use designation for Glenbrooke North. Council approved a staff recommendation to designate Glenbrook North properties on Eighth Avenue, First Street and Colborne Street as residential-detached and semi-detached housing.
Coun. Patrick Johnstone urged council to designate these properties as residential-ground oriented housing, saying that would address residents’ concerns about having townhouses throughout the area but would still let them build laneway and carriage houses.
“It would still allow some of that sensitive infill,” he said. “It would not have a negative effect on the character of the neighbourhood.”
Johnstone expressed concern that limiting development in the area to single-family homes is contrary to the city’s desire to provide more housing choices for residents, a greater variety of housing forms and more affordability in housing. He said those were things the community – and many people in Glenbrook North – requested during the official community plan consultations.
“Taking these areas back to single-family detached just seems like we are moving too far backwards from what the goals of the OCP area,” he said.
Having gone through a similar discussion with Fifth Street residents, Coun. Chuck Puchmayr said he was surprised when the residential-infill townhouse designation was proposed for the area. He said the city is developing its “most aggressive” official community plan as it creates a variety of housing options and increases density in some neighbourhoods, including the area around the 22nd Street SkyTrain station.
“To do the entire gamut all at once in the most aggressive OCP that we have going already, I think is not responsible,” he said. “I do think we have to leave some of the areas as-is and concentrate on the growth in the areas we have identified.”
Coun. Mary Trentadue supported Johnstone’s motion, saying it was a compromise that allows people to keep their single-family homes or put in a laneway house if they choose. She said it would also allow small townhouse developments, which are “absolutely appropriate” for this location.
“This OCP is going to take us quite a ways out into the future, and I think it’s our responsibility to put in density where we can,” she said. “The biggest issue for people in the Lower Mainland right now is housing. Continuing on with single-family housing does not help that, and we have to compromise.”
Johnstone believes designating the area as detached and semi-detached housing actually takes away choice.
“I don’t think that going to ground-oriented infill in this neighbourhood takes away anybody’s choice. I don’t think it threatens the livability of anybody’s neighbourhood,” he said. “I think it actually provides people in the neighbourhood with better options and more options for how they live on the property, how they age in place and provides more opportunities for people who are desperately in need of family-friendly housing.”
Lynn Roxburgh, senior planner, said the city received a petition signed by 55 people, or 71 per cent of the affected properties in the area, who opposed designating the area as townhouses or infill housing.
Mayor Jonathan Cote said the city has been clear about trying and creating more housing options, but given the strong opposition from those affected he’d support designating the area as detached and semi-detached housing.
“To me, this is not the hill to die on for an official community plan,” he said. “In many respects, I am still happy with the areas we have been able to achieve.”
Last November, a number of New West residents formed a Yes In New West coalition to urge the city to consider the housing needs of residents today – and in the future.
Many of the coalition members attended OCP consultations and supported opportunities to create more row houses, townhouses and carriage and laneway houses, saying single-family homes are out of reach for many and alternatives to condominiums are needed by residents.
Brad Cavanagh, from the coalition, told the Record at the time that “the current situation is bleak” for families looking for townhouses.
“Try and bid on the rare townhouse that comes up for sale and you competing against a dozen offers, win the lottery, or move out of New Westminster – those are our choices,” he said.
After the city council decision on Monday, Alice Cavanagh expressed her feelings on Twitter.
“This OCP does not go far enough towards opening up options, therefore we will see more towers, less infill and continued inequities.”
Garry Self, a member of the coalition, told the Record everyone in the group was disappointed in council’s decision, but pleased that councillors Johnstone, Trentadue and Lorrie Williams supported the idea of allowing a greater range of housing options in the area for future generations.
“Glenbrook North is a convenient neighbourhood for families,” he said. “There are schools, there’s lot of amenities nearby. If density and more housing options were to come up in that area, it would have been a great choice for the community.”
Self said townhouses are ideal for families with two or three children, but they can be hard to come by in New West.
“That’s one of the struggles,” he said. “There seems to be a greater number of small apartment blocks available and the single-family homes, which are outside of people’s price ranges. There definitely is a missing middle, as it’s been called, which we’d like to see more of.”
Fast facts on OCP:
1. The city has received “significant feedback” about proposed changes around the 22nd Street SkyTrain Station. That feedback will be summarized in a future report to city council.
2. The official community plan is a document that aims to provide a vision for the city to 20141 and to provide the regulatory framework to guide future growth in New Westminster.
3. Nearly 500 people are believed to have taken part in open houses and online surveys during the most recent round of consultation on the official community plan.
4. It’s anticipated that council will give first and second reading to the official community plan bylaw in late June. It will then be forwarded to Metro Vancouver in the summer, followed by a public hearing and adoption of the OCP in September.
5. On April 24, council directed staff to change the designation of 337 and 339 Keary St. from residential-detached and semi-detached to residential-ground oriented infill housing. Council also approved a motion to designate properties on Eighth Avenue, First Street and Colborne Street as residential-detached and semi-detached housing.
