New Westminster city council wants a massive new development proposed for Columbia Square Plaza to provide ample affordable and rental housing.
At a June 12 workshop, city council received an introductory report about a rezoning application for the shopping plaza at 88 10th St, which would see the site redeveloped into a high-density, mixed-use and transit-oriented community The reports states “significant residential density” is anticipated as part of the site’s redevelopment – with 2,200 to 4,000 residential units built in six to eight towers, providing homes for an estimated 4,000 to 7,250 residents.
EDGAR Development said its proposal features eight towers (incorporating affordable housing, market rental and strata condos), a daycare, office, retail and significant green space.
“Staff consider this project to be of a very high priority. The developer has expressed that they would like to move this application as quickly as possible, and staff feel similar,” said Demian Rueter, the city’s acting senior manager of climate action, planning and development. “But we are very early in the process right now to develop this site for a variety of housing types, amenities, and a significant new anchor to the west end of our downtown.”
Mike Watson, the city’s acting manager of development planning, said the proposed development is not consistent with the city’s inclusionary housing policy, which targets a minimum 20 per cent inclusionary housing with the specific number and affordability levels, subject to discussion with senior government and housing operators. He said the proposed application provides 10 per cent affordable housing.
According to a staff report, the city seeks a tenure mix that includes about one-third to almost one-half rental units for master-planned, multi-family application. This application currently proposes 20 per cent rental, including both market and affordable rental.
Architect Mark Thompson said the complete community being proposed at Columbia Square align directly with city priorities related to environmental and cultural reconciliation, housing, retail job space retention and creation, and nature and the public realm. He said the proposal calls for a mixture of tenure, including 10 per cent (over 400 units) of affordable housing, a market rental component of about the same size, and about 3,000 units of ownership residential.
“We have a mutual desire for this site to accommodate other significant policy resources, including cultural reconciliation, pedestrian-centred public realm, job space and connectivity,” he said. “We look forward to working with staff to advance the application in a way that strikes a balance between the need for affordable housing and these significant other public benefits in a timely manner.”
On Monday, council unanimously approved recommendations directing staff to work with the applicant to revise their proposal to meet the city’s inclusionary housing policy and secured market rental expectations (or identify an alternative proposal for achieving inclusionary and secured market housing in the project) and to work with the applicant to secure development of the affordable units, either within the first half of the total project build-out or proportional to the overall development build-out.
Coun. Nadine Nakagawa said she’d like the project to provide as much purpose-built rental and non-market housing as possible, noting the challenge of building housing in a built-out city like New West. In order to get her support, she said the project would have to get as close to meeting the city’s inclusionary housing policy as possible.
Coun. Ruby Campbell agreed.
“We need to meet the inclusionary housing policy,” she said. “So, it’s not like a like – we need to. We need housing for all.”
Matthew McClenaghan, senior vice president of development at EDGAR development, said he appreciates the city’s policy is for the 20 per cent affordable housing, but noted that can be challenging for private developers to provide on their own. He said it’s something that requires support from the municipality and the province.
“But in all honesty, to deliver 20 per cent, it will be challenging,” he said. “And it’ll challenge the project to move forward.”
McClenaghan said the company wants to continue to the dialogue with the city about the housing component of the development.
Coun. Tasha Henderson said she’s not interested in seeing 3,000 one-bedroom, million-dollar condos built on the site, as that doesn’t help the city meet its housing needs or targets. She said there needs to be a way to “move the dial” on the amount of rental and affordable housing in the development.
“I think people have to bend and shift when that market shifts. We’re in the middle of an absolute housing crisis. So if profit margins are a little less giant than before … I’m not losing sleep,” she said. “So I do want to see a development that works for our community.”
School needs
Because the site is large enough to potentially house an urban school, staff has informed the applicant that they should work with the school district and staff to understand the school space needs and determine if there’s an opportunity for the project to accommodate a school in the development.
On Monday, council directed staff to work with the applicant to complete discussions with the New Westminster school district regarding the need for a school site in the area.
According to a staff report, the project’s proposed population ranges from 4,000 to 7,250 residents, of which 280 to 530 are estimated to be school-aged children.
McClenaghan said the company is in communication with the school board.
“We are open to having that dialogue continuing to see what opportunities there are for the school,” he told council. “So again, early days, but it’s a yes. We are open to that dialogue.”
Henderson said New Westminster’s schools are “bursting.”
“That’s like an entire elementary school from this development,” she said of the school-aged children estimated to live in the development.
Mayor Patrick Johnstone said there will be there will be thousands of people moving to New Westminster in the next 20 years. He noted that the province is also telling the city it needs to accommodate people who are moving into the region.
“We have a responsibility to make sure that we’re building housing for when people move into this region. So I think those are the triggers for the need for a new school. I don’t want people to walk away with the impression that because these buildings are being built, there must be a school to accommodate the people who are living in these buildings,” he said. “School sites are needed in the community, and this is an opportunity. Downtown is an area where we are really pressured. We need school sites.”
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