A new neighbourhood with more than 900 homes has been proposed for South Burnaby, but councillors want the chance to discuss it before giving it the first of four major approvals.
Developer Southgate City Homes (Ledingham McAllister) proposes 934 homes at a portion of 7201 11th Ave., including 819 market strata condos and 115 non-market rentals, according to a staff report.
The Courtyard neighbourhood, part of Burnaby’s Southgate City project, would include two strata condo towers at 44 storeys and 36 storeys, along with two six-storey buildings, one for strata condos and one for non-market rentals.
The non-market rental building includes a 2,146-square-foot child-care facility and one of the towers includes a potential retail space (which could be converted to a building amenity if it’s not used for retail).
The city requires the non-market rental building to be built first.
The developer plans for a total of 1,054 parking spaces and space for more than 2,000 bikes.
Amenities would include study lounges, a guest suite, an outdoor terrace and a fitness facility, depending on the building.
Southgate City in Burnaby
The staff report also seeks council approval to amend the Southgate master plan to be aligned with current policy requirements around rental housing. The Southgate master plan was approved in 2015, before those regulations came into effect.
But Coun. Pietro Calendino said he was "surprised" to see the master plan amendment come before council at its Oct. 30 meeting, before it could be discussed by the planning and development committee.
He noted the amendment could change the number of buildings constructed at the site, though he noted he was pleased by the possibility of more housing.
He referred the proposal back to the committee, where councillors on the committee can "analyze and scrutinize" the changes.
The referral was unanimously approved.
About 8,454 homes are proposed in the amended site area, according to the staff report, including 970 non-market rental units rented at 20 per cent below the market median, though unit counts could change as specific development applications are submitted.
The Southgate City development is already under construction, with some sections finished.
The Island neighbourhood on the southwest side of the site has begun construction, and part of the Ernie Winch neighbourhood at the northeast side has been finished.
The last phases of the development are planned to be the east part of Courtyard and the “Milk Plant Site” (Agropur Cooperative) which is currently under a long-term lease, according to the report.
A future phase of Southgate could include a civic centre. The site at the southwest corner of 18th Street and Southgate Boulevard is the currently identified location, where a 20,000 sq. ft. sales centre building will eventually be built, according to the report. The sales centre would be transferred to the city and "used for civic purposes (to be defined at a later time)."
