122 Eighth Avenue

Project update, August 2022: At its August 29, 2022 meeting, New Westminster City Council gave First, Second and Third Readings and approved the Rezoning Application for 122 Eighth Avenue. Click here to view the Council meeting recordings from August 29, and click here to read the Council package and all public correspondence received.

July 2022: This rezoning application was initially put before Council for a waived public hearing on May 9, 2022. It received Third Reading on May 30, 2022. The City in June 2022 realized that it has made an administrative error in the timing of the Council readings due to changes in the Local Government Act. To correct this error, the City is repealing all three readings of the bylaw and beginning a new Council approval process. This process will correct the administrative error. No changes have been made to the content of the zoning bylaw, or the proposed project. Given this, the City is not requiring the applicant to complete any additional steps in the rezoning process, as all required steps were completed previously.

New notifications were mailed to properties in the immediate vicinity, and published in the New West Record newspaper.

What's being proposed?

A rezoning application has been received for 122 Eighth Avenue. A side-by-side, ground-oriented duplex is proposed, with an overall Floor Space Ratio (FSR) of 0.61. The proposed units would be family-friendly, containing three-bedrooms, and stratified. The development proposes two off-street parking spaces in accordance with Zoning Bylaw requirements, with access taken from the rear lane. Secure, weather-protected bicycle storage would be provided for each unit, as per policy expectations. Secondary suites would not be permitted.

The applicants hosted a virtual Open House with a live Q&A session on February 10, 2022 and written feedback was accepted until February 17, 2022. Based on the feedback received, the applicants worked with the City to revise their drawings to reflect the community’s comments. Click here to view the revised drawings of the proposed duplex. You can also review drawings of the original proposal here.

How can I engage?

Engagement on this project has concluded.

City-led consultation on the revised plan was held from March 22 to April 12, 2022. The addition of City-led consultation to the review process is intended to offer enhanced opportunity for public participation before the project is finalized and presented to Council. This staff-led consultation can potentially take the place of the Public Hearing.

On May 9, 2022 Council gave First and Second Reading to the Zoning Amendment Bylaw and, as the project is consistent with the Official Community Plan, has waived the Public Hearing. Council gave Third Reading of this Bylaw on May 30, 2022.

The final staff report to Council included a summary of the feedback received during both the applicant and City-led consultation processes, as well as any feedback submitted directly to staff during the project review process. You can view this report by clicking here.

There have been multiple opportunities for the public to provide feedback through the application review process. The review process was iterative and revisions were considered, based on engagement feedback, throughout the process. The process involved applicant-led consultation, and City-led engagement, prior to being presented to Council for approval.

Applicant-led Engagement: Findings
Options for comment through the Applicant-led engagement included email, mail and a survey. A Virtual Open House was held on February 10, 2022 through Zoom. The feedback has been reviewed by staff and will be made publicly available in the forthcoming report to Council (not yet scheduled).

What We Heard
Two survey responses were gathered through the duration of the applicant-led consultation period, and no attendees were present at the Virtual Open House. As a result, very little feedback was received. Of those who provided comments, the majority focused on the following:

• Support for more housing options; and,
• Concern with the proposed removal of one tree.

Applicant Response and Revisions
In response to consultation and City feedback, the applicant has made changes to their proposal in the following key areas, which are considered to address feedback received:

• Improvement to proposed landscaping along Eighth Avenue and the rear lane;
• Provision of lighting along the front walkway and rear lane;
• Inclusion of screening for waste bins on the lane.

Although retention of the mature cherry tree at the rear of the site was identified during consultation, the City Arborist has confirmed that the poor structure of this tree and the risk posed to private property residents does not make it suitable for retention. Instead, two replacement trees will be required.