Delta council on Monday unanimously gave preliminary approval for a major redevelopment application for the Delta Shoppers Mall site in North Delta.
Each member of council provided a statement why they supported the plan for the site in the 8000-block of Scott Road, including Mayor George Harvie, who reiterated the benefits the additional housing would bring. He also assured traffic would not be impacted negatively as those opposed have warned, and that concerns can be addressed.
Harvie, as well as other council members, also repeated that the province has given the city a housing target, and that his platform when running for office was to focus high-density residential growth on arterial routes rather than residential neighbourhoods.
Infrastructure and schools have the capacity to handle the development at that location, he said.
The development includes four buildings ranging from six-to-32 storeys in height with a total of 876 residential units, as well as 113,554-square-feet of office space, 70,637-square-feet of commercial space and 3,418-square-feet of childcare space.
The east side of the site would include two, 32-storey towers with 643 market condo units. The west side of the site would include a 10-storey mid-rise building with 150 senior-oriented housing units as well as a six-storey rental building with 66 market and 17 below-market rental housing units. Both buildings would include retail on the first floor.
The project would also include a total of 21,008-square-feet of common indoor amenity space and 85,409-square-feet of outdoor common amenity space in several locations throughout the development.
A total of 1,565 parking stalls in an underground parkade are proposed, as well as 1,123 bicycle parking spaces.
Vehicle access to the development is proposed from Scott Road, while the owner would be required to upgrade the existing northeast access to a fully signalized intersection.
The planning department notes the rezoning proposal is consistent with the Official Community Plan (OCP), so a public hearing is not required.
Harvie said council has reviewed all the feedback and had more than sufficient information to make a decision, pointing out that new provincial housing legislation stipulates that a hearing is not even permitted for applications that adhere to an OCP.
The proposal has been met with vocal opposition from a group of residents who gathered petitions and sent letters to municipal hall conveying concerns, including the proposed density, height and traffic impacts.
Opponents, some attending council on Monday, also claimed that public notification and meaningful consultation was lacking.
In countering that argument, Coun. Rod Binder said he was part of the area plan committee a decade ago when North Delta had its area plan last updated.
He said the development adheres to the current area plan and that the level of public consultation and engagement was equal or greater than the city holding a public hearing.
Coun. Jennifer Johal agreed, saying the proposal “checks numerous boxes for a well planned and thought-out development”.
Coun. Dylan Kruger described the plan as “a terrific project” which offers a complete continuum of housing, which was echoed by Coun. Daniel Boisvert who said he liked the mix of housing that will be available.
Coun. Jessie Dosanjh described the project as being “in the right time” and “for the right place.”
The only councillor not to vote on Monday was Alicia Guichon, who recently gave birth to a baby daughter and has been granted a council leave until Aug. 31.
