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Maple Ridge council wants eight apartments to be rental

Townhouse project planned for 112th Avenue, 240th Street
10782497_web1_condos
Condominium prices keep climbing. (THE NEWS/files)

Maple Ridge council is trying to grow the stock of rental housing in Maple Ridge, bit by bit.

As part of the application for a townhouse and commercial development on the southeast corner of 112th Avenue and 240th Street, council wants eight second-storey residential units that will be located above the commercial part of the development to remain rental units forever and never to be converted into ownership or condos.

The eight apartments are part of a 138-unit residential and commercial project at that location and calls for those units only to be rented on a month-to-month basis.

Coun. Craig Speirs said that the city will try to get developers to include rental units in their projects on a case-by-case basis, until a more formal policy exists.

And requiring rental units as part of new developments means mixing that type of accommodation into the suburbs, he pointed out.

“We can’t continue with the housing crisis we have. That’s what’s forcing us to take this action,” said Speirs.

The city is creating a housing agreement between itself and the developer and creating a bylaw for that purpose. Council was to vote on adopting that bylaw at its Tuesday meeting. If passed, the housing agreement will be filed with the land title office.