Maple Ridge council refused to approve a 47-unit townhouse development on Fern Crescent, saying the project was too dense for the area.
At least one councillor said it made her literally sick to vote against housing, given the current need.
“It gives me a visceral reaction to think about the possibility of voting ‘no’ to housing during this time of a housing crisis, it actually makes me kinda want to puke to be honest,” said Jenny Tan. “It is really difficult.”
At its Feb. 27 meeting, council voted against the Woodlock Development plan to put the 47 units at the site along the wooded route to Golden Ears Provincial Park. They had been proposed for properties at 24195 Fern Cr. and 24070 128th Ave. – a combined 0.84 hectares. A motion to give the bylaw amendments third reading was defeated, with just two votes in favour and five against.
There was about 40 minutes of debate at the council table, and councillors have described it as one of the most difficult decisions of the term.
Tan noted that at a public hearing last week, some residents spoke about the dire need for housing, including young people who may have to move if they can’t find housing.
READ ALSO: Plenty of public interest in townhouses on Maple Ridge’s Fern Crescent
“I’m living that, and so that’s very, very intensely difficult,” she said.
Mayor Dan Ruimy said the need for a second access route into the Silver Valley area is critical. There is a plan to build a bridge over the Alouette River at the north end of 240th Street, connecting it to Fern Crescent, but he isn’t counting on it, saying it has been in discussion for a long time.
“I don’t sleep at night, thinking of trying to evacuate that whole area,” Ruimy said.
“Maybe we won’t be able to get that bridge, maybe we won’t be able to find $55 million to build a bridge anytime soon,” he added.
The mayor also referred to council earlier sending the townhouse project back to the drawing board, when it was 48 units, asking for less density.
“This shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody,” said Ruimy. “Because council has struggled with this one, we referred it back to staff, hoping that there would be less densification. Unfortunately, it came back with one less (unit), and that’s just not good enough for me.”
Coun. Sunny Schiller said there are better places for dense development, such as along Dewdney Trunk Road and in the town centre.
“To my way of thinking, we have to have areas of the community where the density is kept low, to allow spaces for 80-year-old trees and for wildlife,” said Schiller. “I see this particular location as being one of those areas. If we’re not going to hold to lower density in areas like this… at the edge of the community and interfacing with a large, natural area, then we’re not going to hold it anywhere.”
Coun. Judy Dueck spoke in support of the plan, referring to comments about more affordable housing options at last week’s public hearing.
“The need for more density, more attainable homes, was something we heard,” she said. “One young lady spoke and really resonated with me when she said that we need more affordable housing options, that it’s about ensuring the future viability and vitality of our community. It’s about giving our youth the opportunity and the hope. So my children and my grandchildren don’t have to move away from Maple Ridge.”
She noted that School District 42 has a plan to build a new school in the area, and increased density will help.
“Most of our schools throughout our community are at capacity, this is a challenge, and it’s not just a challenge for Silver Valley…” she said.
READ ALSO: Dead boat cleanup underway in Pitt Meadows
