The public will have its say about one of the last big residential developments in Pitt Meadows later this month.
The Onni townhouse development, at 19451 Sutton Avenue, has been pared down from 274 units to 220, and councillors suggest the project could contain fewer units before it is finally approved.
“Council is working hard on this, and listening, and I think that’s a great reduction,” said Coun. David Murray, adding the project is headed in the right direction.
Coun. Tracy Miyashita said there may be more reductions to come.
“I get the sense this project might still be too dense, and we need to do some more work on this project,” she said.
“I do support moving this forward to public hearing, and I’m really interested in what the residents have to say about this.”
She encouraged members of the public to meeting on May 31.
The city will ask Onni to undertake an estimated $8.3 million worth of traffic upgrades for its Sutton Avenue townhouse development, and the Golden Ears Business Park, phases three and four.
The upgrades were identified in the South Bonson traffic study, which was completed in April. Some of the work includes four-lane widening of Airport Way, from Baynes Road to Golden Ears Way, at a cost of $4.3 million, and intersection signals on Airport Way, at Harris and Bonson roads, at a combined cost of $3.1 million.
Other projects are sidewalks and signalized crosswalks.
City chief administrator Mark Roberts clarified that the numbers are estimates.
“Basically we’re asking Onni to do all of those project pieces, at whatever cost they amount to,” adding it could cost about $9 million.
“The point is not who is paying for it, but who isn’t,” said Mayor John Becker. “The taxpayers of the city will not be paying for these improvements.”
Phases three and four of the Golden Ears Business Park were referred back to staff to address 11 separate issues, ranging from architectural design, landscape buffers and traffic calming options.