A proposed new apartment complex in Maple Ridge will have a green rooftop, with patio seating, a play area and gardens.
Council is considering the proposal for a six-storey building on Dewdney Trunk Road, near Burnett Street. It will have 127 apartment units, along with 180 square meters of commercial space on the ground floor.
What sets it apart from other condo developments in Maple Ridge will be the rooftop amenity area. It will have a variety of seating areas, including a larger social seating area, on half of the building. That half will also include a garden area where people can grow vegetables, a play area and picnic table.
The other half of the roof will be a green roof, with a variety of plantings, and a pedestrian pathway. Architect Robert Billard, the applicant to the city, said the green roof plantings come in a system similar to garden trays, which are light, easy to remove when work is required, and stand up to a cost-benefit analysis.
He noted the building will be stepped back at the third storey, along its southern face, to limit the impact of the building on residential neighbours. It will also be designed to provide more natural light to the units. The building will feature a ground floor courtyard and a children’s play area.
“We need these outdoor areas, the pandemic has shown us,” said Billard.
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The properties are at 22904, 22901 and 22922 Dewdney Trunk Road, and have a combined area off 0.33 hectares or 0.8 acres.
The proposed building will contain a mix of studio, one, two and three bedroom units. Residential parking, 157 parking spaces, will primarily be in two underground parking levels accessed by a rear lane from Burnett Street.
The same applicant was at council with a plan in February of 2020, but council sent him back to the drawing board, to add a sixth storey to the building, and the commercial space on the ground floor.
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“Council made a good decision in adding some small-scale commercial,” said Billard, noting the building is just outside the city centre in the official community plan, and a cafe or other commercial enterprise would fit well.
Council will consider amendments to the OCP as well as a rezoning bylaw, and if approved for first and second reading, would go to public hearing.
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