Public Hearing: 5-storey, 93-unit rental apartment at 53rd and 201A Street

Last night, Langley City Council held a public hearing for a proposed 5-storey, 93-unit rental apartment development on the northwest corner of 53rd Avenue and 201A Street. The proposed project will have 99 residents’ parking spots and 15 visitors’ parking spots. The building contains 20 two-bedroom units, with the remainder one-bedroom or studio.

Render of proposed apartment project at 20121, 20131, 20141, 20151, 20161 & 20171 53 Avenue. Select the image to enlarge.

Langley City’s Advisory Design Panel, which includes members of the public, architects, and landscape architects who volunteer their time, made the following recommendations about the proposed project:

• Consider sharing or strengthening the relationship of the outdoor amenity space with that of the adjacent development to the north (which is being built by the same applicant as this proposed project.)
• Consider moving the resident accessible parking stall closer to the elevator lobby.
• Review the use of Dogwood trees for hardiness and incorporate additional shade-tolerant tree species into landscaping.
• Consider the use of wood mulch as ground cover for the southwest communal garden plots.
• Consider shifting the bike maintenance room to be adjacent to the bike storage room and allowing access between them.
• Consider expanding the size of the elevator lobby in the parkade and improving visibility into and out of it through additional windows, relocating or reconfiguring the electrical room as necessary.
• Consider providing additional communal garden plots.
• Consider providing outdoor amenity space, landscaping, or solar panels on the roof.
• Review the maneuverability of exiting the visitor parking area.

Image showing the relationship between the previously approved apartment on 53A Avenue and 201 A Street, and this proposed apartment. Select the image to enlarge.

The applicant moved forward with the Panel’s recommendations, except they did not move the accessible parking as it would impact the width of that spot or add anything to the roof.

Council received two emails from residents about the proposed project. The residents expressed concerns about parking and wanted additional crosswalks and sidewalks in the area.

As part of the redevelopment between 200th Street and 201A Street, a new sidewalk will be built on the north side of 53rd Avenue. The City will also create a raised crosswalk between 200th and 201A Street on 53rd Avenue to improve access to the school.

As for on-site parking, a series of parking studies completed by the Regional District found that it is underutilized in apartment buildings throughout the South of Fraser, including Langley City. Most rental apartments in Langley City charge for on-site parking, which could lead to some people electing to park their vehicles on the street for free.

I asked at the public hearing if the applicant would add extra soundproofing between units where the living room of one unit abuts the bedroom of another unit. The applicant noted that there is an extra layer of wall in the kitchen areas, and overall, they use wall assemblies that exceed BC Building Code requirements.