On Monday night, Langley City Council gave third reading for rezoning and the discharge of a land use contract which would enable the development of a 12-storey apartment building at 5360 204 Street. The current apartment building on that site is known as the Pyramid Apartments. The proposed building will have 317 strata units and 53 rental units.
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| A rendering of the proposed project at 5360 204 Street. Select the image to enlarge. |
Because the current building is a market-rate rental building, it is subject to Langley City's one-to-one rental unit replacement and tenant relocation policies.
Last week, Council held a public hearing and received feedback from community members about this proposed project.
Before giving third reading to the rezoning, all members of Council expressed their reason for voting in favour of third reading.
Council acknowledged that we are in a housing crisis and need all types of housing: BC Housing subsidized housing, below-market housing, and market housing.
Councillors noted that the project was consistent with our Official Community Plan and exceeded several Council bylaw and policy requirements.
The project exceeds the City's one-on-one rental replacement requirement by providing 53 units above the 44 required. The project applicant also exceeds our tenant relocation policy by providing eight months' rent as compensation for vulnerable tenants above the six months per Council policy. They also offered tenants the right to return at 20% below market rent, exceeding Langley City's 10% below market rent policy. The applicant will also provide built-in A/C for all the rental units.
All members of Council noted that we need to reevaluate our Tenant Relocation Policy for future projects to ensure it is responsive and fair for tenants as our community redevelops.
Community members were also concerned about shadowing and privacy for neighbouring buildings. The building steps down to 8 stories to the east, and mature trees along the property line will be retained. Folks were concerned about traffic. City staff confirmed "no significant traffic impacts to intersections along 204 Street due to this development." Based on on-the-ground research of parking in other apartments throughout Langley City, the on-site parking exceeds current on-site parking utilization rates.
Later in the meeting, Council approved the following Community Grants for our mid-year intake.
| Group | Amount |
|---|---|
| Alano Club of Langley | $2000.00 |
| Bosnian-Herzegovinian Cultural Centre | $2000.00 |
| BGC (Boys and Girls Club of Langley) | $1225.00 |
| Eco Waves Community Volunteer Club | $600.00 |
| Fairy Godmother Foundation | $1000.00 |
| Fibromyalgia Well Spring Foundation | $755.78 |
| Langley Community Services Society (Best Babies) | $5000.00 |
| Langley Community Services Society (Langley Global Fest) | $4475.00 |
| Langley Fastball Association | $5000.00 |
| Lower Fraser Valley Aboriginal Society | $5400.00 |
| Terry Fox Foundation | $1535.00 |
| Total | $28,990.78 |
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