What Density Bonusing Could have Meant to New Westminster

Everyone's worst fears were confirmed at the Density Bonusing Workshop Wednesday evening. Most of our sister cities have implemented the plan sometime ago, but as usual our council is just beginning to entertain the idea. It is a process whereby developers interested in building in areas designated for higher density under the Official Community Plan would be given the opportunity to increase the size of their building in return for an agreed upon amenity contribution. The following is a quote from The Local Government Act of British Columbia : "Several cities have used density bonusing since the 1950s to achieve community improvements and public benefits. Density bonusing is essentially a system of exchange, allowing zoning requirements to vary in exchange for provision of certain amenities or housing that benefit the community."

Let's use the downtown as an example, under the existing OCP the area is zoned for buildings from 4 - 13 stories in height; using Plaza 88 as an example, they are zoned for a maximum of 13 stories. Azure 1 and 11 consist of 33 stories each or 40 stories above what the Official Community Plan allows. If each floor consists. of 5 units which average 900 sq. feet at an average cost to the developer of $24,000, the approximate amenity contribution by the developer to the city would be 200 units x $24,000 = $4.8 million.

Using Plaza 88 as but one example Wayne Wright the self-proclaimed choice of labour and the labour council slate of Cote, Harper, and Williams have sold the farm. The boom is over, they are attempting to close the barn door after the horses have left. Their complete incompetence has set the city back 10 years and cost all of us tens of millions of dollars. When it comes to public amenities New Westminster is a barren wasteland. Given the incredible amount of development this gang has approved divisive public brawls such as the Moody Park Pool fiasco that pitt neighbourhood against neighbourhood should never occur. A lack of theater space, parks, and an adequate ice/lacrosse space would be problems about to be solved. There will be another building boom, let's shuffle this lot out the door at the next election and turn the royal city around.