Two major high-rise development projects downtown that together equal 1,789 dwellings and 153 floors worth of tower received third-reading approval from Surrey city council on Monday, Feb. 12.
These passed without debate, after a public hearing that same night.
The first project – at 13340 112 Avenue, 11151 Bolivar Road and 13307 King George Boulevard – by Oviedo Properties consists of one 21-storey mixed-use tower and two residential towers – 24 and 37 storeys – featuring 967 dwellings and 240 square metres of ground floor commercial space. This is currently vacant land, and the site of a used car dealership.
Fleetwood resident Richard Landale spoke against the project.
“Stunning,” he told council, railing against what he argued is over-densification in the area. “A moratorium must be put in place, if for no other reason to establish classroom space. Or is it portables again?”
Remi Masson, environmental consultant for the project, said it’s his professional opinion that the project is proceeding in an environmentally responsible way. “I feel they have gone through a significantly comprehensive habitat restoration plan that I think will overall benefit the habitat at this location,” he told council.
Deb Jack, of Surrey Environmental Partners, noted the development has a “green roof,” meaning it will have plants.
Richard Bernstein, the architect for the project, noted it has been “unanimously supported and praised” by Surrey’s advisory design panel “as a unique design. It is one that is fully embracing the creek.
“We want to enhance the creek area.”
Newton resident Sahil Sharma said he supports the project.
Next up, Tangerine Developments plans to build – at 10057 137A Street (10055 and 10065 137A Street), 10073, 10083, 10089 137A Street, and 10054, 10064, 10080 and 10088 Whalley Boulevard – a major high-rise development where older single-family homes currently are, consisting of a 38-storey mixed-use building and a 33-storey residential tower with 822 dwellings and 747 square metres of ground floor commercial space.
Landale spoke to this one as well, as did Jack and Bernstein.
“Turn the city centre into a massive heat dome, sacrifice livability for density, overcrowding with no green space, destroy a few remaining trees, choke ‘em with traffic fumes and noise along the other seven towers around 100 Avenue,” Landale told council. “Heaven forbid building roadway networks to manage traffic volumes.”
Daniel Douglas lives in a building across the street from the development. “I do want to put myself in favour of this rezoning, hoping the whole area gets rezoned the same way. I just want to say I’m in favour of this development.”
Jack said noted that the project features “a bit more amenity area than required, which is a good thing.”
“The development looks really interesting insofar as greenery is concerned,” she said. “Especially on the roof of the podium.” She added, however, that 105 replacement trees will require 20 to 30 years “in order for them to begin – to begin – to provide the services to the city and its citizens in replacing the services that are provided right now. And my goodness gracious, in the past seven months the average temperature increase of the planet has been 1.5 degrees. That is profoundly serious.”
“So we need to be, with the greatest of respect, thinking about the impact of the decisions we make today on the citizens of the future who are our children and our grandchildren, and maybe great-grandchildren,” Jack told council.
Bernstein, who is the architect for this project as well, noted this project was also unanimously supported by the city’s advisory design panel and the city’s planning and engineering departments.
“We worked over many months to come up with an exciting design,” he said, “and we think it’s going to be a great contribution to this part of Surrey city central.”
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