Surrey city council approved a 44-storey mixed-use tower proposed for 103 Avenue and 133 Street following a public hearing Monday, June 24.
The applicants – owners K. Zaklan, D. Zaklan, J. Lee and Evanish Holdings Ltd. – propose to build the high-rise at 13379 and 13389-103 Avenue and 10308-133A Street, featuring 424 dwellings as well as an eight-storey podium with ground-floor commercial, restaurant and office space.
A City of Surrey planning report indicates that according to the Surrey School District the development is expected to house 36 school-age children, with 21 elementary students to attend Old Yale school and nine secondary students to attend Kwantlen Park school. The city's Parks, Recreation & Culture department has registered no concerns, with Holland Park situated 350 metres away and a greenbelt located roughly a kilometre away, at Whalley Boulevard and 100 Avenue.
Council approved it at third reading.
During the public hearing Deb Jack, president of Surrey Environmental Partners, noted the development will kill 19 of 26 trees but 59 are to be planted.
She raised a "profound" concern related to the school situation in that the provincial government has done a "wretched" job in providing a "decent good school habitat" for children. "One of these school sites has got 16 portables," she noted. "That takes up a huge amount of land that is otherwise available for children to be active on at recess and lunchtime.
"It's inexcusable, quite frankly."
Council also on June 24 approved at third reading the development of two residential buildings – a 36-storey tower and six-storey low-rise – together to contain 481 dwellings, in the 10700-block of 132A Street and 133 Street. In this project, Jack noted, seven of seven trees will be killed but 27 will be planted.
Meantime, on June 10 council also gave third-reading approval for a 33-storey residential tower with 343 dwellings on June 10 following a public hearing.
This will also be located in Whalley, at 9884 and 9892-138 Street and 9883 and 9897-138A Street.
