A five-highrise residential project for Surrey city centre was approved by city council following a public hearing Monday afternoon, during a special council meeting.
The meeting was set for 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 8 at city hall, where other development proposals were also heard. Nobody spoke at the public hearing to this particular project to build 2,200 dwelling units, including also a mid-rise rental apartment building as part of a multi-phased development to be located at 13301 to 13355 – 104 Ave. and 13280 to 13362 – 105 Ave.
Coun. Steven Pettigrew voted against it. It passed third reading.
“The increase in density is 50 per cent over the original plan,” he noted, “and I do not see a 50 per cent increase in supporting infrastructure for the area. Even though the local elementary school is expecting a new addition I believe that it will not keep up with the large density increases that are occurring in the city centre plan. And the high school is extremely stressed out, with 11 portables and awaiting the results of a feasibility study.”
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Meantime, a 482-townhouse development project for South Surrey, at 1083, 1109 and 1177 – 168 St., at 1068 – Highway 99 and 16620 – 12 Ave., was also on the public hearing agenda, as was a 4,478 square-metre business park building for 15290-66 Ave. in Newton, and a 3,500 square metre industrial building for 12674-88 Ave. in Newton, among other smaller projects.
The South Surrey townhouse project received third-reading approval with Mayor Doug McCallum and Councillors Alison Patton, Doug Elford, Mandeep Nagra and Laurie Guerra voting in favour of it and Councillors Linda Annis, Steven Pettigrew, Jack Hundial and Brenda Locke voting against.
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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