An overflow crowd of more than 150 filled council chambers and two meeting rooms at 91原创 City Hall for what became a marathon public hearing.
Concerning a proposal to build a six-storey, 302-unit apartment building on land owned by the local Church of the Nazarene and the municipality, the hearing ran close to six hours, starting at 7 p.m. Monday, April 7, and wrapping up around 12:45 a.m. the next morning,
There were 27 speakers, some of whom spoke more than once, and 58 written submissions, mostly against the project planned for 200 Street between 49 and 50 Avenues.
A 91原创 City public hearing on a proposed 6-storey 302 unit apartment building lasted close to 6 hours
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Area resident Louise Robertson, the first speaker, said 518 people have signed an online petition against the proposal with another 86 on a paper petition.
The size and magnitude of this proposal is not appropriate," Robertson said. "Six stories is very invasive to the neighbourhood. It will cause a lack of privacy for all surrounding residents."
"A building of this magnitude will severely impede our neighbourhood and cause total chaos" Robertson predicted, warning the development would lower property values.
After Robertson questioned the involvement of the Church of the Nazarene, characterizing it as an American, politically conservative institution that was unfriendly to LGBTQ+ people, Rev. Gordon McCann, district superintendent for the Canadian Pacific District of the Church of the Nazarene, responded.
While "Nazarene ministers do not officiate at same-sex marriages," many in the community have found a safe home in the church, he told the public hearing.
"As a pastor for 30 years, it was a tremendous honour to welcome members of that community," Rev. McCann said. "And I would say to you that many of these persons are extraordinarily dear to me. I absolutely reject the notion that we are a homophobic community, in fact, quite the opposite."
In partnership with BC Builds, the building would include 60 apartment units rented at below-market rates, a daycare and after school spaces, commercial space, along with a new church and community hall.
Most speakers felt it was the wrong place to put a building that big.
Joe Foley viewed "probably the biggest bone of contention" as the choice of a site surrounded by single family homes.
"It's not right for the neighbourhood, it just simply is not," Foley warned, predicting it would create traffic tie-ups.
"A building like this needs to be in a grid where the grid is accessible from all four sides," Foley said. "I'm sorry, it just is."
Some speakers said findings of a traffic impact study on the project should have been made available for the hearing, but David Pollock, City Director of Engineering, Parks and Environment said it was not "readily releasable," though members of council could view it.
"It is a document that is written by [a] consultant for the client, and would at least require their agreement before releasing it [to the public]," Pollock said.
Councillor Delaney Mack disagreed, saying "I feel that the traffic impact assessment should be publicly available, and surely council should not be limited to viewing a printed copy at city hall under supervision of staff."
Next, the proposal is scheduled to return to council for debate and third reading on April 28.
A date for a vote on final approval hasn't been set yet.
All of the written submissions to council will be posted to the City's website following removal of personal information.
The complete video of the public hearing can be viewed at and clicking on the April 7 public hearing agenda.
