Coquitlam council concerned about traffic repercussions in the area
By Lauren Kelly, Assistant Editor
An upcoming development in New Westminster will be further modernizing the up-and-coming Sapperton district. Compared to Brooklyn by residents, Sapperton has become known as a bustling area for young people, with the Brewery District now housing small cafés and exercise studios. Now, plans are moving forward to begin developing Sapperton Green, a mixed-use space centred on Braid Station.
Developed by Bentall Kennedy and owned by BC Management Investment Corporation, Sapperton Green is set to be built on a 38-acre lot to the west of Braid Station. It will be bordered by the Brunette River to the North, Hume Park to the West and Braid Street to the South. The area is currently home to warehouses and unused land.
Currently, the updated plan allots 3.4 million square feet for residential spaces, 130,000 square feet of retail space, and between 500,000 to 1 million square feet of office space. This will be housed within multiple 3–35 storey buildings. The residential spaces include 3,700 homes, expected to house 7,500 residents. Combining the natural aspects of the park and river into the plan, Sapperton Green will include a nature corridor down its centre that ends at Hume Park.
However, Coquitlam councillors and staff are not happy with the development. There are well-known traffic issues at the Brunette interchange, where cars exit off the freeway at the poorly planned and often congested route to Braid Station and the Royal Columbian Hospital. The Coquitlam councillors are concerned that, without first fixing the problems in that area, developing Sapperton Green will add to the congestion and make the trip even more difficult for ambulances and cars travelling to the Royal Columbian Hospital, which should have easy access for residents of the area.
“I want us to work together as communities and I think we should extend the olive branch and try one more time to ask New West to please consult properly with its neighbours about the connections that we have to have between our two communities to make it work,” Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart told Tri-Cities Now.
Further development for the Royal Columbian Hospital will be beginning later this year as well, making access to the largest and best equipped hospital in the area even more important. Phase One of the update will include a 75-bed mental health and substance abuse facility, and a geriatric psychiatry unit, as well as other infrastructure developments.
New Westminster will begin the official community plan amendment process for Sapperton Green on October 5.
