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Public invited to comment on 1,300-unit development in Richmond

Polygon Talisman is planning to build condos with some market and affordable rentals in Capstan
PolygonTalisman
About 1,300 condos are planned for a property in the Capstan area.

The public can comment on Monday on a large housing development in the Capstan area.

Polygon Talisman is planning a mixed-use neighbourhood – saving a corner of the lot with more than 50 mature trees – near the intersection of Garden City and Cambie roads.

John Roston, coordinator of Richmond Rental Housing Advocacy Group, plans to speak against the proposal on Monday at the public hearing.

He is urging council to rezone the property to 100 per cent rental, saying the property owner seems to have paid a premium price assuming council would rezone it for condos.

“If so, their gamble on strata condo rezoning seems to have taken for granted that you would vote for it,” Roston said in a submission to city council. “That was a major mistake on their part.”

The application by Polygon Talisman passed first reading at council in a 6-3 vote.

The proposed redevelopment has been on council’s agenda twice before and Polygon has made changes, for example, agreeing to move a greenspace in order to save several dozen mature trees on the property.

This iteration of the application adds 51 rental homes to the project bringing the total to 171. The number of affordable rentals that will be built as part of the project remains the same at 156 units.

There will be 1,014 strata units and the entire project will be about 1.2 million square feet in size.

Couns. Carol Day, Michael Wolfe and Chak Au voted against the application.

Ten per cent of the residential square footage is dedicated to affordable rental homes. 

The affordable rentals and the market rentals together comprise about 24 per cent of the units proposed.

The public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday.