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Burnaby should pass $2 billion in construction approvals this year, council hears

Burnaby should pass $2 billion in construction approvals this year, council hears

Yes, it was our first full council meeting of the new term, but it was a relatively short one at about 35 minutes!

Here’s what we heard today:

Cleaning up Burnaby

Former city council candidate Martin Kendell appeared as a delegation this week to promote his efforts on improving cleanliness in the city, calling on council to take steps to institutionalize those efforts.

In his presentation, Kendell suggested four ways the city could do so: 1. Draft a bylaw making property owners responsible for cleanup of litter, as they are with snow removal. 2. Force construction sites, by way of a bylaw, to keep worksites free of litter. 3. Organize a citywide community cleanup event in the spring. 4. Organize one or two community cleanup events each month from spring to early fall in specific areas.

Vibe check

Mayor Mike Hurley thanked Kendell for his efforts, and those of other volunteers who have joined him.

Kendell asked if any councillors would move to direct staff to look into his recommendations, but Hurley said he believed staff was already doing so.

Metro Vancouver board appointments + 2023 meeting schedule

Also on the docket were Hurley’s appointments to the Metro Vancouver Regional District’s board of directors for next year.

Council voted unanimously to send Hurley, and Couns. Pietro Calendino and Sav Dhaliwal as the three primary directors to the board, each with four votes.

Coun. Joe Keithley was named as one of two alternates for all three, while Coun. Alison Gu is an alternate for Hurley and Dhaliwal. Wang is an alternate for Calendino.

Council also unanimously approved the schedule of council meetings, committee meetings, and public hearings. You can find the full schedule here.

Building permits

With two months left in the year, the City of Burnaby has already set a new record of building permit approvals in terms of construction value.

A total of 77 building permits were approved in October, for a total construction value of $187 million, including three multi-family developments at a combined $88.5 million and a commercial development valued at $72 million.

Those October figures add to a 10-month total of $1.91 billion in construction between 1,088 permits. Those permits include 32 multi-family developments valued at a combined $1.12 billion, 285 new single-family houses at $227 million, nine commercial developments at $187 million, and eight industrial developments at $178 million.

If November and December each only see a quarter of the construction value approved in October, the city will surpass the $2-billion mark for the first time ever.

But Burnaby has already almost beaten its 2018 total record construction values, which, accounting for inflation, stood at $1.93 billion between 1,520 permits.

Final adoptions

City council gave final reading and adoption of a slew of development bylaws as part of a phased development agreement with Belford Properties in Metrotown.

The buildings include:

Two high-density rental buildings fronting Telford Avenue
A highrise apartment building with ground-level townhouses fronting Cassie and McKay avenues
A highrise apartment building with ground-level townhouses fronting Silver Avenue
A highrise apartment building with a residential podium and neighbourhood commercial space on the corner of Maywood Street and Silver Avenue

Council also gave final approval to a park dedication bylaw voted on in the local election last month. The bylaw will dedicate areas in the Cariboo and Brunette River conservation areas, Stoney Creek Park, Deer Lake Park, and Burnaby Lake Park as parkland.