Edmonds, Royal Oak and Cascade Heights plans finalized

Three community plans are ready for final approval by Burnaby City Council. During the city’s Planning and Development Committee meeting on Mar. 12, city council members discussed the final community plans for Burnaby’s Edmonds, Royal Oak, and Cascade Heights areas. 

The three plans have been in the making since early 2023, with several rounds of public consultation. The plans will come to council on Tuesday Mar. 25 for final approval. Once approved by council, the plans will be incorporated into the city’s official community plan (OCP). 

During the meeting, council members provided feedback on the finalized plans, with the discussion lasting almost an hour. Parks and density were some topics that sparked questions and longer discussions. 

“We’re making a lot of residents very nervous by stocking out large parcels of land for future park use, and their concern is their property value goes down as soon as we say that,” said Mayor Mike Hurley. “It was different when we were just single-family homes, but now, when people see opportunities to have six, sometimes eight storeys on those parcels, I think that completely flips what people believe their property is worth.”

Hurley added that in one area of Edmonds alone, if the city decided to buy the properties there and convert them to parks, it would cost $150 million, and that is before any development takes place. 

However, with increased density, more people will be moving into small apartments with little access to green spaces and will have to commute long distances to take their children to parks and playgrounds. 

Coun. Pietro Calendino spoke about parks and suggested creating small pockets of green space within the urban areas. 

“Instead of making huge, large parks in small areas, do many smaller pocket parks so people don’t have to walk more than two three blocks to access a small green area to take their little kids to, and the little kids don’t necessarily need a playing field, just a space they can run around for a few minutes,” Calendino said. 

Many of the changes suggested during the meeting will be added to the city’s overall OCP, which will come to council in the next few months for approval. 

Some of the plans for the Edmonds area include: 

• Transforming Kingsway into a safer, more pedestrian-friendly boulevard with improved multi-modal connections.

• Transforming Edmonds Street into a unique mixed-use character street.

• Increasing market and non-market rental housing options surrounding the Edmonds SkyTrain station.

• Identifying potential future school sites in partnership with the Burnaby School District. 

• Enhancing and expanding parks, open spaces, trails and greenways throughout Edmonds to establish a bluegreen space network.

Residents of the Royal Oak area can look forward to increased development around transit, especially the SkyTrain station and expansion of parks and green spaces. Making Kingsway safe for all users is another element in the Royal Oak plan. Other elements include:

• Establishing a creative employment node, including a brewery district, at the eastern portion of Royal Oak.

• Establishing two mixed-use nodes (the Village Centre Node at the intersection of Kingsway and Royal Oak Avenue and the Station Node near the Royal Oak SkyTrain Station) that serve as gateways to Royal Oak.

• Enhancing safe and convenient access to the Highland Park Line and BC Parkway.

• Supporting the retention and enhancement of heritage buildings and other heritage resources in Royal Oak.

• Providing a full spectrum of housing forms in Royal Oak.

Residents of Cascade Heights will have a new neighbourhood-wide walking loop and expanded green spaces. Other features of the new Cascade Heights plan include: 

• Supporting a variety of housing forms including townhouse/rowhouse forms and low-rise apartments, and efforts to increase the rental housing stock.

• Establishing Sunset Street (east of Smith Avenue) as a pedestrian-oriented Village Centre high street.

• Making streets safer, less congested and more cyclist and pedestrian-friendly, including along key corridors like Smith Avenue.

• Framing key streets such as Boundary Road, Smith Avenue and Sunset Street with 4 to 6-storey low-rise forms.

The finalized plans are available on the city’s website either through the meeting agenda or the Your Voice online platform for downloading and reading.

This piece was made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.

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