Moodyville residents concerned about 16-storey TransLink development

Concerned Moodyvillve residents were allowed to speak about TransLink’s proposed development on the former Moodyville bus depot at a council meeting on February 10. In an earlier meeting, Mayor Linda Buchanan asked residents not to speak specifically on the development. However, the city later said it was staff error, not the Mayor’s outreach, that silenced residents.

Leading the opposition was Laurie Parkinson, a longtime Moodyville resident and head of a new community group advocating for the residents. She criticized the height of the proposed towers, which she argued would be a drastic departure from the city’s Official Community Plan (OCP).

“We are not against density—the mid-rise buildings allowed in our OCP for Moodyville are great,” Parkinson said. “But 16-story buildings would be four times taller than our OCP allows. It would be a betrayal.” She also pointed to a March 2024 statement by the mayor regarding another development, where she said, “We’re not going crazy on height. We do not have tower forms.” Parkinson questioned why a different standard was applied to the bus depot site.

“Public input should be public engagement.”

Graham Parkinson, a resident with experience in community consultation, urged the council to rethink how they engage with the public on major projects. “Public input should be public engagement,” he said, advocating for a more interactive dialogue between council and residents. He also proposed renaming the public input period to reflect this change, arguing that meaningful engagement was essential for democratic decision-making.

Sam Lundgren, who recently purchased a townhome in Moodyville, voiced his concerns about the scale of the development and its potential impact on parking and transit infrastructure. While he supported increased housing and transit-oriented development, he felt the TransLink project was poorly designed. “It’s too large, very short-sighted, and does not create the community hub that you envisioned for this area,” Lundgren said, adding that the proposal lacked essential amenities like a grocery store or community center.

Longtime resident Ross McMillan called the project “disastrous” and argued that it would excessively strain North Vancouver’s already overburdened infrastructure. He disputed TransLink’s claim that the site was a transit hub, pointing out that it has only one rapid bus stop.

“The neighborhood has already accommodated increased density under the current OCP, but we have all paid the price—parking pressure, severe traffic congestion, schools over capacity, and an overstretched healthcare system,” McMillan said. “Mayor and council, please stick to the OCP. Please do what you say and say what you do.”

Ryan Trudeau raised similar concerns, particularly about the feasibility of handling increased traffic along Third Street, which is already heavily congested. He noted that parking shortages had worsened as new developments received variances, allowing for reduced parking. “All these new people coming in, with just one lane in each direction—it just won’t work,” he said.

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Patricia McClung, a resident since 1962, warned about safety risks associated with the city’s growing density, particularly in an emergency. She described the area’s infrastructure as “littered with very volatile facilities” and feared evacuation routes would be sufficient in a crisis. “If anything happens, it will be like lighting matches all along. How do we get out of here?” she asked.

What TransLink is proposing

The project site includes a 0.31-acre north parcel and a 1.87-acre south parcel. Early concept plans propose:

• Two 16-storey rental buildings on the south parcel, with six-storey podiums.
• Street-level retail, including up to 14,000 square feet of commercial space, could feature an urban grocery store.
• A 10,000-square-foot outdoor plaza designed for public gatherings and events.
• Eight rowhomes on the north parcel.

The project would deliver nearly 400 rental units, with approximately 10% as below-market rentals.