Here’s the latest on a few projects at various stages of rezoning in the City of Burnaby:

• 2450 Alpha Avenue

An application was submitted last year for this 41,603 SF site in the Brentwood Town Centre area owned by Solterra. It is now moving toward public hearing next month. The plan calls for a 29-storey, 169 unit condo tower with ground oriented townhouses and below and above ground parking. It is currently zoned M-2, but is designated for high-density residential based on RM-4s. The total density is 3.6 FAR.

• 6050 Sussex Avenue

A preliminary rezoning application has been filed by Townline Homes for a triangular 30,237 SF site in Metrotown. The proposed rezoning is for a new residential highrise as well as a replacement of the existing Burnaby West United Church on site.

The maximum permitted density on the site would be 4.83 FAR.

• 6837-6875 Royal Oak Avenue

A preliminary application has been submitted for a site on the west side of Royal Oak Avenue south of Imperial Street. The site comprises two City-owned properties as well as a privately owned single family home. Under Sub-Area 7 of the Royal Oak Community Plan, the site can be rezoned under C9 Urban Village guidelines, which allows 2.2 FAR.

• Gold House (6280 Cassie Avenue)

This proposal by Rize Alliance for a 41-storey tower and 26-storey tower in Metrotown was give second reading and public hearing last summer, and has now met the prerequisite conditions imposed by the City of Burnaby. It will now move forward for final approval and should begin construction later this year. A registration site for the project is up already and says “Coming early 2015”

On the heels of Mosaic’s successful Cambria project at West 50th and Cambie, another separate rezoning application has been filed just a few blocks south at 6929-6969 Cambie Street and 515 West 54th Avenue. The proposal is for two 6-storey buildings with one two-storey townhome and an amenity building along the back lane. The proposal includes:

• 74 residential units
• a maximum building height of 73 ft
• a density of 2.65 FSR;
• 84 underground parking spaces
• 102 bicycle parking spaces

A portion of the site had been listed for sale in 2014.

An interesting development proposal has been made by the Atira Women’s Society for a small (3,050 SF) site in the Downtown Eastside. The plan calls for a 7-storey building made of shipping containers to be used for “small suite” housing. The rezoning application for the site at 420 Hawks Avenue is being made under the new Downtown Eastside Local Area Plan, and intends to rezone the M-1 (Industrial) site to CD-1.  The proposal includes:

• 20 studio units and 6 two-bedroom units;
• a building height 72 ft.;
• a density of 4.7 FSR; and
• 41 bicycle parking spaces and 0 vehicle parking spaces.
• Each studio unit is made of two 8′-20′ container units, with two bedroom units being made of 3 container units

The architect, Boni Maddison, describes some elements of the containers design:

• “The end of each container is left open and the approach to the building envelope is a curtain wall system…
• The front exterior facade is modulated with the central area at teh property line an both wings set back.
• The sides of the containers will be left exposed as a face sealed metal system.
• The site built elements, stair and elevator core will be clad with insulation and prefinished panels.“