Imagine Burquitlam Station

We have a preview, now, of what the station will look like.   This starts on the north east corner of Clarke & Como Lake looking across the street and then goes to a sky view looking south down Clarke/North.


Translink - we can imagine. Make it real already!

Trans Mountain Proposed Expansion

A lovely little card found its way into the mailbox.  Find out how much propaganda you can possibly take by hearing what a great idea it is to put another pipeline between Alberta and Burnaby. 
Yes, Kinder Morgan is sure you've forgotten their transgressions and would like you to join the discussion at www.transmountain.com

Christmas in the Community

Saturday, December 8 4pm-7pm at Mountain View Elementary School, 740 Smith Ave, Coquitlam.
Free Food, Craft Making / Cookie Decorating for kids, Live entertainment, Elf Bowling, Face Painting and more.

Canned Goods will be collected for the local Food Bank.

Changes

The local BCA meeting this week revealed that Bosa has apparently bought the subsidized housing site.  We have long commented that the site wouldn't last with the densification.  It's too much property and not enough income for the City.  At the meeting, it was mentioned that Bosa would like to put up some high rises - 32 stories.  That's a lot of densification.  Let's hope we get some super amenities out of it.

The new Safeway will have some under-it parking.  I'm wondering if they will have a problem with commuter parking that a lot of other areas have had.  Look at Holdom, with all it's "resident only" signs.  It won't be long before the City of Coquitlam will have to do the same thing to make sure the people who live here have adequate parking, even if they are taking the skytrain.  At a past meeting, however, it was noted that developers are cutting down on the ratio of parking to suites - so suites will have less parking.  Personally, I think that will make them less attractive.  Or possibly, it will make older buildings more attractive.  Let's hope.

The sign says it all.  Taken last night, with all the traffic and the confusion, the project is underway.  We stopped at one of the local cafes and they are quiet.  Much around them is gone.  I have to wonder if the fate of these poor business owners will be similar to the Cambie merchants.

Changes in the neighbourhood

More changes abound.  On Smith, we have the hole at Bloom.  This project is both townhomes and apartments.

This is behind Safeway.
Oh sorry, behind where Safeway was - but is no more.  Safeway closed last week - and already the fence is up and the diggers have moved in.

Safeway will open in 2 years in a brand new building, with more parking and hopefully a bigger organic section.  For now, you can see the broadening hole in the front.  Down North Road the construction is in full swing.  The road is being widened, and pipes are going in. 

Probably, though the biggest casualty this week is....

The sign on the door says that they have moved, down by Ikea, but that ends the late night summer walks to the ol' DQ.    The plans for the area are circulating so it looks like the "Nevergreen" line is about to become the "Evergreen" line. 
In the meantime - get out of Burquitlam by 7am or you are caught in construction-rush hour traffic (my traffic tip for the construction zone)

Safeway

It has come time.  Safeway at Burquitlam Plaza will see its last day on or about August 11, 2012.  It will be resurrected in about two years, once the Burquitlam Station is in place.  Let's hope it's a little more modern than the current version.

And so it begins

The past 2 or 3 months have seen lots of activity on North Rd.  According to the Evergreen website:
 


Road widening and utility work along North Road continues. Please watch for traffic control personnel.

• Expect lane closures on the west side of North Road. No significant impacts to traffic are expected for this work.
• Pedestrians for safety reasons please obey the sidewalk closures on the west side and use the sidewalks on the east side of North Road instead.

A construction bulletin on the same site tells us that there are electrical upgrades happening.  The picture above was taken a month ago.  Today those cones have taken over a lot more of the road, and man of the trees on the right are disappearing.  I'm not sure why this blurb tells us to use the east side of North Road - anyone who has *tried* to use the west side already knows it was virtually impassable with the greenery - barely single lane.  So a good by-product will be a real sidewalk on an otherwise very busy street.  (and don't get excited about the picture - I was a passenger!)