save brentwood park
Brentwood Park or Broadway Corridor?
The Future of Brentwood Park?
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Residents of Brentwood Park never expected that our serene, idyllic neighbourhood could be transformed into something that resembles the Broadway Corridor. Over time, high density development will become a reality, and no one will be spared the detrimental impacts.​​
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Bill 47 permits the development of apartment buildings on the "lawns" ranging from a minimum of 8 to 12 stories (or higher) depending on the distance to the Skytrain station, with little to no parking requirements.
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There are currently 2 land assemblies listed for sale: (1) a 4-lot assembly on the 4700 block of Brentlawn Drive, and (2) a 4-lot assembly on the 4700/4800 block of Southlawn Drive.
On Brentlawn Drive, half the lots are located within the 400m TODA ring which means that on these 4 lots, a developer can build over 86,000 sf of space which equates to over 117 apartment units (average size 625 sf), and only 29 parking stalls have to be provided on site.
On Southlawn Drive, assuming that the middle lot is also assembled to create a 38,280 sf lot, the total buildable area is 114,840 sf which can accommodate 156 units (average size 625 sf). In the 800m TODA ring, only 78 parking stalls need to be provided on-site (0.5 stalls per unit).
Bill 44 (Small Scale Multi-Unit Housing)
Effective July 1, 2024, Bill 44 legislation came into effect, permitting the development of up to 6 separate dwelling units that are 4 stories (12 metres) high for each lot in Brentwood Park. R1 zoning is now in effect across Burnaby. Site coverage can be up to 55% on a lot, with minimal setbacks, removing trees and green space, creating shadows on neighbours and eliminating privacy.
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Burnaby is the only municipality that exceeded the provincial guideline by allowing 4 stories above ground. ​On an average Brentwood Park lot, the total buildable area is over 13,000 square feet on one lot, and no minimum parking requirements have been set. ​​​
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Think it's never going to happen?
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With the downturn in the condo market and thousands of unsold condo units that are currently available, the development of 8-12 storey apartment buildings in Brentwood Park may take a few years. However, the City of Burnaby, who has the most progressive stance on high density development, has created a streamlined process to fast-track approvals for SSMUH multiplex development.
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Several SSMUH projects are currently under construction across Burnaby, and the scale of these projects is alarming!
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4-storey multiplex at 10th Avenue and 2nd Street
Approved 6-plex at 3776 Pandora Street
3-storey multiplex on Curtis
​​​​​​High density development in Brentwood Park will have irreversible community impacts as well as environmental consequences and significant property tax implications.
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Think you hit the jackpot?
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The reality is that not all ~500 homes in Brentwood Park will be desired by developers for high density development. Development of apartment buildings will likely take a few years to start, but multiplex construction will happen much sooner. Eventually, the neighbourhood will transform block by block. As the neighbourhood becomes more and more densely populated, a saturation point will be reached. Each block can only support so many apartment buildings and multiplexes before parking issues become unbearable and livability is hampered. Developers are only interested in building units that are desirable and can be sold for a profit. Market demand will not be enough to incent developers to buy excess land and construct more units than can be sold.
For homeowners that "cash out" at the right time, they will not look back to see the mess that is left behind. For those that get "stuck" and are unable to sell to a developer, the value of those lots are diminished as traditional buyers who are looking to set down roots in a community will no longer find Brentwood Park desirable when it starts to resemble the Broadway Corridor.
To add insult to injury, even though the marketability of lots that are "stuck" will decrease, property assessments will increase as single family lots will be assessed based on highest and best use (being high density development), leading to exponential increases in property taxes.
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If Brentwood Park maintains its existing charm and character, it will become a unique neighbourhood that will be sought after for families for years to come, and property values across the entire neighbourhood will stabilize and even increase over time as single family homes and single family neighbourhoods become obsolete across all of British Columbia.
Burnaby 2050 - New OCP impacts residents north of the park
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In response to the Province's mandated housing policies, the City of Burnaby is working on the Burnaby 2050 project which will influence the development of a new Official Community Plan (OCP) that will guide and manage the City’s growth over the next 25 years.
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Burnaby's Planning Department's vision for Brentwood Park is one of mid-rise and high-rise apartment buildings and townhomes across the entire neighbourhood, even north of the park to Parker Street. ​​
Please click here to see the City's vision for Brentwood Park.
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Building Schemes containing Restrictive Covenants
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We have a valuable asset that can be used to prevent high density development in Brentwood Park that is outside direct government control. Most homes in Brentwood Park are protected by restrictive covenants contained in Building Schemes registered on title that restrict the use of land in our neighbourhood to single family dwellings.
We need your help!
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​Our future is in our own hands, but we need the support of all residents who call this community their home to help us save Brentwood Park. Our chances of success will be greatly improved with more support from the community. Please come forward and show your support! Strength in numbers!
If we do nothing, this could be our future.....​
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Please click here to learn how you can help.​
