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Hamilton Spectator
26-06-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Contentious Anmore South proposal withdrawn by developer on eve of public hearing
The contentious Anmore South proposal is officially on ice. Just hours before a public hearing to Anmore's Official Community Plan (OCP), Icona Properties announced it was withdrawing the application. 'It's become clear that our proposal, though supported by many, has also caused division. This was never our intent. In fact, it's the opposite of what we set out to do,' said Icona's CEO Greg Moore. 'We've made the decision to withdraw our current application for Anmore South. This break will allow us to explore a path forward that brings more unity than discord. 'Our sincere hope is that this step will help ease tensions and create the space for a collaborative, community-driven solution.' The Village of Anmore's council chambers erupted in cheers and claps after a resident read Moore's message to a crowd of hundreds of residents. The application was recently advanced to a public hearing by a 4-1 vote earlier this month. But despite a scaled back development proposal – 1,750 residential units, down from 2,200 – council's debate was marked by a divided and frustrated public gallery. Residents have long expressed concerns that the 151-acre development is out of step with Anmore's rural character and that the public consultation process has been insufficient. Several neighbourhood groups have recently pushed for a referendum on the development, which has been resisted by council. One such group, the Anmore Neighbours Community Association (ANCA), even formally warned the village on May 15 that it intended to pursue legal action if the OCP amendment process for Anmore South continued unchanged. ANCA's lawyers accused the village of procedural fairness breaches, councillor bias, democratic suppression, and infringing on freedom of expression under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Neighbouring municipalities have also weighed in. Port Moody submitted a formal letter criticizing the lack of infrastructure planning – particularly with respect to traffic, utilities, and emergency services –and raised alarms about environmental risks, especially given the sensitive ecosystems near the site. The Village of Belcarra offered a similar critique. Dialogue around the Anmore South proposal has been fraught with division since engagement first began in 2021. Accusations of NIMBYism, disinformation, and corruption have been frequent and recurring. Council received 63 written submissions regarding the OCP amendment, which would have changed the land use designation to allow for the development. While most of the correspondence was opposed to the land use change, many residents offered support, citing more affordable options and options for downsizing seniors. One Anmore renter, Juan Gaviria, said he was deeply concerned by the 'toxic environment' surrounding the development process. He said that he supported the amendment because it offered tangible benefits like improved infrastructure, expanded recreational amenities, new facilities, and diversified housing types. 'It is a sad state of affairs when fear and aggression overshadow reasoned, respectful discourse,' Gaviria said. 'Despite holding a full-time professional job and running a business, I cannot afford to purchase a home in Anmore.' Jordan Birch, speaking for his family of six, said he was 'disgusted' by Anmore's NIMBYism and neighbourhood associations, which he described as 'seeding doubt and division' in the community. He noted that over 42 percent of the land is dedicated to parks and conservation, that the project would expand the municipal tax base, and connect Anmore to Metro Vancouver's servicing. 'The Anmore South Neighbourhood Plan is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a resilient community,' Birch said. 'I am appalled by those who disguise their opposition as community care, ignoring the long-term consequences of blocking progress.' After receiving word that Icona had rescinded its application, Mayor John McEwen released a statement on the village website, stating the village chose not to proceed with the hearing. 'Needless to say, this came as a surprise, and we are still confirming details of icona's intentions,' McEwen said. 'I do not know what will be considered next for Anmore South, as it is up to the applicant.' McEwen added that council legally had to consider the application, and acted in 'good faith,' and pushed for neighbourhood plan and community engagement beyond what was required. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CTV News
24-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Large-scale development plan for Vancouver-area village dropped
A housing project in Anmore that would have seen 1,750 homes added to the small village has been pulled by the developer. A housing project in Anmore that would have seen 1,750 homes added to the small village has been pulled by the developer. A major housing development planned for the Vancouver village of Anmore has been pulled. The withdrawal came Monday evening, an hour before the village was set to host a public hearing on the controversial development plan. Led by developer Icona Properties, the Anmore South project was expected to triple the size of the small village with 1,750 units of housing – comprising condo buildings, townhomes and duplexes – planned for a large plot of forested land in its centre. In a statement late Monday night, Greg Moore, CEO of Icona Properties, said it had become clear as the project unfolded that the proposal 'though supported by many, has also caused division' among the community. 'This was never our intent. In fact, it's the opposite of what we set out to do,' said Moore. Continuing down the planned path would not bring the community together, but would 'only deepen the divide, and that's not how strong, resilient communities are built,' he said. Moore said pulling the project will allow developers to 'explore a path forward that brings more unity than discord.' 'Our sincere hope is that this step will help ease tensions and create the space for a collaborative, community-driven solution,' he said. The decision comes after weeks of residents voicing their fierce opposition to the development plans, with residents calling on council to scrap it entirely. Signs erected within the village bearing messages like 'You don't have my support' and 'Anmore Council don't betray us' litter lawns throughout. Anmore local Ryan Peterson said the residents of the village aren't opposed to development within the area, but that a better executed, and cheaper plan should be sought. 'To be very candid, the development proposed here would have probably been the most expensive, unaffordable housing in existence,' said Peterson. Peterson said those involved have come to some 'fiscal sanity,' and the withdrawal from the developer provides the room to pivot to a different approach. 'We'll come up with a plan that makes sense and ensures there is growth for families to come to Anmore,' he said.
CBC
24-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Application for development that would have tripled Anmore, B.C.'s population withdrawn
Social Sharing A controversial housing proposal that would have tripled the population of Anmore in Metro Vancouver has been withdrawn by its developer. The development proposal known as Anmore South was to be built on a 61-hectare plot of land owned by Icona Properties, currently zoned for one-acre (0.4-hectare) lots with single detached homes. Anmore council was to debate amending its Official Community Plan in order to let Icona build 2,200 units of housing, in forms ranging from single-family homes to apartments up to six storeys high. But on Monday, hours before the council meeting was to begin, Icona announced on social media that it would withdraw its development application amid fierce community protests and calls for a referendum. "We believe that continuing down the current path will not bring the community together," read Icona's statement, attributed to CEO Greg Moore, on social media. "It will only deepen the divide, and that's not how strong, resilient communities are built." WATCH | Proposed development caused community division: Anger in Anmore over proposed development 2 months ago Duration 2:54 The village of Anmore is located inside the boundaries of Metro Vancouver, but has maintained a small town feel thanks to its relative isolation. Now, as Justin McElroy reports, a proposed development could triple the community's population — and is causing division over the future of the village. Some residents of Anmore — a village in Metro Vancouver just north of the Tri-Cities — were vocally displeased at the Anmore South proposal, arguing it would turn the rural area into an urban one overnight. They were pushing for a referendum on the proposal, even as the developer and Anmore's mayor said the development was a natural step in the community's evolution. "Completely shocked. You know, this has been in the works for over three years ... and yeah, very, very shocking," Anmore Mayor John McEwen said Monday night. McEwen noted that the "very passionate" Anmore community had been deeply polarized by the proposal, with vocal supporters both for and against the project. Anmore currently largely consists of large single-family homes and mansions, where the median listing price for any property is $2.8 million. "I was looking forward to explaining some of the the mistruths that were being mentioned in regards to, you know, like even something simple as all of Anmore becoming an urban designation, and that was never the case," McEwen said. Resident Leslie Hannigan, however, said she was unhappy at how council treated the proposal, and that a referendum would have best settled the issue. "I'm absolutely thrilled and thankful to Icona for hearing us out and deciding to put a pause on this," she said. Icona's proposal would have brought commercial developments and sports fields, along with linking up Metro Vancouver's wastewater system to the entire municipality, which currently runs on septic. Moore's statement mentions exploring another path forward for the privately-held land, but did not mention specifics. "Our sincere hope is that this step will help ease tensions and create the space for a collaborative, community-driven solution," the developer's statement said.
CTV News
21-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Tensions high in Village of Anmore as controversial development heads to public hearing
On Monday, mayor and council in the Village of Anmore will hold a public hearing on a large-scale, multi-family development that could more than double the population of the tiny enclave on the shores of Indian Arm over the next 20 years. The development called Anmore South would add 1,750 units of housing– comprised of condo buildings, townhomes and duplexes – on a large plot of forested land in the centre of the village that is owned by Icona Properties. 'Right now, Anmore is all single-family homes with a couple of duplexes, but basically single-family homes and one corner store, so not really commercial,' said Greg Moore, the former mayor of Port Coquitlam, who is now CEO of Icona Properties. 'This helps to bring jobs and create that complete community for the Village of Anmore.' There is fierce opposition to the project, evidenced by signs on public spaces all over Anmore calling on mayor and council to scrap the development. 'It's too dense for a rural area,' said longtime Anmore resident Leslie Hannigan. 'The reason we moved here is because it's quiet. We aren't part of the urban containment boundary, so we're not in those rules of having to make everything really, really dense.' She argues the village's infrastructure is not meant for a large population, and bristles at the suggestion homeowners in Anmore are NIMBYs opposed to any new development. 'We could have done a really nice thing within our rural designation with townhomes, with cluster homes for seniors, there's laneway homes. There's all kinds of things without having to be this thick, dense area that developers seem to be pushing into all these municipalities,' Hannigan said. Anmore Mayor John McEwen says some in his community are opposed to any kind of change to the largely single-family home village, where the average assessed value is a little over $2,500,000. 'So, (it's) tough for young families to get in when you have such a high assessment,' said McEwen. 'And it's starting to show in our elementary school. Enrolment is a little over 100, where it used to be well over 200.' The mayor says the debate over adding condos and townhomes in Anmore has gotten nasty, with many signs targeting mayor and council, and online discourse that he calls disturbing. 'The word that has troubled me the most to my core is when I hear, 'We don't want that type of people here.' And that really, really bothers me,' said McEwen. 'I look at a diverse municipality that I want, I want it to be welcome to everybody.' Hannigan says she has never heard comments like that among Anmore residents. 'We welcome everyone,' she said. 'Nobody says we don't want these people in here. It's all about preserve the trees, keep us rural, small homes that are connected. I mean, this is again just a frustrating spin when they say that we're NIMBYs and we don't want this. That's wrong.' If mayor and council vote in favour of Anmore South on Monday, the developer still has to get Metro Vancouver to change the village's rural zoning designation in order to start construction on the project. 'If everything went yes votes all the way along the path, we probably wouldn't see a shovel in the ground for at least two years. And then at that point, it's going to be another 20 years as this community comes together,' said Moore. 'So there is lots of opportunity to continue to engage the community.' Right now, it's a community divided: remain a small village, or open the door to big-city density.
Hamilton Spectator
10-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Tensions flare at Anmore council meeting over Anmore South referendum demand
Competing delegations clashed at a contentious Anmore council meeting on Tuesday night over a call for a referendum to decide the future of the largest development in the village's history. On one side, representatives from the Anmore Neighbours Community Association (ARCA) and the Anmore Residents Association (ARA) accused Anmore South's public engagement process as being flawed, biased, and 'developer dominated.' However, Icona Properties' CEO Greg Moore argued the engagement has been extensive, community-led, and supported by a majority of residents. The level of support among Anmore residents has been a frequent point of debate as the project has advanced through council. 'Our council and city officials are conducting this process by putting the cart before the horse. They have forgotten to ask the primary questions: do we want it or not?' said Neil Lyons, an ARA director. 'Only a referendum can fix this tainted process.' The development on Anmore's southwest border, dubbed Anmore South, is a 151-acre plan to develop 2,200 units in a variety of forms such as single-family houses, duplexes, townhomes, and low-rise apartments up to six storeys. The plan also features commercial spaces, parks, a community centre, and an extensive trail network, and a connection to Metro Vancouver's wastewater system If approved, the project could nearly triple Anmore's current population over the next two decades. Icona submitted an application to amend the village's official community plan (OCP) in 2023, and council has since moved it past first reading, approved the neighbourhood plan's terms of reference, and endorsed a village-led community engagement plan . Anmore has received technical studies from Icona, and recently presented the findings to the public at an open house in April 2025. But despite a significant amount of public engagement to date, local groups claim the engagement plan and technical studies are designed to lend support to the development without an actual mandate from the community. Rod Rempel, a representative of the recently formed ARCA, called into question the credibility of the technical studies, calling them 'misleading.' ARCA has gone as far as commissioning its own technical experts to poke holes in the work. 'Technical studies were clearly done with a goal to provide positive feedback regarding the Icona's plan,' Rempel said. 'Issues of paramount importance like an evacuation plan, traffic, population growth, housing types, economic viability, ecology and our village lifestyle were oversimplified and overlooked.' Moore said when Icona first made submissions to council in 2021, the project was a key topic of discussion during the 2022 municipal election. He noted Mayor John McEwen clearly stated he did not want single-family homes developed on the property, while his challenger, Mario Piamonte, said he would only support one-acre lots. McEwen won with 67.8 percent of the votes. 'That seems like a pretty clear direction from this community,' Moore said. 'This isn't anything new – when a NIMBY group gets together and starts to tackle an issue.' Moore, who was once the mayor of Port Coquitlam, said it was 'disingenuous' for some residents to claim there has not been an opportunity to engage, noting there have been 28 different public engagements to date. He said there are people who don't want growth, and would rather see Icona's property remain a forest, but they are outnumbered by those who want closer commercial space, amenities, and a diversity of housing. 'It's just mind boggling,' Moore said. 'I cannot think of one process when I was a city planner or at Metro Vancouver that went through and engaged the community that many times.' A recent survey emailed to every household in Anmore as part of the village's communication plan should give council the 'conclusive' direction it needs, Moore added. Regarding criticism of the technical studies, Moore said it's up to the council to determine which party is more credible. During question period at the close of the meeting, council was hounded by residents who refused to refrain from speaking about the Anmore South application. Anmore recently updated its procedure bylaw , prohibiting residents from asking questions about items that could be subject to a public hearing due to legal concerns associated with Bill 44. Mayor McEwen ended up adjourning the meeting early due to the barrage of out-of-order questions. A previous meeting on April 15 ended in the same fashion.
