Developer axes Metro Vancouver project for 3,900 residents just before hearing | Daily Hive

Developer scraps controversial proposal for new Metro Vancouver neighbourhood for 3,900 residents moments before public hearing

Proposed OCP changes for Anmore South. (Placemark Design + Development/Village of Anmore)

Faced with the prospect of a single, neighbourhood-sized development nearly tripling the population of their small community over the coming decades, residents of the Village of Anmore fiercely rallied against the Anmore South proposal — opposition that intensified in the final weeks leading up to a scheduled public hearing.

Despite the developer’s attempts to revise the plan and engage the community, the project became a local flashpoint — ultimately prompting the developer to withdraw from the public hearing just minutes before it was set to begin on Monday evening, literally cancelling the proposal at the last minute.

Anmore is one of Metro Vancouver’s smallest municipal jurisdictions by population, located immediately north of Port Moody. The community also serves as the main access route to the popular recreational destination of Buntzen Lake, with visitors passing through Anmore to reach the lake’s trails and picnic areas.

With a population of roughly 2,500 residents mostly living within the southern end of the 28 sq. km. jurisdiction, Anmore is characterized by its forested landscape, low-density housing, and rurality. That has made relatively large-scale development proposals such as Anmore South particularly contentious.

You might also like:

Comparable in size to Vancouver’s Hastings Park, the 151-acre site — currently undeveloped and covered in third-growth forest last logged in the early 1900s, and formerly owned by Imperial Oil — was the subject of a proposal by Port Moody-based Icona Properties to build up to 1,750 new homes, accommodating approximately 3,900 residents.

The plan included 20 single-family houses, 120 duplex homes, 960 multi-family/townhomes, and 650 condominium homes within buildings up to six storeys, along with a new neighbourhood retail centre for the Village featuring up to 50,000 sq. ft. of commercial retail — including a grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants, small-scale shops, and services — and community amenities such as a fire hall, childcare facility, and a potential future school site. The entire neighbourhood’s construction would be phased over about 25 years.

As a compromise in response to years-long public concerns, the developer had already reduced the project’s density from an earlier proposal of 2,200 homes for up to 6,600 residents. However, the revision failed to quell the mounting opposition from the community.

Site of the OCP changes for Anmore South. (Google Maps)

Site of the OCP changes for Anmore South. (Placemark Design + Development/Village of Anmore)

Proposed OCP changes for Anmore South. (Placemark Design + Development/Village of Anmore)

Up for debate and decision were the proposed Official Community Plan (OCP) amendments just for the site owned by Icona Properties.

But at 5:49 p.m. on Monday, just 11 minutes before the public hearing was scheduled to start, Icona Properties CEO Greg Moore issued a public statement on the “decision to withdraw the current application for a renewed path forward.”

“When we began this journey over four years ago, our vision was simple but heartfelt: to help build a more complete, more connected, and more compassionate community in Anmore. Our goal with Anmore South was never just about development — it was about creating a place where people of all walks of life could belong. A people-first community. A happy community,” wrote Moore.

Some local residents have even called for a referendum to decide the project’s future, while others threatened to go to the courts against the Village.

“But as the conversation has unfolded, 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. We are incredibly grateful to those who have supported us and shared in the vision… We believe that continuing down the current path will not bring the community together. It will only deepen the divide, and that’s not how strong, resilient communities are built,” continued Moore.

Supporters of the proposal argued it would bring much-needed housing diversity to Anmore, attract young families and downsizing seniors, and generate new tax revenue to help fund municipal services. It was also seen as a way to prevent more of Anmore’s typical built form of large single-family homes and mansions.

Proposed OCP changes for Anmore South. (Placemark Design + Development/Village of Anmore)

Opponents expressed deep concerns about increased vehicle traffic, and the impact to infrastructure and Anmore’s small-village feel.

Some of these concerns were also shared by Anmore’s larger neighbour of the City of Port Moody.

In a formal letter addressed to Anmore’s elected officials on May 28, 2025, Port Moody Mayor Megan Lahti voiced concerns over the proposed development’s potential impacts on her municipality. She highlighted issues related to municipal water and sewage connections and capacity, as well as environmental risks stemming from the project’s scale and location. The letter also pointed to the increased threat of erosion and flooding in Port Moody, especially during major storms with heavy rainfall, given that the proposed development site is bisected by several creeks that flow downstream into her community.

Lahti also expressed concerns that the new community and recreational amenities would be undersized, resulting in an additional burden on Port Moody’s facilities, and that the residential population upon full buildout would overwhelm existing road capacity on the Port Moody roads that lead to/from Anmore. It is estimated that the existing road network can only support about 40 per cent of the anticipated vehicle traffic without major upgrades, which would be challenging and costly due to topography and private property.

“Without a realistic and coordinated transportation strategy, the IOCO development risks overwhelming the existing network in the area, impacting safety and livability along Ioco Road and undermining regional planning objectives,” she wrote.

“Further, it is noted that TransLink’s Northeast Sector Plan does not envision extending the Frequent Transit Network into Anmore.”

Moore has signalled the project will take a pause for an undetermined period of time, before going back to the drawing board with the community participating in a new planning process.

“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,” he wrote.

Proposed OCP changes for Anmore South. (Placemark Design + Development/Village of Anmore)

You might also like: