Application for development that would have tripled Anmore, B.C.'s population withdrawn

A controversial housing proposal that would have tripled the population of Anmore in Metro Vancouver has been withdrawn by its developer.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 1,750 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 | Developer withdraws, citing community division:

Developer pulls plug on Anmore housing project amid community pushback

5 days ago

Duration 2:05

A large-scale housing development that promised to bring hundreds of new units to one of Metro Vancouver’s smallest municipalities won’t be going forward. As CBC’s Justin McElroy reports, the developer of Anmore South pulled the plug Monday an hour before a key public hearing, citing community divisions over the project.

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.

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.

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.