Melody Xu
Staff Reporter
On the corner of Lansdowne and Glen drives, across the street from Eagle Ridge United Church and the basketball court, two signs have quietly appeared. Put up by the City of Coquitlam, these signs explain the plan of a new building application, set to be built in the neigborhood next to Gleneagle. Although these signs are plain, and easily forgotten, some students believe that the impacts of this project will have harsh and long-lasting impacts on the whole community – especially on the lives of Gleneagle students.
Indah Del Bianco and her family are one of several concerned about the impacts of this plan. Del Bianco, grade 12, lives close to the school and was alarmed when one day, the building’s application signs appeared. “Immediately, as soon as we pictured the building, we were like ’this is a bad idea, it’s not gonna work,’” she said in an interview. “It’d totally change the landscape of the street.”
According to OK Properties, the company responsible for this project, the plan is to build 31 parking stalls and a two-storey commercial building on 2800, 2802, and 2806 Glen Drive. This will be right at one of the area’s most high traffic intersections, an area where students often cross to get to and from the school, the nearby bus stops, and 7/11.
The building will be taller than the city’s current height regulations, making it larger and more visible to residents, blocking views of the street and sky. More traffic, caused by the building’s need for construction vehicles, customers and workers, will cause additional noise and pollution, disturbing the people living and working nearby.
In addition to disrupting the neighborhood, Del Bianco worries that the building could also pose a serious threat to the safety of Gleneagle students and staff. She believes that this increase of traffic will “significantly worsen” morning traffic jams, when parents and students fill the roads around Gleneagle.
“At peak hours, the traffic flow there is already unsustainable,” said computer science teacher Terry Linburg in an interview, adding, “I’m surprised nobody has been run over there yet.” He agrees with Del Bianco’s argument and believes that the construction of this building isn’t appropriate or effective for the area. Linburg, who cycles to and from Gleneagle almost every day, finds that the roads near the school are already at, or over, their full capacity. “I’ve had a lot of close calls with with traffic,” he said, and has found the intersection at Glen and Lansdowne to be “a very dangerous corner.” Should the building be approved and constructed, Linburg believes its effect on nearby traffic is enough to lead to fatalities on the roads. Cyclists and pedestrians in particular will be strongly affected, as they are the most vulnerable to vehicle strikes.
After recognizing the impacts this would have on their own lives, and those of Gleneagle students, Del Bianco and her family created a petition urging the City of Coquitlam to reject the project’s application. The petition, which can be accessed online via QR code, has been shared by the Del Bianco family through social media and aims to keep the area around Gleneagle a safe place for its students and residents.