A plan to build a 45-storey tower in Willoughby may be halted after a backlash by nearby residents.
Late last week, reports began to emerge that Vesta Properties had scrapped plans to build the residential tower, which was to have been located on the northeast corner of 82nd Avenue and 208th Street, in part of Vesta’s sprawling Latimer Heights development of townhouses, homes, and condos.
Vesta Properties indicated to the Langley Advance Times on Monday that it would issue a statement about the project’s fate, but then ceased communications.
A Vesta representative said the company has decided not to comment on the issue, and refused to directly confirm that the tower project has been cancelled. The company directed all inquires to the Township of Langley.
According to the Township, there has been no formal withdrawal of the application for the tower, but Vesta has informed the Township that they are currently considering the feedback from their recent public information meeting before determining next steps.
The info meeting in late May on the project drew mixed reactions.
Several residents, including those who live or have purchased nearby Vesta-built condos and townhouses were upset by the change to the plans and the sudden proximity of a tower.
They noted that when they had purchased their units, the site had been planned to contain a small cluster of six-storey condos, similar to those Vesta was building to the north.
Other visitors to the open house were simply curious, or had questions about the way the change was being handled.
At the open house, Vesta president Kent Sillars told the Advance Times that the change would be a relatively small addition to the total number of units Vesta is building across Latimer Heights – more than 2,100, mostly in mid-rise condos and townhomes – but allowed for more green space and amenities around the tower’s base. There had been plans for a restaurant, a pool, and walking paths.
If the project had moved forward, it would have required a rezoning vote and a public hearing before Township council.
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Vesta recently broke ground on two smaller towers, 26 and 34 stories tall, that are being built at the northwest corner of the Latimer Heights project. Those towers were approved by the Township several years ago. The 34-storey building will be the tallest structure in Langley when it is completed.
Langley Township began moving towards allowing some high rise construction along the 200th Street corridor a few years ago, and while a handful of structures have been approved or considered by council, Vesta’s two towers will be the first to be built.
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