The City’s efforts to lessen the impact of construction on Coquitlam residents, neighbourhoods, and the environment are seeing positive results.
COQUITLAM, B.C., November 5, 2024 – The City’s efforts to lessen the impact of construction on Coquitlam residents, neighbourhoods, and the environment are seeing positive results.
Last year, and in response to community concerns, the City strengthened its approach to enforcement and managing construction projects to help maintain the balance between supporting housing development and preserving the quality of life for residents.
Coquitlam has implemented several key initiatives and actions, and on Monday Council received an update on progress made in managing construction impacts.
Zero-Tolerance Enforcement Efforts
Among the actions making a difference is the introduction of a zero-tolerance enforcement approach that is helping to reduce noise, disruption, and safety concerns in residential neighbourhoods. Additional initiatives include:
• Proactive Construction Impact Enforcement Team: Responsible for construction site monitoring and enforcement, and supporting environmental protection measures such as ensuring contaminated water from a construction site is not pumped onto the street or into storm drains.
• Increased Monitoring and Reporting: New tracking systems for construction complaints allow staff to monitor and respond to issues in a coordinated manner. Since early 2024, City staff have logged and acted on over 170 complaints related to noise, traffic, and construction site conditions.
• Commercial Vehicle Enforcement: Enhanced tools and proactive ticketing to address the impacts of construction-related vehicle traffic. Over 130 Commercial Vehicle Enforcement tickets were issued over the past year for violations typically linked to construction activities, including using unlawful delivery routes and overweight vehicles.
• Environmental and Drainage System Protection: Coquitlam’s Stream and Drainage System Protection Bylaw team patrols active development sites to ensure compliance with municipal environmental regulations. They responded to 189 service requests this year and issued 122 tickets and three orders to install real-time water-quality monitoring systems.
Committed to Reducing Construction Impacts
Provincial housing legislation introduced in late 2023 means that Coquitlam, like municipalities across B.C., will continue to see a lot of construction activity in addition to other necessary projects supporting community growth and need.
Mitigating construction impacts continues to be a priority for the City, with additional resources, information and outreach being planned and implemented.
• Traffic Management Plans: These plans carefully assess and manage how construction will affect traffic, and are reviewed and approved before any permits are issued.
• Trades Parking: Updated parking plans for construction workers are now included in Construction Management Plans for all projects. These improvements offer more practical parking options to reduce the need for workers to park on public streets.
The City will continue to monitor and refine its practices, ensuring builders remain accountable to Coquitlam’s standards, and residents benefit from proactive communication and oversight.
For more information please visit the Good Neighbour Development Policy web page.
Media contact:
Aaron Hilgerdenaar
Senior Manager, Bylaw Services
constructionsiteofficers@coquitlam.ca
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-kwuh-tlum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.