The City of North Vancouver faces a defining decision about its future—one that could either uphold years of thoughtful community planning or open the door to unrestrained overdevelopment.
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At the centre of the controversy is TransLink’s proposal to build two residential high-rises, 12 and 14 storeys, at 502–536 East 3rd Street in Moodyville, the site of the former bus depot. The project would dwarf surrounding homes and low-rise buildings and directly contradict the City’s Official Community Plan (OCP), which limits building heights in this area to just four storeys.
Residents and the Moodyville Community Association (MCA) emphasize that this is not a battle against housing or density. Moodyville has already embraced significant growth through the OCP’s vision for a livable, low-rise community.
The issue is one of scale—and respect for the rules that residents, city staff, and planners developed collaboratively over years of consultation. TransLink’s proposed towers are more than three times taller than the zoning allows. “If this goes through,” one resident warned, “it tells every developer that the OCP no longer matters.”
The heart of the conflict lies in TransLink’s dual role as both a public agency and a land developer. While TransLink’s stated corporate values emphasize community alignment and social responsibility, its real estate division has claimed that the original proposal for two 16-storey towers was necessary for profitability—a claim that is difficult to accept, particularly since the land was acquired at no cost.
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The Moodyville Development Permit Area Guidelines call for “ground-oriented townhouse and low-rise apartment housing forms.” The proposed towers would stand isolated, surrounded by much smaller buildings. The nearest high-density zoning lies more than 700 metres to the west at St. Georges Avenue and over 1.7 kilometres to the east in the District of North Vancouver.
Allowing such an exception, planners warn, would set a dangerous precedent—one that invites developers across the city to disregard the OCP whenever profit demands it. Public sentiment has been overwhelmingly opposed. At Translink’s January 30, 2025 forum, more than 90% of residents who submitted feedback rejected the proposal.
In addition to building height, common concerns included:
Increased traffic congestion and gridlock on East 3rd Street
Severe parking shortages and loss of on-street spaces
Shadowing and view loss from the towers
Local schools and infrastructure already at or over capacity
Residents say the proposal doesn’t just threaten neighbourhood livability—it undermines public trust in city planning itself.
The Moodyville community is calling on City Council to stand by its own plan: uphold the OCP, reject TransLink’s overreach, and require a new, OCP-compliant proposal that delivers family and rental housing without destroying the neighbourhood’s scale and livability.
Moodyville accepted growth when it embraced four-storey redevelopment. Now, the community asks City Council to return that respect—by ensuring future development remains consistent, fair, and true to the plan that built public trust in the first place.
Ron Gosney is a member of the Moodyville Community Association.
NO!!!! I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS!!!
I agree …NO to the Translink proposal!
NO TOWERS
No to Towers
Please don’t allow these towers it will ruin our neighbourhood in so many ways
Moodyville’s population growth in the last 10 years has been gradual via 4 story townhouses/condos. Gentle infill will also result in gradual population growth.
MCA is concerned about TransLink’s proposed towers because CNV lacks infrastructure to support sudden large increases in density.
We are very short of daycares for young families.
Our elementary schools are already over subscribed; Cloverley will be over full as soon as it’s built. We have too few medical clinics, so Lion’s Gate Hospital emergency receives people who can’t get into see a doctor.
Seems like a great opportunity for first time homebuyers that can’t afford the multimillion dollar houses.
These rental towers would suddenly increase CNV’s population Lorraine, and we already significantly lack space in daycares, room in elementary schools, medical clinics etc.
And would cast shadows for blocks around it!
No Towers please congested traffic on 3rd Ave not to mention side streets like 4th and 3rd Ave are used as short cuts
I would ONLY support that if Skytrain (and I do NOT mean “Bus Rapid Transit”) was part of the package as was promised when Translink rammed the Transit Tax Levy onto every municipality in the GVRD whether they got Translink or not.
Because THAT >WAS< the original deal and while Translink DID make that promise to the North Shore (along with other parts of town) that was NOT what they have delivered – and probably won't until I'm six feet under given how "good" Translink is at keeping promises.
After all – no major repair work has been done on either bridge since the 80s and the Lions Gate was completed in 1939, the "new" Second Narrows in 1961.