Port Moody council will consider removing density-related restrictions on properties on St. Johns and Clarke streets this fall.

If approved, the proposed changes would remove the units-per-acre restrictions on city-owned properties at 2718-2732 St. Johns St. and at the privately-owned 2713-2725 Clarke St., known as the Brickyards.

"What we found from the last proposal we heard was that the unit-per-acre numbers for that property are too low," said Moody's director of planning, Tim Savoie. "The units were too big for people to be interested in."

The existing official community plan sets out a maximum number of units per acre depending on the housing type: Single-family areas allow 15 units per acre, up to 20 are okay for low-density multi-family areas and up to 80 for high-density properties.

"The draft OCP is suggesting those unit-per-acre numbers come out anyway, so this is an interim step to deal with that site," Savoie said. Instead of units per acre, the draft OCP uses floor space ratio numbers, which compare the total floor area of buildings at a location to the size of the land.

The St. Johns and Clarke street properties are designated mixed use-Moody Centre, with buildings up to four storeys high, in the proposed OCP.

It's hoped that removing the unit restriction will spark development interest in the properties, which are seen as key sites in the revitalization of Moody Centre.

The land use committee will consider the change at a Sept. 1 meeting, after which the proposal will be forwarded to council and up for public hearing on Sept. 22.

spayne@tricitynews.com