Developer Walks Away Minutes Before Hearing, Scrapping Plan to Triple Tiny Anmore’s Population

On Monday night, with residents already lining up to speak at a scheduled public hearing, Icona Properties abruptly withdrew its application for “Anmore South,” a sprawling mixed-use project that would have added roughly 3,900 new residents and 1,750 homes to the semi-rural village of Anmore. Minutes later, council cancelled the meeting.

The move stunned both supporters and critics. Just two weeks earlier, councillors had advanced a trimmed-down version of the project—already slashed from 2,200 to 1,750 units—by a 4-1 vote, despite raucous opposition in the gallery.

Had it gone ahead, the 151-acre development would have tripled Anmore’s population overnight and transformed a municipality best known for one-acre lots, horse paddocks, and Buntzen Lake trailheads. Instead, the developer hit eject.

Why the Sudden Pull-out?

Community Backlash

Residents packed every information session, brandishing “Save Our Village” signs and warning that urban density would swamp volunteer fire services, two-lane roads, and the village’s rural identity. Councillor Doug Richardson—who cast the lone “no” vote—called it “change we can’t undo.”

Political Risk

Sources inside Icona say executives feared an embarrassing defeat if council reversed course after a marathon hearing. Better to withdraw “without prejudice” and keep options open—one-acre subdivisions remain legal under the current Official Community Plan.

Market Jitters

With Metro-area presales flat-lining and construction-financing terms tightening, committing to 650 condos and nearly 1,000 townhouses outside transit corridors started to look like a billion-dollar gamble the balance sheet couldn’t justify.

Winners, Losers, and Question Marks

The Broader Context: Metro Vancouver’s Battle Over the Ex-Urban Frontier

Anmore’s drama is not an isolated skirmish; it’s a microcosm of the tension playing out across the region:

• Spill-Over Demand: As Burnaby and Coquitlam densify, buyers and developers eye fringe municipalities for greenfield plays.

• Local Resistance: Small villages prize low taxes and big lots; major growth means policing costs, road upgrades, and political upheaval.

• Provincial Targets: Victoria has set aggressive housing-supply quotas. Killing 1,750 units here means they must surface elsewhere—or the province may step in.

What Happens to the Land Now?

Icona still controls the 151 acres. Under existing zoning it can carve the parcel into about 120 one-acre estates—a move that would add only a few hundred residents yet still yield hefty profits. Council can’t block that without costly expropriation or OCP amendments inviting litigation.

A senior planner notes, “The village just traded high-density headaches for low-density sprawl.” Whether that’s a win depends on whom you ask.

Lessons for Other Small Municipalities

1. Process Matters: Dragging out public engagement for years can drain developer patience and capital.

2. Market Timing Is Brutal: Even a council nod means little if lenders balk as interest rates bite.

3. Rural Charm vs. Regional Need: Tiny councils wield big veto power over region-wide housing goals—a governance gap Victoria may soon address.

The Last-Minute Email That Killed a Town Centre

Council insiders say Icona’s withdrawal arrived as a one-paragraph email at 5:59 p.m.—sixty-one minutes before gavel time. The clerk read it aloud; gasps echoed; meeting adjourned. By morning, excavation equipment slated for site-prep had vanished.

Where Does Anmore Go From Here?

Mayor John McEwen insists the village remains open to “the right kind of development,” but offered no timeline for revisiting the South lands. Some residents demand a full OCP overhaul to lock in rural zoning; others fear tax hikes if growth stalls indefinitely.

In Metro Vancouver’s high-stakes housing equation, Anmore just hit the pause button—again. Whether the village’s bucolic serenity can withstand the next wave of developer interest, provincial pressure, or market recovery remains the lingering, unanswered question.