Once complete, Langley’s new Audi dealership will be a high-end prototype for the company — the only one of its kind in Western Canada, architect Brock Croome told Langley City council on Monday night, as members got their first look at the next tenant scheduled to move in to the Anthem development at the corner of Glover Road and the Langley Bypass.
The closest thing to it is a dealership in southern Washington State, Croome added, as he described some of the building’s defining characteristics.
“Audi wants to be as close to the street as possible,” Croome explained, adding both Audi Canada and Audi Germany were quite specific in their requirements for the new building at 5955 Collection Dr.
The design calls for an open building, featuring plenty of glass and pressed aluminum siding, as well as very simple signage and minimal landscaping. Plenty of floor-to ceiling windows are included in the design, to draw viewers’ eyes into the showroom.
While council had no concerns about the building’s design, Councillor Dave Hall wanted to know whether residents of a neighbouring condominium would be affected by the dealership’s outdoor lighting.
When the property was first being developed, a number of the building’s residents expressed concern about potential light pollution from the auto dealerships.
While none of the residents spoke at Monday’s public hearing, some had come to City Hall after receiving notice about the hearing, to re-state concerns they’d expressed at the development hearing stage, said Gerald Minchuk, director of development services.
Croome showed council a diagram, illustrating how light is expected to spill from lamp standards in the Audi parking lot.
“They’re designed to contain the light, with a little spillage in the parking area at the back and toward the adjacent dealer to the north, with a bit to the front lawn area,” he said.
The condominium sits to the south of the development.
Before council voted to approve the development permit application, Hall asked whether Audi might consider working with the City to lower the lamp standards in the parking lot in order to minimize their impact.
Councillor Rosemary Wallace cast the lone vote against granting the permit, but did not say why.
