A potential townhouse development on 72nd Avenue is heading to a public hearing after preliminary approval by council.

The hearing will take place at 7 p.m. on Jan. 23 at the Delta Municipal Hall, and give residents the opportunity to discuss their thoughts on the townhouse proposal.

The development proposal covers eight lots on 72nd Avenue, across from 112th Street and bordering on Cougar Canyon. Plans show a three-storey complex with 60 units.

“It’s so seldom that we do any of these projects, and I think we have to have the best,” said Mayor Lois Jackson.

In council on Jan. 9, she said she was unimpressed with the design of development, calling it “boring” and “plain.”

“The character of this building is very, very important, and it must be something that will fit in with our community in the future,” Jackson said.

Design plans for the development will be presented at the public hearing.

Many residents, however, are more concerned about potential traffic problems than the look of the buildings.

Although a traffic study submitted with the proposal says the high-density development, and a corresponding improvement to the 112th Street intersection, will have little impact on traffic patterns, Terence Chan isn’t so sure.

“The emissions and the traffic volume for 72nd is overwhelming,” said Chan, who lives close to the busy street. “If you think about the volume, and you think about the traffic jams, most of the people have a big concern.”

But for some residents, like Maleena Pardhan, the positive aspects of the townhouses outweigh the potential problems.

“North Delta’s such a great community,” Pardhan said. “[And] it just makes for a better community if people can afford to live there and have a good life.”

This proposal fits into the Official Community Plan, a document outlining what the future of Delta could look like. The plan calls for increased development along 72nd Avenue and several other major roads.

If these townhouses go forward, they would be the second development approved under the Official Community Plan. The first, a 40-unit townhouse on 72nd Avenue and 116th Street, was approved last year.

After the public hearing, there’s still a long way to go. Council has to deliberate the results of the public hearing, which could happen several weeks later.

Council can then approve the development, reject it, or request amendments to the proposal.