Coquitlam council will decide this week whether to allow the Coquitlam Express Junior A Hockey Club to operate a private training gym at 1750 Hartley Avenue, at its regular meeting on September 8 at 7 p.m.
The proposal requires a Temporary Use Permit (TUP), which would let the team use the industrial site as a gym for up to three years. City staff have recommended that council either deny the application or approve it with conditions.
If approved, the permit would restrict use to Express players and training staff only, with occupancy capped at 25 people at a time. Hours of operation would be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Athletes would be transported by team bus to reduce parking impacts.
The gym would host 10 to 20 athletes and one or two trainers at once in a 1,884-square-foot space. To meet building code requirements, the Express has partnered with Mr. Swirl Plumbing, CoPilot Construction and Teklar Electrical and Property Services to add a second washroom.
In a letter to the city, Express president Tali Campbell said the move is needed because the current Poirier Street gym is too small and has generated noise complaints. “Relocating the gym will enhance the safety and quality of our training environment while reducing noise impact on surrounding tenants,” Campbell wrote.
