By Angela MacKenzie - Staff Reporter

Restaurateurs presented Port Moody council with two more options for Rocky Point Park Tuesday.

Brent Davies, president of the Vancouver-based Sequoia Company of Restaurants, described his business as a "small company" that focuses on restaurants in parks and on waterfronts.

Sequoia currently operates four restaurants in Vancouver - the Sequoia Grill (the former Teahouse) in Stanley Park, Cardero's in Coal Harbour, The Sandbar on Granville Island and Season's in Queen Elizabeth Park.

Sequoia is approaching the Rocky Point project with "no preconceptions," Davies said, but with a basic plan for a 4,500 to 6,500 square-foot restaurant.

Davies emphasized the importance of consultation with the city and community.

Sequoia plans to work with Orangutang Design Ltd. (the company involved in renovating the Teahouse and designing the Flying Beaver Bar & Grill in Richmond), as well as Grant + Sinclair Architects, who designed Coquitlam City Hall and Port Coquitlam Fire Hall No. 1.

Alison Hackh, who owns the Flying Fish Market and Grill Ltd. with her husband Steve Seki, followed up with her own detailed proposal for the Flying Fish Regatta restaurant.

Hackh said the proposed restaurant name echoes the logo of the Old Mill Boathouse, the design of the city's soon-to-be-built performance stage and the sailboats frequently seen on the water near Rocky Point Park.

Hackh said the Flying Fish has been involved with the community since it opened 11 years ago in Port Moody.

The proposed restaurant would accommodate the traditional uses of the park as well as the city's support of the arts, heritage and tourism.

Hackh said she and her husband have already done extensive research in putting together their proposal, including interviewing owners of other waterfront restaurants (such as Aqua Riva), getting their plans reviewed by hospitality industry leaders (including PKF Consulting) and researching the history and heritage of Port Moody's waterfront.

Hackh said the restaurant would complement, rather than negatively impact, other existing businesses in the area, and Flying Fish's proposal has received written support from local groups and business associations.

Hackh said she hopes the restaurant will become a destination attraction. She has approached tour companies about joint ventures with suggestions that tour buses could bring visitors to local museums and galleries, followed by shopping at Newport Village and dinner at the restaurant.

To reflect the changing seafood market, Hackh said the restaurant would only offer "sustainable seafood" on a menu that will accommodate patrons who want just drinks and appetizers to those sitting down for a full dinner.

Hackh said she and her husband have been looking to expand their business for some time, and promised to be "hands-on" operators.

Anthony Robins, the architect behind the Regatta's design, prefaced his presentation by saying his design would also be open to community consultation.

Computer graphics showed a single-story building featuring brushed aluminum canopies that would mimic sails and, on a "humble scale," allude to buildings such as the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

Robins hopes the building will be an "iconic landmark" as well as a flagship of environmental design with geothermal heating, natural cross-ventilation instead of air-conditioning and a "green" roof of grass.

The restaurant would fall well into the middle of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold standard, he said.

The interior of the restaurant would feature a linear seating arrangement to give each table a waterfront view, a 100-foot glass wall that could slide away to open the restaurant to the outdoors, floors and ceilings of reclaimed wood from the city's old mill and telescopes on its deck.

The restaurant would also include a 50-seat private room for group or corporate meetings and a kayak rental office.

"The building should look forward and reflect the best of Port Moody," Robins said concluding the presentation.

Peter Bonner, CEO of the Spectra Group of Great Restaurants Inc. that operates Milestones and the Bread Garden restaurants, presented his restaurant proposal at a May 24 council meeting.

Colleen Rohde, the city's director of economic and strategic development, said city staff will review the proposals with a real estate consultant. Rohde said a decision could be as early as June 28.

posted on 06/20/2005