The City of Vancouver is looking at sweeping changes to its zoning and development bylaws that could see thousands of properties in the Broadway Plan and Cambie Corridor areas rezoned.
The recommendation, headed to council on Tuesday, is meant to help implement the two area plans and to “simplify, clarify and consolidate city building rules to improve the end-to-end development approvals process and streamline the delivery of housing.”
Under the proposal, nearly 4,300 parcels in the two areas would be rezoned under a process that standardizes zoning for low-rise (R-3), mid-rise (R-4) and high-rise (R-5) buildings.
“If approved, in many cases this initiative would eliminate the need for property owners to apply for a rezoning on each individual parcel, enabling applicants to proceed directly to a development permit application,” according to a staff report.
The process would cut 12 to 15 months, and the associated costs, from the overall development process, the report states, adding that it still typically takes two to three years to secure building permits after that.
Critics say the plan, which could allow for more new builds without public hearings, further excludes residents from the development process.
“What they’re proposing is to basically rezone it so that they don’t have to go through any public consultation or council consideration. To my mind, this is a mistake,” retired architect and planner Michael Geller told Global News Morning BC.
“Many of them are being proposed along streets lined with duplexes and smaller homes. And in many respects, I don’t think these buildings in themselves are entirely appropriate to the extent that they’re gonna provide the more affordable types of housing.”
Residents Global News spoke with in the Broadway Plan area expressed concern about the process.
“The people who live in the neighbourhood should have a say in those kinds of things, because it affects us so profoundly. I think there should be a process where there is community input always, I think being able to just rush it through like that isn’t fair,” said Stephanie Ondrack.
“I think they should just slow it down a little, put the brakes on it a bit. It’s just too much all at once. We’re just under construction all the time – it’s like a siege,” added Ron Gurr.
The city says the proposed zoning changes would only apply to the specified portions of the Broadway and Cambie plan areas.
If council approves the recommendation on Tuesday, the proposal would go to a public hearing.