CVN letter to Council – Referral to Public Hearing Reports – Rezoning to Comply with BC Bill 44 (opposed)

Download formatted PDF version: CVN Letter to Council – Referral Reports-BC Bills Rezoning-RT7-RT9-FSD-2024-05-28-Final

May 26, 2024
City of Vancouver

Dear Mayor Ken Sim and Councillors,

Re: Referral to Public Hearing Reports – Rezoning to Comply with BC Bill 44

Agenda 2024-05-28: https://council.vancouver.ca/20240528/regu20240528ag.htm

Referral Report 1: Amendments to Restricted Zones (RT-7, RT-9, CD-1 371 and CD-1 463) to Comply with Bill 44 – Provincial Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) Legislation
https://council.vancouver.ca/20240528/documents/rr1.pdf

Referral Report 2: Amendments to the First Shaughnessy District Schedule and Heritage Conservation Area Official Development Plan (HCA ODP) to Comply with Bill 44 – Provincial Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) Legislation
https://council.vancouver.ca/20240528/documents/rr2.pdf

The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods (CVN) strongly opposes referring these two reports to public hearing since they are proposing to rezone entire neighbourhoods without ANY advanced public consultation process.

Report 1 rezones Kitsilano (RT7 & RT9) and Report 2 rezones all of the First Shaughnessy Heritage District, without opportunity for meaningful input from the public, the FS Advisory Design Panel, or the Heritage Commission. These proposed rezonings remove all character and heritage disincentives for demolition, without adequate incentives for retention options or guidelines.

Hours before these reports were posted online, 2024-05-22, CVN sent Council a letter advising that we have many concerns regarding the new provincial legislation, Bills 44, 46 and 47. We find the current June 30, 2024 schedule for local and city-wide rezoning to be completely unrealistic, as it will neither allow for any legitimate public process nor a proper infrastructure review. We requested an extension to at least the end of 2024 or preferably spring 2025.

See our previous letter attached and posted online at:
https://coalitionvan.org/posts/20240522-response-provincial-legislation-bills-44-46-47/

https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/2024/05/23/citywide-opposition-bills-44-46-47-june30-deadline/

The two Referral Reports 1 & 2 above, coming forward without any public consultation process, only proves our point that the current schedule for rezoning of June 30 is completely unrealistic for any kind of legitimate planning process.

As we pointed out in our previous letter, the City confirmed that Vancouver already exceeds the provincial five year targets based on the record number of developments currently in the pipeline. However, current market conditions have put many new already approved projects on hold, so there is no imminent pressure to rush further rezoning without a proper public consultation process.

The City of Vancouver is also likely already exceeding infrastructure capacity. It is crucial that an infrastructure review be undertaken as part of any further planning for more rezoning.

Therefore, we request that the proposed Referral Reports 1 & 2 be instead referred back to staff for a proper planning process with public consultation, with direction to staff to advise the Province that the current schedule of June 30, 2024 for local and city-wide rezoning is unrealistic for Vancouver, so should be extended to at least the end of 2024, or preferably spring 2025, in order to have a legitimate public process and an infrastructure review.

Sincerely,
Co-Chairs Larry Benge & Dorothy Barkley
CVN Steering Committee,
Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods

Network Groups of the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods

Arbutus Ridge Community Association
Cedar Cottage Area Neighbours
Dunbar Residents Association
Fairview/South Granville Action Committee
Grandview Woodland Area Council
Greater Yaletown Community Association
Kitsilano-Arbutus Residents Association
Kits Point Residents Association
NW Point Grey Home Owners Association
Oakridge Langara Area Residents
Residents Association Mount Pleasant
Riley Park/South Cambie Advisory Group
Shaughnessy Heights Property Owners Assoc.
Strathcona Residents Association
Upper Kitsilano Residents Association
West End Neighbours Society
West Kitsilano Residents Association
West Point Grey Residents Association
West Southland Residents Association