September 15, 2020
City of Vancouver Council
Dear Mayor Kennedy Stewart and Councillors,
Re: Item B.3. Open Option Parking Policy – Removing On-Site Parking Minimum Requirements
Agenda: https://council.vancouver.ca/20200915/regu20200915ag.htm
Motion: https://council.vancouver.ca/20200915/documents/b3.pdf
The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods (CVN) is strongly opposed to this motion to deregulate onsite parking requirements for new construction.
While there may be exceptions where parking relaxations are warranted, which should be determined through a neighbourhood-based planning process, the demand for parking is not going away anytime soon and should continue to be required in new construction. In fact the demand for onsite parking will only increase as vehicles transition to electric and require secure parking for overnight charging.
When adequate parking isn’t required, it doesn’t change the fact that new households usually own vehicles, so they instead will be required to park on the already congested streets. And this would further inhibit the shift to electric vehicles without an onsite parking stall for charging.
This would be an additional subsidy for developers who could add in as many units as possible while offloading any infrastructure for parking onto the city and surrounding neighbourhoods. People who currently depend on parking on the street in front of their homes will no longer be able to do so and may have to park blocks away.
Onsite parking is important infrastructure that each new development should provide to ensure liveability, accessibility for persons with disabilities, for families, for an aging population, and for the continued shift to vehicle electrification. Please do not approve this motion as proposed since it is not in the public interest.
Thank you,
Larry A. Benge, Co-chair
Dorothy Barkley, Co-chair
Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods
Member Groups of the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods
Arbutus Ridge Community Association
Arbutus Ridge/ Kerrisdale/ Shaughnessy Visions
Cedar Cottage Area Neighbours
Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council
Dunbar Residents Association
Fairview/South Granville Action Committee
False Creek Residents Association
Grandview Woodland Area Council
Granville-Burrard Residents & Business Assoc.
Greater Yaletown Community Association
Joyce Area Residents
Kitsilano-Arbutus Residents Association
Kits Point Residents Association
Marpole Residents Coalition
NW Point Grey Home Owners Association
Oakridge Langara Area Residents
Riley Park/South Cambie Visions
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
