This letter to Council relates to a staff referral report going before a Public Hearing on January 21, 2021.
January 18, 2021
City of Vancouver Council
Dear Mayor Kennedy Stewart and Councillors,
Re: Public Hearing (01/21/21) Item 4. Employment Lands and Economy Review Quick Start Actions: Initial Zoning and Development By-law Amendments to Support Neighbourhood Grocery Stores
Agenda: https://council.vancouver.ca/20210121/phea20210121ag.htm
Report: https://council.vancouver.ca/20210121/documents/rr1d.pdf
The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods (CVN) is opposed to this rezoning. Proper consultation and planning on this item has been virtually non-existent. The report proposes rezoning through text amendments to allow new commercial development in all RS, RT and RM residential zones citywide.
The existing provisions to allow for older grandfathered corner stores to remain are very different than allowing new commercial development in residential areas. There are many issues that should first be considered prior to rezoning. While this may be acceptable in some areas, it requires a neighbourhood context and specific location considerations.
Local businesses in existing C2 zoned neighbourhood centres are struggling and adding more competition by expanding new commercial into residential areas would only make it harder for them to survive. The BIAs have not been consulted. Nor have the public.
The work in the Vancouver Plan needs to proceed on a neighbourhood basis prior to considering rezoning, not afterwards. The cart is before the horse.
Refer to City Hall Watch: https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/2020/11/23/new-commercial-in-residential-zones/
Please only accept this report for information and refer it back to staff to consider as part of
neighbourhood-based planning in the Vancouver Plan process.
Thank you,
Larry A. Benge, Co-chair
Dorothy Barkley, Co-chair
Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods
