PDF version: LINK HERE
December 10, 2024
City of Vancouver
Dear Mayor Ken Sim and Councillors,
Re: Broadway Plan Review and Implementation
Agenda 2024-12-11 https://council.vancouver.ca/20241211/cfsc20241211ag.htm
Report https://council.vancouver.ca/20241211/documents/cfsc1_revised.pdf
The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods (CVN) strongly opposes the recommendations in this report. We request that the Mayor and Council pause the Broadway Plan to allow a reasonable timeframe for public response, and for an approach that will properly address the affordable housing crisis rather than just making it so much worse.
The public has only had access to the 353 page report for 2 or 3 business days. On Wednesday Dec.4 was the first release online, then doubling the size of the report Thursday Dec. 5, and again amending the report on Monday Dec. 9. There clearly has been no meaningful opportunity for the public to review the proposal and respond before Council consideration Wednesday Dec. 11.
Since the initial Broadway Plan was approved in 2022, the rampant tower speculation in land assemblies and rezonings have left many victims of demoviction and displacement in only the first two years. This is not the incremental growth projected to be over 30 years.
The increases of tower development contemplated in this current report amendment will escalate this.
Removing tower limits per block, adding height and densities in some areas, and adding hotel uses, that will overwhelm the area even more, by demolishing existing affordable housing, heritage and established communities.
As well as increased towers in the remainder of the RT zones around the edges of the plan area, many blocks away from transit, will eliminate many affordable ground oriented family units that the new towers do not provide.
Further adding towers to current C2 zones along W. 4th Avenue, Granville Street, and Main Street will put undue additional pressure on land values and property taxes that will force out local businesses.
As part of the Broadway Plan, there needs to be a thorough infrastructure review that is made public, including costing of upgrades and how it will be financed, to ensure that the growth will be sustainable, within the reasonable capacity of the city, and affordably implemented.
The increasing costs of the infrastructure deficit and land value inflation will put more pressure on property taxes that adds to the cost of living burden. The development fees are waived for these large rental towers, so most of the costs of growth are being downloaded onto property taxes.
There is no justification for the huge amounts of development in the Broadway Plan. It is mainly creating micro sized expensive rental units that we don’t need, massive demolition and displacement of older larger more affordable units, with no meaningful net increase to the affordable units we do need. This was confirmed by the City’s own Housing Needs Assessment from June 25, 2024.
Further, this massive increase in development is far beyond projected population growth given the slowdown of immigration, foreign students and temporary foreign workers.
We request that you pause the Broadway Plan and consult with the public for a better outcome that allows for the needed affordable housing without the loss of existing communities and within the city’s reasonable infrastructure capacity.
Sincerely,
Co-Chairs Larry Benge & Dorothy Barkley
CVN Steering Committee,
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
