The benefits and drawbacks of rezoning 4,000+ properties at once

What happened: Vancouver city council held a public hearing on a proposed plan to rezone more than four thousand parcels of land in neighbourhoods like Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano, Fairview, and Oakridge. A final decision on the plan was deferred until next month. 

• The move is intended to reduce costs and time for the city and developers, but staff also note that it could reduce revenue for public benefits like recreation centres, childcare facilites, and public art. Critics say it will increase the speed and intensity of displacement for working-class renters and reduce opportunities for public engagement on development. 

The details: Most of the 4,294 sites up for rezoning fall between Broadway and 16th Ave, with other notable areas south of Great Northern Way in Mount Pleasant, around Oakridge, and between Broadway and 1st Ave in Kits. 

• If approved, those properties would be zoned for low, mid, and high-rise buildings – new types of zoning for the city introduced by this plan – depending on proximity to main streets, transit, and other considerations.  

Low-rise buildings can be up to eight storeys tall but staff expect most new buildings to be between four and six. The mid-rise guidelines are for 12-storey buildings, while the highrise zoning generally allows for towers between 15 and 22 storeys, and no higher than 26 storeys. The majority of the rezonings fall into the low-rise category. 

The benefits: The proposal is based on saving time and money. “The fastest rezoning is one that does not need to occur,” Josh White, the city’s head planner, said in his comments to council. Rezoning can take a year or more to process, adding “uncertainty and risk for applicants” while taking up city resources, according to the report. 

Allowing these developments to bypass the rezoning process would be an “impactful measure” to streamline the delivery of housing and simplify building rules, staff said. If approved next month, it would mean building proposals at these sites that fit the new zoning can proceed directly to apply for a development permit. 

• Public support for the plan was generally for more housing, increased density near transit, and reducing permitting times. 

The drawbacks: The Vancouver Tenants Union, which frequently helps residents organize against rezonings and unfair treatment, said the move would intensify and accelerate displacement, particularly of working-class people. The changes also include a reduction for social housing in the Cambie Corridor Plan from 30 per cent to 20 per cent. 

The report also noted that by “significantly reducing” site-specific rezonings, the plan “may lead to a reduction in provision of public benefits,” usually cash or space contributions negotiated between the city and the developer during rezoning. Vancouver currently has a $500 million annual infrastructure deficit, including a $33 million annual shortfall to maintain and replace recreation facilities. 

In terms of public feedback on the plan, opposition included concern over building heights impacting neighbourhood character, the impact of construction, and the reduction in public engagement. By bypassing the need for rezonings at these sites, the city would be eliminating public hearings in these cases, which are the most direct opportunity for public feedback. 

While some public hearings get a lot of participation, it’s a less effective way to successfully influence a project because the engagement happens so late in the process, White, the city’s head planner, told Vancity Lookout back in June. Bigger planning processes, like area plans or this city-led rezoning, are “a very productive time to have your say and shape every application or every project that ends up coming through,” White said. 

About 75 speakers showed up for Tuesday’s public hearing, while the rezoning plan generated over 200 letters of opposition and about 60 in support ahead of the hearing. 

What’s next: Council will now debate, possibly amend, and make a decision on the proposal at a meeting on October 7.