Opinion: Vancouver's city council seems keen to keep pushing ahead major mixed-use developments, even ones that don't quite fit with all established policies. And they want to pick up the pace.
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Vancouver city council this week green-lit mixed-use developments significantly bigger that what local zoning would normally allow, again signalling to city staff — and the city at large — their desire to go bigger and faster on housing.
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City staff presented two separate projects, both on South Oak Street, to council through a new program for proposals that are “non-compliant” with existing plans and policies, but may align with council priorities and offer significant public benefits.
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These two projects, staff said, would “significantly deviate in height and density from the Cambie Corridor Plan” — with towers of up to 30 storeys — but would also include a long-term care facility, seniors’ housing, child care, ground-floor commercial space, social housing, condos and rental homes. The mayor and council weren’t considering any final approvals this week on these projects, but staff recommended they move ahead through an “enhanced rezoning” process.
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After city planning staff presented the two projects Wednesday, and described all the ways they break with existing plans and policies, not only did council unanimously vote to advance both, but also expressed a desire to see the process unfold quickly.
The first project is the proposed redevelopment of the non-profit-owned Louis Brier Home & Hospital property at the northwest corner of Oak and 41st streets, which has for decades provided seniors care and assisted living housing, largely serving the Jewish community. The redevelopment proposal envisions buildings of six, eight, 20, 28 and 30 storeys, in a part of the Cambie Corridor Plan that was expected to consist of low-rise and “lower mid-rise” buildings, as well as one taller building of up to 20 storeys.
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Rozanne Kipnes, a development consultant on the Louis Brier redevelopment, said that since the Cambie Corridor Plan was approved in 2018, “the city has evolved and the needs have only gotten greater.”
“The density we have earmarked for the project is what makes the project financially viable,” with the support of municipal, provincial and non-profit partners, Kipnes said. “We’re in the business of doing good work, that’s what we do. We’re a non-profit.”
Immediately north of Louis Brier is a property called Shawn Oaks, which currently has 72 strata units in 11 buildings built in 1969. The redevelopment proposes towers of 28 and 23 storeys, and “significantly exceeds” heights and densities under the existing plan, which would normally contemplate a single tower of up to 16 storeys.
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The two adjacent projects were considered together by council Wednesday but are separate properties with separate owners. But proponents of both projects — one non-profit and the other a private landowner — expressed support for each other.
Michael Mortensen of Livable City Planning, a development consultant for Shawn Oaks, addressed council Wednesday and raised the fact that earlier that same day their own housing department staff presented an update telling them “Vancouver is lagging in social housing approvals.”
The Shawn Oaks’ proposal, from Landmark Premiere Properties, would include 400 to 450 condos and 180 family oriented social housing units — which Mortensen pointed out was more than 13 per cent of the total social housing units approved across the whole city last year.
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“At no cost to the taxpayer, this is a market-driven, below market housing solution,” Mortensen said.
Proponents of both projects asked council to amend the staff report to speed up the process, and several councillors questioned chief planner Theresa O’Donnell as to how they could make that happen. O’Donnell, as well, said staff see the benefits of both projects, despite their non-compliance with current policies, and expressed a desire to compress timelines where possible.
Anat Gogo, executive director of the Tikva Housing Society, the operator of 90 units of social housing proposed for the Brier redevelopment, said: “We just need to see this project going through, without any further delays.”
Tikva currently operates six buildings housing 254 residents, 60 of whom are seniors, Gogo said, “but we are always mindful,” she said, of the 208 seniors and 71 families with children on their waiting list.
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“It feels very discouraging. Because we’re celebrating our successes, and we just acquired another property. But the numbers on the wait-list just keep outpacing our capacity to house folks,” Gogo said. “We’re barely scraping the need.”
Both non-compliant projects were advanced to council through a process endorsed by the previous council, informed by motions from ABC Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung and former mayor Kennedy Stewart. The process was designed to bring proposals to council for consideration that don’t comply with policies that might be outdated or not meeting the current council’s priorities.
Four such inquiries have made it to council so far for decision, and all were approved. Council also green-lit another major proposal, for the redevelopment of the 800-block of Granville Street, proceeding outside the program without staff’s recommendation, and the Army & Navy redevelopment in the Downtown Eastside will soon aim to do the same.
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Meanwhile, this council seems be keen to keep pushing such projects ahead, even ones that don’t quite fit with all established policies.
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Dan Fumano: Taller, denser, faster: Vancouver city council backs more 'non-compliant' housing proposals - Vancouver Sun
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