Vancouver city staff is recommending that council allow 220 parcels in the Cambie Corridor area, which are currently designated for single-family homes and duplexes, to be rezoned for potentially building some 1,600 townhome and row house units.
“I think it’s wise. They would be avoiding the need to do lot-by-lot rezoning and wasting council’s time when they are going to rezone anyway,” said Tom Davidoff, a real estate economist from the University of B.C.’s Sauder School of Business.
The move follows public engagement on the idea of speeding up the process of adding to ground-level, so-called “missing middle” housing to this area. It would involve council approving amendments to already existing bylaws.
It comes as the province recently said it will take zoning powers from municipalities that don’t start to launch plans for allowing more secondary suites, townhouses, stratified duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes on parcels that are currently zoned for single-family, detached homes.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon and Premier David Eby said their new Homes for People plan announced in early April could bring legislation in the fall that would apply to many areas of the province and “allow up to four units on a detached home property,” or as many as six units if the property is near transit.
Some municipalities, such as Coquitlam, Victoria and Saanich, have already started more active plans and discussed these at a recent Union of B.C. Municipalities housing conference. Victoria, for example, in January adopted a missing middle initiative that allows for up to six units of infill, houseplex or corner townhomes to be developed on most average residential lots without a rezoning.
Others such as Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie have raised questions about how municipalities will, at the same time, cope with increased traffic, environmental impact and the need for more schools and hospitals.
The 220 single-family, detached home lots that have been identified by City of Vancouver staff are ones which would not require significant sewer improvements or utility upgrades that would have to be considered in a rezoning to accommodate a multi-family development. They sit between King Edward Avenue and 55th Avenue and are in the middle of Oak and Ontario Streets.
Since 2018, 625 townhome or row house units in this general area have been approved or are under construction or have been completed. These involved 60 rezoning applications that were brought to city council and took up about 20 per cent of all public hearings in one year.
If council approves the proposed amendment, it would eliminate the need for developers to submit rezoning applications needed for the next set of what could be 1,600 townhome and row house units, according to a staff report.
The blanket zoning for these 220 lots would permit townhouse and row house developments with a maximum floor space ratio of 1.2 and be limited in height to just over 11 metres. The owners of the single-family lots or developers would be charged a cash contribution by the City to get that increased density.
The City can charge enough money to pay for public amenities and build what density is needed, said Davidoff.
“It takes away the uncertainty and the hazy circumstances that can lead to speculation,” he added.