Vancouver gears up for great multiplex debate with public hearing planned

A public hearing on a Vancouver plan which would allow significant new density in single-family neighbourhoods is set to go ahead next week.

The plan envisions relaxed zoning rules to allow multiplexes in many areas previously restricted for single-family homes.

CityNews caught up with the mayor to get his thoughts ahead of what’s already becoming a contentious debate.

Ken Sim says he’s keeping an open mind ahead of next week’s public hearing, but he’s been vocal about his desire to have more homes built both during his election campaign and since becoming the mayor of Vancouver.

“We’re going to approach everything with an open mind,” Sim told CityNews on Wednesday when asked about the public hearing.

“But make no mistake about it, we are being bold. We want to do everything we can to provide — or to build — more housing, faster. We’ve been very clear that we’re in a housing crisis right now, and we need more homes built — of all types.”

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But Upper Kitsilano Residents Association co-director Evelyn Jacob has a number of concerns, including what she claims is a lack of consultation. She downplayed the findings of a survey done in the spring which indicated the city’s Missing Middle plan had the support of 77 per cent of those polled.

“Hardly anyone filled that out,” Jacob said. “I think there were under 1,900 people out of all of Vancouver who filled that out … but when you think about it, that’s really nothing. That’s a problem. The other problem is the relaxation of design guidelines. I mean, what is going to come out? Is this going to be a huge hodgepodge of styles? We don’t know anything about that.

“Then there’s the aging sewer system. This is like a century-old sewer system we’re talking about.”

Jacob’s group also fears the proposed changes would lead to the removal of trees, a shortage of parking in many neighbourhoods, and the demolition of older homes.

“A lot of people do want more densification here, but they don’t want it the way it’s proposed,” Jacob claimed during a phone interview. “It has downsides. The only good thing it has going for it, I guess, is that it will have more housing. Mind you, it’s not going to be cheap.”

Developer supportive, but feels plan is restrictive

As for those in the development community, there are many supportive voices — albeit often with caveats.

“Well over 60 per cent of Vancouver is held in these single-family lots,” said Jake Fry, the owner and CEO of Smallworks, which builds laneway homes.

“While they may have some rental units and some ownership, what’s really possible as we begin to unlock the potential of that land to house more families, is the opportunity for really creating a unique and once-in-a-multiple-generation opportunity to really allow people to get into both home ownership, or as importantly, attainable homes, even rentals that are more reasonably priced.”

If the plan is approved, Fry would like to see monthly city staff meetings to check in on how the program is going.

But while he is supportive, he believes this proposal is overly restrictive.

“It’s very regimented,” Fry said. “It’s very fixed. And in that kind of fixed manner that it has, it’s missing a bigger opportunity of allowing a more diverse iteration of what’s possible.”

Fry also believes the proposal as it stands doesn’t sufficiently incentivize the construction of affordable units.

The public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 14.