Citizens’ assembly calls for height restrictions
Group created after outrage over 37-storey tower
Vancouver’s Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood will densify but not in the way the city had initially proposed two years ago, if recommendations from a citizens’ assembly are eventually adopted.
Towers in some areas would be much shorter than city planners had initially pitched, while density would be eased into parts of the neighbourhood through extra suites in homes, coach and laneway houses, and zoning for townhouses.
The citizens’ assembly on the Grandview-Woodland Community Plan, which recently issued its final report after nine months of study, killed initial plans for a 37-storey tower at Commercial and Broadway.
That proposal became a flashpoint for neighbourhood anger before the last municipal election and led to the creation of the assembly.
Instead, the group recommended allowing more spreadout buildings in the area, of up to 12 storeys.
What assembly members spent much of their energy grappling with was how to increase density to win needed public amenities and benefits in certain areas, said Rachel Magnusson, the chairwoman of the citizens’ assembly.
“There’s a lot of interest in, ‘Can we create spaces for youth and affordable housing,’ recognizing that they might need to go up to get those things,” Magnusson said.
The Grandview-Woodland area falls between Clark Drive and Nanaimo Street and stretches from East Broadway to Burrard Inlet.
The 75-page report included 270 recommendations that addressed sub-areas, streets, blocks and even specific intersections within the area.
“If you read through the recommendations, they’re very thoughtful (and) they’re trying to balance all sorts of different opinions and perspectives for the future of the neighbourhood. I think it really addresses a clear direction for the neighbourhood,” said Magnusson, who guessed that “people will feel, ‘yep, they got it right,’ ” on 95 per cent of the report’s recommendations.
“Inevitably around some of these questions of land use people are going to disagree — especially if it’s very close to where they live. But also, people generally disagree about what height fits with the community.”
The report recommended that the city maintain current height restrictions except when important public benefits can be gained through new development.
“If such public benefits are secured, we recommend allowing increased heights as follows: Hastings Street, between Clark Drive and McLean Drive — 15 storeys with opportunities for 20 storeys on the north side; Hastings Street, between McLean Drive and west of Commercial Drive — up to 15 storeys on the north side, and up to 12 storeys on the south side; Hastings Street, Commercial Drive to Templeton Drive — up to eight storeys; and Hastings Street, Templeton Drive to Kamloops Street — up to six storeys.”
Assembly members also recommended buildings of up to eight storeys above the SkyTrain station at the northeast corner of Commercial and Broadway, at Broadway and Clark Drive, and at Commercial and 12th Avenue.
Another focus of citizens’ assembly members was trying to keep the “quirky and eclectic” feel of the neighbourhood, Magnusson said.
“Unless otherwise identified we instruct the City to retain current zoning of four storeys throughout Commercial Drive, from Grandview Cut to Pender Street, with the goal of maintaining affordability and character,” stated the report.
The city should also create opportunities for up to eight storeys of residential on the north side of Pender Street between Commercial Drive and McLean Drive “to assist with the transition of the recommended height just north on Hastings Street,” according to the report.
For the Grandview area, the report said: “Our aim with these recommendations is to expand rental and ownership opportunities alongside East 1st Avenue, encourage gentle densification in all other parts of Grandview, preserve heritage assets, improve our parks and make our streets safer for everybody.”