4084 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

I hope West Vancouver will stand up against NDP tyranny.

[Victoria Watcher]

Blanket zoning policy ignores decades of careful planning, West Van council says

 

But West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager disagreed with the minster’s point of view, arguing that his municipality is passing significant, carefully planned housing projects, and already has rules that allow secondary suites and coach houses on single-family lots.

 

However, around 220 properties – about 1.6 per cent of the district’s total – stood to have their allowable density increased by the provincially mandated changes.

 

When West Van unanimously voted to reject the rules in May, councillors lambasted the province for forcing blanket zoning policy that ignores decades of careful planning by local government.

 

 

https://www.nsnews.c...g-rules-9270398

[Victoria Watcher]

Market conditions out of district's control, mayor says

 

 

 

But the state of affairs is much different in the eyes of Mark Sager, the municipality’s mayor.

 

Earlier this week, West Van council approved a large-scale plan to build 3,700 housing units in the Cypress Village neighbourhood over the next 25 years.

 

“This has been in the works obviously for a long time with an enormous amount of very, very careful planning with enormous community input,” Sager said. “It would more than address all of the housing needs that West Vancouver could possibly be expected to [meet] for a very, very long time.”

 

The mayor pointed to the under-construction affordable rental building on Gordon Avenue and other recently approved projects, including a 34-unit duplex development in Eagle Harbour.

 

To the housing ministry, Sager said, “Please don’t portray us as a group of people who are opposed to housing.”

 

The district has also faced challenges with developers following through on plans to build new housing, he added.

 

 

https://www.biv.com/...targets-9149322

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 July 2024 - 03:32 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Council lambasts top-down approach from province

 

But after directing staff to prepare the rezoning bylaw in April, on Monday, May 27, council voted unanimously to reject it, with several councillors stating they don’t intend to have local zoning changes dictated by Victoria.

 

Coun. Linda Watt led the charge, saying she was voted in by the citizens of West Vancouver, doesn’t represent the province and “I’ll continue to represent their best interests and vigorously oppose any entity that seeks to destroy the nature and character of our community.”

 

Watt accused the province of moving at a “reckless pace” to ram down blanket rezoning that ignores decades of careful planning by local government.

 

Watt added it’s not West Vancouver’s fault that the federal government “[opened] the floodgates” to one million immigrants a year and exacerbated the housing crisis.

 

Coun. Christine Cassidy, who described the provincial rules as “an extreme form of socialism, bordering on communism” during the last discussion, said she would never vote in favour of such a rezoning.

 

 

 

 

https://www.nsnews.c...medium=referral

 

 

 

 

It appears only 200 or so properties are affected or might be affected here because West Vancouver also rejects much transit, so most properties are too far way from it to be included in changes required by the province.  

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 July 2024 - 03:35 PM.

[Mike K.]

Property rights have been taken away, as zoning changes have been forced onto municipalities. We still don't know the full property tax implications.

 

I just spoke to this on the radio. I get the sense that there's this lull right now, as we await the results of the provincial election. The results will either see these measures toned down, or the NDP will double down to eradicate single-family development almost entirely outside of the wealthiest enclaves.

 

Now all we need are fire breaks to really ramp things up (I joke).

[Victoria Watcher]

Uplands is the fire break that Oaklands didn't even know they needed.

[Sparky]

I missed this earlier.

 

[...] Province issues West Vancouver 30-day notice to conform with housing rules [...]

 

[...] The Ministry of Housing singled out West Van as the only B.C. municipality to reject new small-scale multi-unit legislation [...]

 

https://www.nsnews.c...g-rules-9270398

 

It looks like 100% of the West Vancouver municipal council has sent a clear FU to the Provincial Government as it relates to re-writing their zoning bylaw to allow duplexes, triplexes, 4-plexes and 6-plexes in accordance with Bill 44.

 

[...] Council considered the proposed Zoning Bylaw No. 4662, 2010, Amendment Bylaw No. 5327, 2024 regarding Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing to comply with Provincial Bill 44 (2023) on Monday, May 27, 2024. The motion to give the amending bylaw first reading was defeated by a majority vote of Council. [...]

 

https://westvancouve...housing-bill-44

 

Way to go West Vancouver !!!

[Nparker]

I wish more municipalities would stand up to the NDP's tyranny.

[Victoria Watcher]

A potential housing bylaw change in Vancouver is looking to make living in the city more attainable.

 

A referral report is recommending the city make amendments to its zoning and development bylaws.

 

The change would allow builders to construct multiplexes from previous single properties. It would also allow significantly more space on each lot to be developed, compared to a single property. 

 

A newly-built detached single family house could only use the equivalent of 60 per cent of a lot’s area, or about 2,400 square feet. However, a multiplex will be permitted to go up to 4,026 square feet on that same lot.

 

Up to six units could be built on one lot if the changes get approved. It would also allow the creation of larger laneway homes.

 

 

 

https://bc.ctvnews.c...ontactForm=true

[Nparker]

There is zero evidence to show that "missing middle" housing policies are creating affordability. It's simply more government overreach and less public input into neighbourhood development.

[dasmo]

There is plenty of evidence that increasing density only makes housing less affordable 🤷🏽

[Nparker]

It certainly pushes up the price of the land underneath the existing houses.

[dasmo]

Yep. Instead of a $3 million dollar house in Van you have a $6 million dollar development opportunity. Developer can do 6 units by right but applies to do 12, is allowed to to 8 x 700 sqft no parking, $1.8 million dollar homes.

[Victoria Watcher]

[Victoria Watcher]

Post: https://x.com/adam_s...VEUJpeFjILnnozg

[Nparker]

Quotas rarely reach the goals they are meant to achieve.

[Mike K.]

Yep. Instead of a $3 million dollar house in Van you have a $6 million dollar development opportunity. Developer can do 6 units by right but applies to do 12, is allowed to to 8 x 700 sqft no parking, $1.8 million dollar homes.

The argument being, in that scenario, that now 8 wealthy buyers can buy what previously one relatively wealthier buyer could.

[Nparker]

None of which = affordability.

[dasmo]

None of which = affordability.

Bingo. So don’t lie. Call it what it is. Taking away your right to your neighborhood to benefit the wealthy developers and buyers. Of course they couldn’t engineer consent without lying….

[Nparker]

Remember all the young folks speaking in support of MMI ahead of the last civic election? Man-oh-man were they ever duped.