Another busy week is in store for Vancouver City Council. All agendas are here – https://covapp.vancouver.ca/councilMeetingPublic/CouncilMeetings.aspx
After a closed “in camera” special council meeting on Monday (Mar 6), City Council this week has a regular meeting (Mar 7), a standing committee meeting (Mar 8), and two Public Hearings (Mar 7 and 9) packed with items, then a nominations subcommittee meeting (Mar 10). The content of the in camera meeting may one day appear at this link.
In other civic affairs, there was a Park Board meeting March 6 (featuring sport field renovations, and general manager’s report), and a Vancouver School Board ‘Policy and Governance’ meeting March 8.
Meanwhile, the Development Permit Board (DPB) met on February 21 and March 6, although the agendas for those meetings, already in the past, have NOT even been posted online. We encourage concerned citizens to write to the Mayor and City manager to point that out. It is a serious problem. Increasing powers are being vested in the director of planning, planning department, and the DPB, for development application decisions. Without the complete absence of public scrutiny as in these two dates, there is a deep gap in public oversight.
Finally, looking ahead, there is an Urban Design Panel meeting March 15 (no agenda posted as of Mar 6).
Below we introduce selected topics from the Vancouver City council meetings and public hearings this week.
Regular Council (9:30 am on Tuesday, March 7, 2023):
In this meeting, topics include Business Improvement Area (BIA) grant/contract renewals, and report on one election candidate who failed to file disclosure statements.
Referral reports (to public hearing) are labelled to appear rather inoccuous, but a careful read is needed to verify the content. (Miscellaneous Amendments – Zoning and Development By-law and Various Other By laws and Land Use Documents, and Minor Regulatory and Policy Amendments – Zoning and Development By-law, Downtown Eastside Plan, RM-8 and RM-8N Guidelines, and RM-8A and RM-8AN Guideline).
Other referrals to public hearing include 657-685 East 18th Avenue, 5995-6015 Dunbar Street, and 3205 Arbutus Street. Based on past experience, these are virtually guaranteed to go to Public Hearing within weeks, and Council is virtually guaranteed to approve what staff have recommended in the referral reports.
One that merits note is 657-685 East 18th Avenue (see info at https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/657-685-e-18-ave). This is an example of the generic boxes that are sprouting up around the Vancouver with virtually no public engagement. Brian Palmquist has covered this topic a number of times. (See City Conversation #94: “Half of rezoning applications since the Vancouver election are proposed with no ‘pretty pictures.’ Many have already been approved.”). This one is at East 18th, four storeys, one block in, just west of Fraser Street. Here is the image available to the public:
The next one is 5995-6015 Dunbar Street (see info at https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/5995-6015-dunbar-st). Another generic box going in, just north of Southwest Marine Drive. Here is what the public has seen:
The next one is 3205 Arbutus Street (https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/3205-arbutus-st). This is a four-story building proposed to replace the Chevron Station at the corner of 16th Avenue and Arbutus, just across from the Loblaws City Market. Here is the applicant’s rendering:
Administrative motions deserve a careful look by anyone concerned. The third one in particular, “Zoning and Development By-law Amendments to Simplify Green Building Regulations Subject to the approval of By-laws 2 and 9.”
Among the Council members’ motions is one submitted by Clrs Meiszner and Bligh on “Flag Raising at City Hall to Recognize Black History Month in Vancouver in 2024.”
Public Hearing (6:00 pm on Tuesday, March 7, 2023):
- Miscellaneous Amendments Concerning Various CD-1 By-laws
Summary and Recommendations - Heritage Revitalization Agreement: 995 Bute Street (Rand House)
- Rezoning: 1522 West 45th Avenue and 6137 Granville Street. This one seeks to transform two single-family homes at West 45 Avenue and Granville into a five floor rental building.
- Rezoning: 5828-5850 Granville Street. This one seeks to do something similar a few blocks north.
Correspondence submitted to Council by the morning of the public hearing was limited at under 20 letter in total, mostly in support.
Standing Committee (9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 8, 2023):
One item worth a look is “2023 Property Taxation: Development Potential Relief and Targeted Land Assessment Averaging.”
Public Hearing (6:00 pm on Thursday, March 9, 2023):
- Rezoning: 817-837 West 28th Avenue and 4375 Willow Street
- CD-1 Rezoning: 7688-7720 Cambie Street
- CD-1 Rezoning: 103-111 North Templeton Drive and 2185 Oxford Street
- Zoning and Development By-law Amendments to Schedule E Building Lines (Hastings Street, North Side from Cassiar Street to Boundary Road)
As of the morning of March 7, just two days before the Public Hearing, no items of correspondence had been posted.
Regarding the 4th item, here is a backgrounder on the topic – What’s a ‘building line’ in Vancouver? Here’s a backgrounder. https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/2023/01/27/building-line-backgrounder/
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Below for your convenience, we post excerpts of the agenda as of the morning of March 7.
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Regular Council agenda
March 7, 2023
Link – https://council.vancouver.ca/20230307/regu20230307ag.htm
EXCERPT
ROLL CALL
IN CAMERA MEETING
THAT Council will go into meetings later this week which are closed to the public, pursuant to Section 165.2(1) of the Vancouver Charter, to discuss matters related to paragraphs:
(a) personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being considered for a position as an officer, employee or agent of the city or another position appointed by the city;
(c) labour relations or other employee relations;
(e) the acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land or improvements, if the Council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the city;
(g) litigation or potential litigation affecting the city;
(i) the receipt of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose;
(j) information that is prohibited, or information that if it were presented in a document would be prohibited, from disclosure under section 21 [disclosure harmful to business interests of a third party] of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act;
(k) negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of an activity, work or facility that are at their preliminary stages and that, in the view of the Council, could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the city if they were held in public.
ADOPTION OF MINUTES
1. Council – February 14, 2023
2. Public Hearing – February 14 and 21, 2023
3. Council (Policy and Strategic Priorities) – February 15, 2023
4. Public Hearing – February 16, 2023
MATTERS ADOPTED ON CONSENT
REPORTS
1. Amendments to Model Business Improvement Area (BIA) Grant Allocation By-law
2. Approval of Business Improvement Area (BIA) Renewals 2023
3. Campaign Financing Disclosure Statements for 2022 General Election Local Election – Failure to File
4. Local Improvement – Approval of Billing Rates for Projects Completed in 2022
REFERRAL REPORTS
1. Miscellaneous Amendments – Zoning and Development By-law and Various Other By laws and Land Use Documents
2. Minor Regulatory and Policy Amendments – Zoning and Development By-law, Downtown Eastside Plan, RM-8 and RM-8N Guidelines, and RM-8A and RM-8AN Guidelines
3. Rezoning: 657-685 East 18th Avenue
4. Rezoning: 5995-6015 Dunbar Street
5. CD-1 Rezoning: 3205 Arbutus Street
BY-LAWS
1. A By-law to amend Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575 Regarding Patios
(Councillor Bligh and Mayor Sim absent for this item at the Public Hearing and will need to review the proceedings to be eligible to vote)
2. A By-law to amend Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575 Regarding Green Building Regulations
(Councillor Kirby-Yung, Klassen, Meiszner and Mayor Sim absent for this item at the Public Hearing and will need to review the proceedings to be eligible to vote)
3. A By-law to amend Building By-law No. 12511 Regarding Housekeeping and Miscellaneous Amendments
4. A By-law to amend the Electrical By-law No. 5563 Regarding Alignment with Changes in the Provincial Electrical Safety Regulations and Miscellaneous Amendments
5. A By-law to amend Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575 to rezone an area to CD-1 (2406-2484 Renfrew Street)
(Councillors Klassen, Meiszner, Montague, Zhou and Mayor Sim not on Council at the time of the Public Hearing and will need to review the proceedings to be eligible to vote)
6. A By-law to amend Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575 to rezone an area to CD-1 (131-163 West 49th Avenue)
(Councillor Boyle absent for this item at the Public Hearing; Councillors Klassen, Meiszner, Montague, Zhou and Mayor Sim not on Council at the time of the Public Hearing and will need to review the proceedings to be eligible to vote)
7. A By-law to amend CD-1 (66) By-law No. 4539 (622-688 Southwest Marine Drive)
(Councillors Klassen, Meiszner, Montague, Zhou and Mayor Sim not on Council at the time of the Public Hearing and will need to review the proceedings to be eligible to vote)
8. A By-law to enact a Housing Agreement for 601 Beach Crescent
9. A By-law to amend the Buidling By-law No. 12511 regarding updates to the Still Creek floodplain and flood construction level requirements
MOTIONS
A. Administrative Motions
1. Approval of Form of Development – 2005 East 40th Avenue (formerly 5590 Victoria Drive)
2. Approval of Form of Development – 220 East 6th Avenue (formerly 2202 Main Street)
3. Zoning and Development By-law Amendments to Simplify Green Building Regulations
Subject to the approval of By-laws 2 and 9
B. Council Members’ Motions
1. Requests for Leaves of Absence
2. Change to Acting Mayor Roster
3. Flag Raising at City Hall to Recognize Black History Month in Vancouver in 2024
NOTICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER’S MOTIONS
NEW BUSINESS
ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS
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Public Hearing
March 7, 2023
Revised: March 6, 2023
TIP: For further information on each item search http://www.ShapeYourCity.ca for the specific address.
Link: https://council.vancouver.ca/20230307/phea20230307ag.htm
EXCERPT
ROLL CALL
1. Miscellaneous Amendments Concerning Various CD-1 By-laws
- Summary and Recommendations
- Referral Report dated January 31, 2023
- Draft CD-1 By-Law – (Heather Street)
- Draft CD-1 By-Law – (West Pender Street, Cardero Street, Nicola Street, Broughton Street, & West Cordova Street)
- Draft CD-1 By-Law – (Howe Street)
- Draft CD-1 By-Law – (Main Street)
2. Heritage Revitalization Agreement: 995 Bute Street (Rand House)
3. Rezoning: 1522 West 45th Avenue and 6137 Granville Street
- Summary and Recommendations
- Referral Report dated January 31, 2023
- Draft Zoning and Development By-Law
CORRESPONDENCE:
| Date of Distribution | Support | Oppose | Other |
| March 3, 2023 up to 12 pm | 0 | 1  | 0 |
| March 6, 2023 up to 3 pm | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 1 | 0 |
4. Rezoning: 5828-5850 Granville Street
- Summary and Recommendations
- Referral Report dated January 31, 2023
- Draft Zoning and Development By-Law
CORRESPONDENCE:
| Date of Distribution | Support | Oppose | Other |
| March 3, 2023 up to 12 pm | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| March 6, 2023 up tp 3 pm | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 12 | 0 | 0 |
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Standing Committee on City Finance and Services agenda
March 8, 2023
Revised March 6, 2023
Link: https://council.vancouver.ca/20230308/cfsc20230308ag.htm
EXCERPT:
ROLL CALL
PROCLAMATION – International Women’s Day
MATTERS ADOPTED ON CONSENT
AGENDA ITEMS
1. 901 Granville Street – Cinema Public House Ltd (“Cinema Restaurant”) Dual Licence – Liquor Primary Licence Application Liquor Establishment – Class 2
2. 1193 Granville Street – Cold Tea Restaurant Ltd (“Cold Tea Restaurant”) Dual Licence – Liquor Primary Licence Application Liquor Establishment – Class 2
3. 1202 Davie Street – Hamburger Mary’s Davie Ltd (“Mary’s on Davie”) Dual Licence – Liquor Primary Licence Application Liquor Establishment – Class 2
4. Contract Award for Prequalified Contractors for Landfill Gasworks Program
5. 2023 Property Taxation: Development Potential Relief and Targeted Land Assessment Averaging
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Public Hearing
March 9, 2023
Link: https://council.vancouver.ca/20230309/phea20230309ag.htm
TIP: For further information on each item search http://www.ShapeYourCity.ca for the specific address.
EXCERPT:
ROLL CALL
1. Rezoning: 817-837 West 28th Avenue and 4375 Willow Street
- Summary and Recommendations
- Referral report dated January 31, 2023
- Draft Zoning and Development By-Law
2. CD-1 Rezoning: 7688-7720 Cambie Street
- Summary and Recommendations
- Referral report dated January 31, 2023
- Draft Zoning and Development By-Law
- Renderings
3. CD-1 Rezoning: 103-111 North Templeton Drive and 2185 Oxford Street
- Summary and Recommendations
- Referral report dated January 31, 2023
- Draft Zoning and Development By-Law
- Renderings
- Open House Boards
4. Zoning and Development By-law Amendments to Schedule E Building Lines (Hastings Street, North Side from Cassiar Street to Boundary Road)
- Summary and Recommendations
- Referral report dated January 23, 2023
- Draft Zoning and Development By-Law
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Nomination Subcommittee agenda
March 10, 2023
Link: https://council.vancouver.ca/20230310/nom20230310ag.htm
EXCERPT:
ROLL CALL
IN CAMERA MEETING
THAT the Nomination Subcommittee will go into meetings later this week which are closed to the public, pursuant to Section 165.2(1) of the Vancouver Charter, to discuss matters related to paragraph(s):
(a) personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being consideredfor a position as an officer, employee or agent of the city or another position appointedby the city.
1. PNE Board Appointment Process
2. Other Business
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BELOW: Screen grab of missing agendas for Development Permit Board
CityHallWatch: Tools to engage in Vancouver city decisions 