City Conversation #120 was first published 15-Nov-2023. (For a list of City Conversations by Brian Palmquist on CityHallWatch, please visit this page.) Added note: Al most every neighbourhood in every municipality in B.C. is affected now or in the future and would be well advised to look at what’s at stake in their case. Brian Palmquist gives one concrete example here. Legislative debate continues first thing the morning of Monday, Nov 20 (details here).
What Bills 44, 46 and 47 [note 1} will allow in Dunbar [note 2]—typical for Vancouver’s 23 neighbourhoods
The next several days will decide the future of cities and towns in British Columbia for decades—unless the BC NDP withdraws or postpones the bills. The provincial government is poised to pass three Bills (#44, 46 and 47) the week of November 20—that’s next week! For a more complete explanation, read CityHallWatch [note 3].
These bill have so many moving parts affecting so many communities that I decided to focus on the neighbourhood I live in as fairly representative of what’s in store for us all.
TransLink is a development company that controls transit
TransLink has made no bones about wanting more development near its transit stations. So far, this may be more visible in BC’s Lower Mainland than elsewhere. In fact, I and most other citizens agree that good transit merits increased residential density.
But TransLink is now officially a development company. “TransLink intends to build residential, commercial, or mixed-use developments near transit through partnerships with both the public and private sectors.” [note 4] All good on the face of it. In fact, their first large high-rise project is already planned near the future Arbutus SkyTrain station. So we know how they’re thinking.
As for controlling transit, well, anyone who has found a bus stop moved or removed knows what that means. Until now the issue for most folks was the inconvenience of the disappearing bus stop.
But what if TransLink decided to add more bus stops, ostensibly to increase service in a densifying neighbourhood. I mean, bus stops are cheap to build and maintain and if Bill 47 passes, each one could add major adjacent development opportunities. Nothing in the proposed legislation limits the number of bus stops for purposes of identifying Transit Oriented Development (TOD).
Each bulls eye in the illustration above is a current potential high density development node [note 5] and TransLink controls where and how many there are. Not shown are Vancouver’s 1,800 existing bus stops. Bill 47 would require automatic approvals of development around existing and “planned” bus stops—pretty much the entire city.
Selling zoning for profit adjacent rapid transit nodes has long been the reality in many countries and their cities. But as currently drafted, Bill 47 potentially allows higher density pre-approval around every bus stop [note 6] as well as transit stations and hubs. This is unusual.
In the illustration of Dunbar at the top of this post, rather than a series of bulls eyes with rings of six, eight, 10, 12 or even 20 storey development around bus stops, I’ve allowed for TransLink adding additional bus stops as the neighbourhood densifies, resulting not in bulls eyes but rather bands of higher density, for example, 12 storeys along Dunbar Street between Highbury and Collingwood Streets, rising to 20 storeys radiating out from the future rapid transit corridor along 41st Ave to UBC. And Section 525.1 of proposed Bill 47 does not require any off street parking for such projects, except for requirements for disabled persons. To be clear, Bill 47 as applied in Vancouver is generally way way more dense than the Vancouver Plan [note 7] it overrides, with way less off-street parking and almost no provision for community amenities.
If you don’t like what the words say, change the words! [note 8]
Let’s pause for a moment while any number of folks say to me what they said about our modelling of the Broadway Plan [note 9] (BP)—“It doesn’t really mean what you’ve shown in your model.” As I said with the BP, “I’ve modelled what the words say—if that was not your intention, then change the words!”
In case you’re wondering, Bills 44 and 46 are the enabling hand maidens to Bill 47:
- Bill 44 effectively transfers control of municipal planning to the province;
- Bill 46 hobbles municipalities’ ability to fund infrastructure (you know, water, sewers and roads) from development charges, not to mention the costs of additional parks, schools, community centres and other community amenities.
There are many other details but that’s the gist of it. What could possibly go wrong?
In conclusion, you literally have the remaining few days of November to voice your opinion to your MLA, to the Premier [note 10] and to the Housing Minister [note 11]. Also, remember that this legislation applies to the entire province, so regardless where you live, contact your Mayor and Council to find out how it might affect you and to let them know what you think. After the end of November, it will be well and truly too late.
To paraphrase the poet T.S. Eliot, if you don’t speak up now: “This is the way our world ends: Not with a Bang but a Whimper.”
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Notes
1
Bill 47 would require municipalities to automatically approve developer applications for towers up to 20 storeys within 200m, 12 storeys within 400m, and 8 storeys within 800m from a rapid transit station. From a bus stop, automatic approvals up to 12 storeys within 200m, and up to 6 storeys within 400m. Source: CityHallWatch https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/2023/11/10/bills-44-46-47-would-dramatically-alter-vancouver-and-bc-forever/#more-81249
2
This analysis was sufficiently complex that I decided to initially focus on where I live. The size and orientation of the density bands relates to the orientation of bus stops along 16th Ave., Dunbar Street, King Edward east of Dunbar and a future rapid transit corridor along 41st Ave. R1-1 refers to the recent city wide multiplex zoning allowing 4 to 6 homes on each lot
5
Credit Joshua Messmer (zoom in, interactive map at the link) – https://joshmessmer.shinyapps.io/provupzonemap/.
6
Section 585 of proposed Bill 47 allows the provincial government to make bus stops into “transit-oriented areas,” “without limitation.”
7
What’s at stake in the Neighbourhoods – 21-Sept-2022
September 1st 2022—First in a series about what the recently approved Vancouver Plan means for each of the city’s 23 existing neighbourhoods.
https://brianpalmquist.substack.com/p/whats-at-stake-in-the-neighbourhoods
8
When we modelled the Broadway Plan, critics said “that’s not what we meant,” but had no alternative explanations. Sadly, the same is true here.
9
Why the Broadway Plan now? And Why all the Fuss about our Model?
May 18, 2022—My remarks to City Council at the meeting to consider the Broadway Plan. The Broadway Plan’s contemplated towers, looking east from its western border near Arbutus—ours is the only accurate model available—3D model images by Stephen Bohus, BLA Read full story
https://brianpalmquist.substack.com/p/why-the-broadway-plan-now-and-why
10
https://news.gov.bc.ca/office-of-the-premier
11
https://news.gov.bc.ca/ministries/housing
Brian Palmquist is a Vancouver-based architect, building envelope and building code consultant and LEED Accredited Professional (the first green building system). He is semi-retired, still teaching, writing and consulting a bit, but not beholden to any client or city hall. These conversations mix real discussion with research and observations based on a 45+ year career including the planning, design and construction of almost every type and scale of project. He is the author of the Amazon best seller and AIBC Construction Administration course text, “An Architect’s Guide to Construction.” and working on a book about how we can accommodate a growing population in the cities we love.
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