So what does the Broadway Plan really mean?
We hear so much about this momentous plan, both good and bad. Passions run high with some proclaiming it a major stepping stone to addressing our housing crisis, while others consider it a neighbourhood killing disaster. How are regular folks supposed to parse a 500 page document to understand what it’s really about and what it means now?
Here, I attempt to point out some of the key facts about the development potential which the plan is clear about. This is not conjecture, it’s taken right from the final document and it lays out a some key specifics some may not be aware of.
What it does not say is what opponents say they are very concerned about, which is the lack of additional green space, community centres and schools. Worth noting, for instance, that the Olympic Village community still does not have a school on site. What this means is that this urban, walking friendly community needs to get kids dropped off and picked up in other parts of Vancouver every day. That is not ideal and is counter to the notion of walkable communities which do not need to rely on cars.
It also does not address the concerns about displacement of tenants who currently live in older, more affordable rental housing. These properties will be ripe for demolition in favour of towers. Kennedy Stewart was very keen to make sure there were very strong tenant protections in the plan, and that’s good, but they are so demanding that many developers have spoken about how they may be impossible to realize. Jon Stovall, one of Vancouver’s major developers, said he won’t proceed with another site that has 30 existing tenants. “It just doesn’t make any sense,” Mr. Stovell said. “Anything with existing rental will be way too problematic.”
So does that mean developers will not be evicting tenants at all? Probably not because property owners can put a lot of pressure on tenants in order to seek to displace them before any application process begins. Before the process begins is before any tenant protections in The Plan would kick in.
Even if they do work, it means a resident (or family) has to vacate their home, up and move to who knows where for 3 years or more, then come back to be offered a home at the same price (or less), but not likely the same size. If you have kids in school or a life around where you live, how easy is that? The Vancouver Tenants Union is concerned about the protections and opposes the plan for that reason.
So aside from those issues, let’s take a look at the development which the recently amended and passed plan will allow. Pictures are the clearest way to explain. The picture below is an image from the plan with the red text and arrows added to show what will be allowed and where.
Not sure if many are aware that in some areas the plan calls for going from low density single houses or duplexes to 30 stories. This is a blown up section of Kits.
So on a corner like 15th and Yew, for instance, the plan theoretically allows for up to 18 stories because it’s in the “low density” residential area within the Broadway Plan zone.
Here’s where it shows exactly that:
Not sure why the illustration refers to 30 years in the future. Seems it could look like this in 5 years, if developers follow the plan.
And in the shoulder areas, the areas on the map which are light blue, this is what the plan says:
To be clear, I don’t know anyone who is suggesting that Broadway could not do with more density, especially around stations, or that our low density areas should not densify in any way. What’s at issue for many is the scale of the densification and the fact that it is in an area well beyond Broadway itself. It should more realistically be called “The Broadway and Surrounding Areas Plan”.
Worth noting also three distinct areas are called “Villages” and they do get a bit more sensitive treatment as they actually restrict height there. Those are West 4th, South Granville and Main down to 16th.
So what does all this mean in terms of buildings going up? Do developers have free reign to meet the Broadway Plan specs right now? Shovels can go into ground? Well, no. I think many would be inclined to assume that a plan means that is what can be built now, but in fact, any new development under the Broadway Plan still needs to go to public hearing and council would need to vote on it, just like a rezoning. So what’s the point of all this?
Here’s the difference; The Plan means developers have guidelines and most importantly, city staff have guidelines, so where a given development may not have been thought of or brought forward by a developer, now they have a framework to follow and so do staff. Proposed developments which meet the Plan guidelines will likely all go to public hearing with the backing of the Plan as a justification. A developer will say “This development meets the Plan criteria so please allow it.” and Staff will also say, “This development meets the Plan criteria so we recommend it for public hearing.” And Council and Mayor will say, “Well, this all meets the criteria of the Plan, so can we find any reason to reject it, or can we amend it, or just pass it?” Basically, it greases the wheels for development suggested by The Plan.
What else does it mean? It means that any land which can be developed under the terms of The Plan, now has more value, because of the potential. A three story walk up which can now be 30 stories has new value, as it should, and if that 30 story building is going to built, it makes sense that the existing property has that added value.
The problem is when properties have added value purely on a speculative basis. “This property maybe, could be developed under the Broadway Plan” and so it has added speculative value even if it changes hands three times and nothing ever gets built. It’s like holding a stock which might go up in value because of some new regulations. It’s a punt on the chance that it can be resold to a developer who may want to build. We’ve seen this happening already with houses which scream “Investor alert, possible up-zoning!” . And we are already seeing it in The Broadway Plan area.
Whatever you may think about this plan, I felt it would be helpful to outline the particulars since many will not bother reading a 500 page document, so I hope this helps. If you do want to curl up and read the whole 500 pages, you can do so here. Enjoy!