ABC kills "badly needed" motion to densify Vancouver's Shaughnessy

A beautiful tree-lined street in the Shaughnessy neighbourhood. (Google Maps)

After much discussion at Vancouver City Council, a motion proposed to densify the mansion-laden Shaughnessy neighbourhood has been denied.

Earlier this month, OneCity Councillor Christine Boyle called for the diversification of housing within the Shaughnessy neighbourhood, with new infill and multi-family housing providing secured purpose-built rental housing options, along with bonus density for non-profit, co-op, co-housing, and mixed-income rental housing. There would also be new local shops and services.

Councillors Boyle, Pete Fry and Adriane Carr voted in favour of the motion. All others, including Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, voted in opposition except for Peter Meiszner, who was absent.

Those in opposition used similar language, with most suggesting the motion was “divisive.”

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Speaking on the motion during Wednesday’s council meeting, Councillor Lenny Zhou called the motion “purely political” and “purely divisive” before saying he was voting in opposition.

Councillor Brian Montague called the motion “nonsensical” and a “distraction for staff.”

“I don’t think it’s practical, I don’t think it’s going to provide any actual density,” he added.

Councillor Mike Klassen called on some of the language used by those in favour of the motion, like “the wealthy few” and “referencing billionaires,” suggesting that language is being used to drive “other objectives rather than actually housing.”

Rebecca Bligh questioned, “Is this purely to divide the city?”

“I’m not here to divide certain areas up, to pit groups one against the other,” Bligh continued.

Carr, who supported the motion, pointed out that Vancouver is land-constrained, and the motion would not influence the protected heritage of Shaughnessy, which some were concerned about.

Fry suggested that historically, many homes in Shaughnessy, due to their size, were defacto apartments that had been converted into single-family homes.

He also said there’s a clear capacity for more people there and that it’s a beautiful neighbourhood, adding that it’s a “sensible enough motion.”

Fry also said that densifying the neighbourhood could have brought more shops and services.

Boyle pointed out that the neighbourhood’s population has decreased in recent years and said the motion would’ve brought “badly needed” housing to Shaughnessy. She took to X to express her disappointment after the motion was killed, saying, “So much for taking the housing crisis seriously.”

Do you think it would have been a good idea to densify Shaughnessy? Let us know in the comments.

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