City of Vancouver to repeal up to 72 community and land use plans | Daily Hive

Map of the final Vancouver Plan. (City of Vancouver)

In order to turn the framework of the Vancouver Plan into a legally applicable strategy, City of Vancouver staff are recommending the repeal of up to 72 old community plans and land use guidelines dating as far back as the 1970s.

According to City staff, these policies and guidelines are outdated or incompatible with the 2022-approved citywide Vancouver Plan and other more recently implemented strategies, such as the 2013-approved West End Community Plan, 2016-approved Grandview-Woodland Community Plan, 2017-approved, 10-year Housing Vancouver strategy, 2018-approved Cambie Corridor Plan, 2022-approved Broadway Plan, and the Adding Missing Middle Housing of enabling up to eight units on a single-family lot, which was approved earlier this year.

The rationale for repealing the various plans and guidelines is on a case-by-case basis, including old community visions that contradict the Vancouver Plan or a newer community plan and strategy, old guidelines that do not reflect contemporary best practices, and/or sites that have been developed.

For example, this includes repealing the 1987-approved Joyce Station Area Plan as it is superseded by the 2016-approved Joyce-Collingwood Station Precinct Plan, while Mount Pleasant development guidelines approved in 1988 and 1990 would be repealed because of the Broadway Plan.

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The newest strategy proposed for repeal is the 2015-approved Passive House Guidelines for RS-1 zones, as it was superseded by newer zero-emission building guidelines, while the oldest strategy proposed for repeal is the 1976-approved Parking Garage Security Guidelines.

And the Vancouver Plan itself replaces the 1995-approved “CityPlan.” The Vancouver Plan is expected to last until 2050.

The majority of the plans and guideline documents proposed for repeal date back to the 1990s and 1980s. Most of the community visions were approved between 1998 and 2010 but have now reached the “end of their lifespan” as they were created as 10 to 20-year documents, with nearly all lacking housing projections.

The Vancouver Plan, approved by the previous makeup of City Council last year, serves as a framework or foundation for the future creation of legal land use plans that provide intricate details, prescriptions, and stipulations, including creating new area plans for areas without an existing area plan or having an outdated area plan.

By Fall 2024, City staff will finalize the Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan for City Council’s consideration for approval. This area plan surrounding both SkyTrain stations will introduce added residential and employment density to the area based on the Vancouver Plan’s broad framework.

In addition to the recommendation for repeal, City staff are also asking for an interim rezoning policy for proposals with social housing, seniors housing, institutional uses, and cultural and recreational uses in various old community visions. Such an interim rezoning policy will be in place until additional work is completed to replace it with “rezoning-enabling policies” that align with the Vancouver Plan.

According to City staff, these recommendations are being made after filtering through 279 land use documents approved by City Council over the decades. The move will “reduce the complexity of application processing and approvals.”

City Council will consider City staff’s recommendations next week.

Here is the full list of 72 community plans and land use strategies proposed for repeal:

1995: CityPlan
2005: Arbutus Ridge/ Kerrisdale/Shaughnessy Community Vision
1996: Cedar Cottage MC-1/ Welwyn Street Planning Policies
1998: Cedar Cottage MC-1/ Welwyn Street Planning Policies
2004: Hastings-Sunrise Community Vision
1987: Joyce Station Area Plan
1998: Kensington-Cedar Cottage Community Vision
2004: Kingsway-Knight Neighbourhood Centre Housing Area Plan; Kingsway-Knight Neighbourhood Centre Shopping Area Public Realm and Pedestrian/Traffic Improvements Plan
1987: Nanaimo/29th Avenue Station Areas Plan
2004: Renfrew-Collingwood Community Vision
2005: Riley Park/South Cambie Community Vision
2002: Sunset Community Vision
2002: Victoria-Fraserview/ Killarney Community Vision
2010: West Point Grey Community Vision
1990: Coal Harbour Policy Statement
1988: False Creek Policy Broadsheets
1990: Triangle West Policies
1979: Agricultural Land Reserve Policies
1995: Downtown District Low Cost Housing Policies and Procedures
1996: Brewery Creek IC-3, C3A, C-2C and RM-4/4N Guidelines
1999: 1400 West Hastings & Pender Street Guidelines
1980: Fraser Street C-2 Guidelines
1995: 605-645 West Eighth Avenue C-3A Guidelines
1995: 1054 – 1098 Robson Street CD-1 Guidelines (Bylaw No. 7381) (CD1 No. 331)
1990: North Fraser Landing CD-1 Guidelines (1800- 2100 East Kent Avenue South)
1988: 29th Avenue Station Area CD-1 Guidelines (28th Avenue and Kaslo Street Site) (Bylaw No. 6315)
1988: 29th Avenue Station Area CD-1 Guidelines (29th Avenue at ALRT Station) (Bylaw No. 6317)
1988: 29th Avenue Station Area CD-1 Guidelines (Earles Street and 29th Avenue Site) (Bylaw No. 6318)
1988: 29th Avenue Station Area CD-1 Guidelines (Kaslo Street-End Site) (Bylaw No. 6361)
1988: 29th Avenue Station Area CD-1 Guidelines (Kings Avenue and Manor Street Site) (Bylaw No. 6319)
1988: 29th Avenue Station Area CD-1 Guidelines (Kings Avenue and Rupert Street Site) (Bylaw No. 6320)
1988: 29th Avenue Station Area CD-1 Guidelines (Slocan Street and 29th Avenue Site) (Bylaw No. 6316)
1998: 598 Taylor Street CD-1 Guidelines (Phase 2B – Block 17)
1997: 5299 Arbutus Street CD-1 Guidelines (Bylaw No. 7705) (CD-1 No. 371)
1996: 901 – 967 and 940 – 990 Seymour Street CD-1 Guidelines
1986: Angus West CD-1 Design Guidelines (Bylaw No. 6063) (Cd-1 No. 184)
1994: Arbutus/Vine Industrial Area CD-1 Guidelines
1989: Fraser Lands Champlain Heights South CD-1 Guidelines (Bylaw No. 5381 & 6537)
1990: Champlain Heights South CD-1 Guidelines (Sub-Area 1, Church Site) (Bylaw No. 5381)
1989: Commercial Drive “East Lane” CD-1 Guidelines
2000: Commercial Station CD1 Guidelines
1989: Fraser Lands CD-1 Guidelines (Blocks 68 and 69)
1988: Joyce Station Area CD1 Guidelines (3450 Wellington Avenue Site) Bylaw No. 6325
1993: Joyce/Vanness CD-1 Guidelines (Bylaw No. 7204) (CD-1 No. 314)
1988: Joyce Station Area CD1 Guidelines (McHardy and Vanness Avenue North Site) (Bylaw No. 6363)
1987: Joyce Station Area Guidelines for Sites A and B (CD-1 Bylaw No. 6272)
1988: Joyce Station Area CD1 Guidelines (Vanness Avenue and McHardy Street Site) (Bylaw No. 6321)
1988: Joyce Station Area CD1 Guidelines (Vanness Avenue and Spencer Street S
1988: Nanaimo Station Area CD-1 Guidelines (Kamloops Street and 24th Avenue Site) (Bylaw No. 6312)
1988: Nanaimo Station Area CD-1 Guidelines (Nanaimo Street and 26th Avenue Site) (Bylaw No. 6313)
1983: Riverside Design CD-1 Guidelines
1988: Mount Pleasant I-1 Guidelines
1980: M-1B Guidelines
1989: Britannia/Woodland RM-4 and RM-4N Guidelines
1987: Broadway Station Area RM-4 & RM-4N Guidelines
1984: Fairview Heights RM-4 Guidelines
1987: Hudson Street RM-4 Guidelines
1988: Joyce Street RM-4N Guidelines
1988: Kitsilano RM-4 Guidelines
1983: Marpole Triangle RM-4 Guidelines
1990: Mount Pleasant RM-4 Guidelines
1996: Arcade Guidelines
1976: Parking Garage Security Guidelines
1988: Joyce Station Area Guidelines for CD-1 Bylaw No. 6323 Ormidale Street and Vanness Avenue Site
2015: Passive House Guidelines for RS-1
1983: Special Needs Residential Facility Guidelines
1987: Broadway Station Area Plan
2004: Downtown District Interim Policies for New Residential in Areas C and F; and Conversion of Existing Office Space to Residential Use
1980: Kerrisdale RS Districts Rezoning Policy
1979: Marpole Policies and Guidelines
1989: RM-3, RM-5, RM-5A, RM-5B, RM-5C, and RM-6 Multiple Dwelling Guidelines
1982: Port of Vancouver City Policies

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