Public hearings axed in Vancouver for housing proposals aligned with policies | Daily Hive

Public hearings to end in Vancouver for residential-focused rezonings consistent with policies

Lawyer Peter Waldkrich brings housing-flavoured Polka to Vancouver City Hall during a public hearing in May 2025, in support for the Safeway redevelopment next to Commercial-Broadway Station. (@pwaldkirch/City of Vancouver)

Next week, as a requirement of new legislation by the provincial government, Vancouver City Council is expected to approve the creation of the new Development Approval Procedure (DAP) bylaw, marking a major shift in how rezoning and development applications are processed by City of Vancouver staff.

The new bylaw outlined by City staff is a response to new provincial legislation, Bill 18, requiring all municipalities to adopt standardized development approval procedures.

The DAP lays out the official steps developers must follow when applying to amend zoning bylaws or the Official Development Plan (ODP), or when seeking a development permit. It aims to make the City’s development process under the Vancouver Charter more transparent, consistent, and aligned with how other B.C. municipalities operate under the separate Local Government Act.

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Until now, Vancouver’s development procedures have been scattered across various internal documents, staff practices, and external guides — but not codified in law. Bill 18, passed by the provincial government in 2024, requires Vancouver to formalize these procedures in a single, legally binding bylaw. The province has not yet brought this section of the law into effect, but it is expected to do so very soon — within weeks, sometime in June 2025.

The new DAP brings Vancouver into compliance, and City staff state it will help “support efficiency and transparency in the development approval process.”

The DAP sets out the City’s rules for everything from application intake to public engagement, and introduces several updates and clarifications.

Big changes to rezoning application processes

One of the key changes is the introduction of a mandatory pre-application enquiry process for rezoning proposals that do not align with existing ODPs or City Council-approved policies. Previously optional, this step will now be required in order to help staff and applicants identify potential issues early on, reduce delays later in the review process, and improve collaboration from the outset.

The bylaw also addresses how public hearings are conducted. For rezoning applications that are consistent with an ODP and include significant residential components (over 50 per cent housing uses), public hearings will no longer be required — a change that aligns with recent amendments to the Vancouver Charter. Public hearings for such applications are prohibited under provincial legislation.

City Council is not required to hold a public hearing for a rezoning application if it is consistent with an ODP and is largely non-residential (over 50 per cent office, hotel, retail/restaurant, other commercial, and/or industrial uses). For such proposals, City Council can refer the application to a public hearing or to a regular City Council meeting for decision.

Rezoning applications that are not consistent with the ODP and must include an application to amend the ODP will require a referral and a public hearing. For applications where no ODP applies, a referral and a public hearing will be required. Currently, most rezoning applications fall outside of area-specific ODPs and will require a public hearing.

vancouver city council new rezoning procedures

New procedures and authority for Vancouver City Council for rezoning applications, June 2025. (City of Vancouver)

Right now, most rezoning applications in Vancouver are not covered by an existing ODP, which means this new bylaw will not immediately change how most developments are reviewed. The rules for public consultation and decision-making will largely stay the same for the time being.

Until the City adopts the new interim city-wide ODP in June 2026 — a major planning milestone currently in progress — the majority of rezoning applications will still need to go through the traditional public hearing process.

In the future, once the city-wide ODP is in place, the rezoning process for many projects could become much more streamlined. If a proposed development matches what the new ODP envisions for that area — especially if it includes significant housing — it might no longer need a public hearing. But until then, the current process remains in effect for most applications.

Colin Wall of Wall Financial Corporation during a public hearing. (City of Vancouver)

Other changes

As for other changes under the DAP, the authority over the approval of a project’s “form of development” — essentially its final design and configuration — has been delegated to the Director of Planning, rather than City Council. This change, previously approved in late 2024, is now reflected in the new bylaw and is intended to speed up the latter stages of the approval process.

To help City staff focus on active files and avoid unnecessary delays, the bylaw also introduces rules allowing applications or enquiries to be cancelled if an applicant does not respond to City requests or provide required materials within six months. This policy aims to free up resources for proposals that are actively moving forward.

Finally, the bylaw clearly outlines the responsibilities of both applicants and City staff. For the applicants, these include notifying tenants, submitting complete and accurate materials, paying fees, and attending relevant meetings. For City staff, this includes informing applicants of a target processing timeline after the submission of a complete enquiry or application submission and providing updates to an applicant on any enquiry or application deficiencies, issues, or delays in a timely manner.

By outlining these expectations, City staff hope to bring more predictability and structure to the overall development process.

While the DAP primarily covers rezonings and ODP amendments, City staff are also considering whether to eventually fold in procedures for development permits, currently governed by a separate bylaw. This would further streamline and consolidate the City’s development rules.

An update to the DAP is also expected in 2026 when City Council is scheduled to adopt Vancouver’s first city-wide ODP, albeit on an interim basis — a key milestone in implementing the City’s Vancouver Plan and a requirement of provincial legislation. The permanent version of the ODP will be approved by June 2030, which includes existing ODPs. The ODP will be reviewed every five years, taking into consideration the provincial government’s required updated Housing Needs Report for each city at the same intervals.

Also influenced by new provincial legislation, City staff are recommending new policies requiring infrastructure and amenity upgrades from developers as part of the development permit application. This requirement is currently enforced in the rezoning application stage.

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