Vancouver Sun
Vancouver city staff is recommending that council allow 220 parcels in the Cambie Corridor area, which are currently designated for single-family homes and duplexes, to be rezoned for potentially building some 1,600 townhome and row house units.
“I think it’s wise. They would be avoiding the need to do lot-by-lot rezoning and wasting council’s time when they are going to rezone anyway,” said Tom Davidoff, a real estate economist from the University of B.C.’s Sauder School of Business. …
Some municipalities, such as Coquitlam, Victoria and Saanich, have already started more active plans and discussed these at a recent Union of B.C. Municipalities housing conference. Victoria, for example, in January adopted a missing middle initiative that allows for up to six units of infill, houseplex or corner townhomes to be developed on most average residential lots without a rezoning.
Others such as Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie have raised questions about how municipalities will, at the same time, cope with increased traffic, environmental impact and the need for more schools and hospitals. …