Discussion includes building heights, protected views
Cheryl Rossi
Van. Courier
According to a city poll, the public is split over taller buildings. Photograph by : Dan Toulgoet
City council is considering whether four new towers should be allowed in the city’s protected downtown view corridors.
It’s also considering whether taller buildings should be allowed near Main and Hastings and in Chinatown.
At a council meeting Tuesday, city staff proposed allowing taller buildings that “demonstrate architectural excellence” east down Georgia Street and south down Burrard Street. They suggested landmark towers could mark what they call the city’s broad “ceremonial boulevards.”
Potential redevelopment sites include a 400-foot-tall, 40-storey building on Burrard at Drake, a 700-foot-tall building at the Bay parkade near Georgia, Seymour and Richards, a 500-foot-tall building at the old bus depot site at Georgia and Cambie, and a 400-foot-tall building at the end of Georgia in northeast False Creek.
COPE Coun. David Cadman wondered at Tuesday’s council meeting why the city is focused on adding architectural beauty to the city with tall buildings when some of the most interesting buildings in the city are the central library and the Hotel Vancouver, which he said is hidden because of the tall buildings around it.
Brent Toderian, the city’s director of planning, told councillors they could request extra steps to ensure extra tall buildings would be esthetically pleasing.
Council asked staff to review heights and protected views of the downtown to reap the rewards of amenities from developers. These could include parks, affordable housing, cultural facilities and the preservation of heritage buildings.
Fifty-three per cent of the public told the city they’d accept a higher building policy.
“Looking at the poll results, there’s a 50-50 split on what we consider beautiful,” remarked Vision Vancouver Coun. Kerry Jang at the council meeting.
Considering that the public initially approached the question of allowing increased heights with great distrust, a 50-50 split is actually “remarkable support” for something as emotional as view corridors, Toderian said.
City staff also recommended allowing an increase of one storey along Pender Street in Chinatown and extending allowable building heights from 70 to 90 feet south of Pender to Union Street between Columbia and Gore. It suggested allowing a maximum of 120 feet through rezoning. It also recommends an interim policy of maximum 120 feet for the Main and Hastings area, with 20 per cent social housing required in each development, until a new plan for the area is hammered out.
Staff recommended a maximum of three taller buildings of up to 150 feet in the city’s historic area. The Budget Rental property at Abbott and Pender, the site near the old B.C. Electric Building at Carrall and Pender and a site behind the Keefer triangle at Columbia make up the three probable sites.
