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Government Relations Update #244
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Mark Sakai, Director of Government Relations
Twitter: @Mark_GVHBA
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METRO WEST
- Vancouver Council gives the Northeast False Creek Plan the go-ahead. Still a long way to go before the first shovel hits the ground - the devil is always in the details.
- At Vancouver's Regular Council meeting of 20 March, there are a number of Motions on Notice on the agenda. In this one, Cllr. Carr asks for "Bold Provincial Actions to Tackle Vancouver's Housing Affordability", primarily regarding speculation, foreign investment and supply of non-market housing. Cllr. De Genova's motion seeks more action in the area of affordable home ownership, specifically wanting a program to increase the number of rowhouses and townhouses in Vancouver. And this motion, also from Cllr. De Genova seeks amendments to the Empty Homes Tax.
- At Vancouver's meeting of the Policy and Strategic Priorities Committee on 21 February, there is a staff report on the expansion of the False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility.
- While we've talked a lot about the current Vancouver Council members who won't be running for re-election, the Courier is keeping track of those (so far) who will be putting their names forward. And Frances Bula, on both her G&M article and her blog, looks at potential candidates for the Mayor's seat.
- At Richmond's Public Hearing of 19 February, the Updated Amenity and Planning Contribution Rates within the Official Community Plan and Area Plans is on the agenda.
- At New Westminster's Public Hearing of 19 February, a number of Housekeeping Amendments to the Zoning Bylaw are on the agenda. (pages 4 - 23), which are also scheduled to receive third reading at the Regular Council meeting immediately following. Also on the Regular Council agenda is is an update on the Scope of Work to Address Emerging Issues related to the OCP Implementation Work Program (pages 177 - 199).
- There's been a bit of pushback on some laneways that Richmond wants to install in the Steveston grid (my neck of the woods). Some of the public/resident feedback is presented in a report at the General Purposes Committee meeting of 19 February (pages 10 - 33 of the agenda).
NORTHEAST SECTOR
For Your Information
- At Coquitlam's Council-in-Committee meeting of 19 February, a staff report titled: "Planning and Development Fee Review - Proposed Scope and Process" is on the agenda. The first phase of the review will cover Development Applications, with industry review and comment in late-Spring.
- At Coquitlam's Regular Council meeting of 19 February, the Oakdale Land Use Designation Update - Proposed Scope and Process report is on the agenda. GRU readers and Coquitlam followers will recall that Oakdale was one of the neighbourhoods designated as a 'Future Planning Area' in the Burquitlam-Lougheed Neighbourhood Plan. However, there now appears to be enough interest amongst residents to warrant the development of new land use policies.
- At Pitt Meadows' Regular Council meeting of 20 February, the Infill Housing Regulations are scheduled to receive third and fourth readings.
SOUTH OF FRASER
For Your Information
- At Langley Township's Regular Evening Council meeting of 19 February, a Notice of Motion (M.2, pages 5-6 of the agenda) from Cllr. Arnason asks for Council to direct staff to complete a report regarding the 208 Street Corridor (design, and municipal borrowing for widening/completion). Another motion from Cllr. Quaale asks Council to direct staff to provide a report regarding EV charging for new residential developments (M.3, pages 6 - 7).
- At Surrey's Regular Council/Public Hearing meeting of 19 February, a staff report recommends notification procedures and speaking time limits for future Public Hearings. The latter, I suspect, is due to the presentation of one particular speaker during the Coyote Creek rezoning p/h, who tested the Mayor's patience to the extreme. Also on the agenda is this report on the Sustainability Charter 2.0 Implementation Update.
- At Delta's Regular Council meeting of 19 February, the new Zoning Bylaw, with amendments stemming from the Public Hearing of 30 January and Council meeting of 05 February, is on the agenda for third reading. On the same agenda is a Council Resolution directing staff to develop a mixed-use neighbourhood plan for the Townline Node. Despite having worked in Delta for four years, I must admit not knowing where the Townline Node is located, aside from it being somewhere in North Delta.
- In Tsawwassen, one of the great bastions of NIMBYism in the Lower Mainland, residents (one of whom lives in a four-storey apartment) complain about a proposed five-story apartment.
- The Peace Arch News talks with three White Rock Councillors mulling a run at the Mayor's Chair, now that incumbent Wayne Baldwin has declared that he will not be seeking re-election.
NORTH SHORE
For Your Information
- At North Vancouver District's Council Workshop of 19 February, the sole agenda item is Heritage Strategic Plan Update and Information on a Heritage Alteration Permit Procedure Bylaw (pages 7 - 25).
- At North Vancouver District's Regular Council meeting of 19 February, the OCP Implementation Monitoring Committee Quarterly Update is on the agenda (pages 27 - 31). There are some interesting questions being asked by the Committee regarding the housing market.
- At West Vancouver's Regular Council meeting of 19 February, a staff report related to the establishment of a Heritage Advisory Committee is on the agenda.
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REGIONAL, PROVINCIAL, NATIONAL
For Your Information
- At Metro Vancouver's Board meeting of 23 February, the two items that were on the Regional Planning Committee have moved to the 'big board' agenda. Port Moody's Flavelle Oceanfront application (Item G.2.1, pages 383 - 482) is seeking to enter the RGS minor amendment process, while Surrey's Hazelmere application is in front of the Board with a recommendation from the Committee to decline (Item E.2.1, pages 39 - 143).
- From the BCREA Economics Department comes this analysis of the impact of the BC Home Partnership Program.
- The Superintendent of Real Estate has delayed the implementation of the new regulations related to dual agency from 15 March to 15 June 2018. See the official media release here.
- Here is the media release from the Provincial Government regarding the Throne Speech. As is usually the case, the speech is long on vision, and short on details - we will await the Budget for those. Foreshadowing Friday's announcement, the only major Lower Mainland transportation project mentioned by name was the Pattullo Bridge. Speaking of which, here is the media release on the new bridge. It's interesting that the Province appears to be taking over the project from TransLink, which means that it drops off the required funding elements for the Mayors' 10-Year Vision. Does that mean that current Mayors' Council Chair Corrigan's worries about TransLink taking on 'too many projects simultaneously' has now been addressed?
- In the G&M, Frances Bula's article talks to city planning officials about the Provincial Government's proposed rental only zoning.
- An organization called Board of Change is hosting a panel discussion on High Performance Buildings on 26 February, 5:30-7:30 at SAP Labs Vancouver, 910 Mainland Street. Attendance is free, but registration is mandatory.
- As noted in this article from REW.ca, many Torontonians are opting to renovate their existing homes instead of selling.
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HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
For Your Information
- In Macleans' Terry Glavin practically nominates Andy Yan for sainthood, as he joins the list of crusader journalists leading a campaign to eliminate all influence of foreign dollars from the real estate market, while ignoring other elements of basic land economics, such as supply, rate of supply response and elasticity - you know, those things that tend to impact prices, from time to time. I certainly believe that Andy Yan has contributed greatly to our discussion of the workings of the market, but we definitely need to have a broader discussion, and not dismiss all suggestions on improving supply as demands from 'greedy developers'.
- Here's an interesting story from Planetizen called: "The Neighbourhood Veto and the Missing Middle".
- Dueling housing rallies are planned for Sunday in Vancouver, but do either of them actually have a solution?
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EVERYTHING ELSE
- ICBA expects construction wages to increase by 10% over the next two years, according to this story in Business in Vancouver.
- Here's an interesting article from Modern Cities about the 'invisible hand' that designed your city.
- Much like Vancouver, Seattle is having success in reducing the number of vehicles commuting downtown, according to this article from CityLab.
- On Human Transit, Jarrett Walker wonders: Is Micro Transit a thing?
- Also from CityLab comes this article on how Australia was able to 'conquer guns', but America can't. Of course, for an alternative version, there's this video from Aussie stand-up comic Jim Jeffries (warning: some NSFW language, but very funny nonetheless).
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Please feel free to distribute this email to others in your office, if you think that they would benefit from the information. If you are reading this as a forwarded message from a colleague, you can get your own version, delivered directly to your mailbox. Just let me know, and I will be more than happy to add you to my list. And don't forget, the most recent issue of GRU is always posted on the Government Relations Page of gvhba.org.
As always, comments are welcome. If there is an issue or a website that you would like me to follow, please contact me at 778-373-9784, or via [email protected]
Mark Sakai
Director of Government Relations
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