By Carol Volkart
Now is your chance to tell the city what you think of its plans for reshaping Dunbar – along with the rest of Vancouver – over the next three decades.
You’ve got until Oct. 29 to weigh in on the Official Development Plan, which will guide how the city grows and changes over the next 30 years and beyond. The city’s development plan map shows, almost down to the lot level, what’s planned for every part of the city.
Generally, the more intense the colour on the map, the greater the density. Dunbar is largely a light yellow (multiplexes), with strips of darker yellow (six-storey apartments) along main corridors. The only red (towers) is at the 41st and Dunbar bus exchange. By comparison, Jericho Lands, where massive high-rise density is planned, is mostly shades of red and deeper red. (Click on the map below to expand.)
Why should you care about the Official Development Plan? Because it will increase density everywhere, affecting your home, your street, and your neighbourhood. And because once city council approves it, which has to happen by June of 2026, there will be no more public hearings for most residential developments.
It will also mean residents get less information about projects, will see it later, and have less time to comment, according CityHallWatch, the online site that closely monitors city issues.
“A decades-long process of centralizing decision-making at city hall – and reducing opportunities for direct public input in decisions that affect residents of Vancouver – is at its final stages,” the CityHallWatch site says of the plan.
In an email message this week, Randy Helten of the CityHallWatch Media Foundation urged residents to get informed and provide their input while they have a chance. “Major changes to height, density, and neighbourhood character are set to be locked in, but many residents remain unaware of what’s coming to their own blocks, their own community.”
He said the whole premise for an Official Development Plan eliminating the need for most public hearings is that the public is fully informed and supports the plan. “But that’s a farce. Most people don’t even know this is happening.”
Here’s how you can get involved:
- Attend an event, either in-person or virtually. For Dunbar, the nearest in-person open house is Thursday, Oct. 23, (6-8 pm) at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, 2305 West 7th Ave. There are only two more open houses after that, and one virtual event.
-
- Review the open house information boards
- Read the full ODP plan
- Share your comments until Wednesday, Oct. 29
Never did I think I’d see the day that Dunbar would have a huge tower! Growing up in the 70’s/80’s, walking up to Mac’s & Blue Moon to spend my 25 cent allowance, who would have thought that there’d be towers one day. As a community I urge you ALL to have your voices heard. I live in Tsawwassen now (16 yrs) and as a community we recently fought a large developer not once, but twice. And guess what? We won! They planned on building several 24 floor towers in the centre of town on a property with an aging strip mall. Sure, the mall needs redevelopment and new housing is needed, but towers is not the answer. As a community we staged protests on the site, attended City Council meetings, a Facebook Page was set up. 1200 new homes were proposed and with only 2 roads in/out of Tsawwassen just image the gridlock. Residents are not against growth, but are against towers here. 6-8 floors would be accepted by most residents. City Council listened to the people who voted for them and told Century Group to come back to the drawing board. Hopefully Vancouver Council will listen to the people who voted for them.
Noting a MEETING TONIGHT
“Thursday, Oct. 23, (6-8 pm) at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, 2305 West 7th Ave”
Quoting from Carol’s article:
“Here’s how you can get involved:
Attend an event, either in-person or virtually. For Dunbar, the nearest in-person open house is Thursday, Oct. 23, (6-8 pm) at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, 2305 West 7th Ave. There are only two more open houses after that, and one virtual event.
Read a brief summary of the draft ODP
Review the open house information boards
Read the full ODP plan
Share your comments until Wednesday, Oct. 29”
Thank you, Carol, for bringing this issue to our attention. People need to know that their voices do not matter anymore. Vancouver is not a London or a Paris with beautiful architecture, charming neighbourhood plazas, markets. The liveability of our city depends on neighbourhoods that are affordable and accessible to its citizens. Our beauty is in the nature that surrounds us and the trees that are our canopy. Will housing become more affordable, more liveable with this densification? Or will this simply result in another huge spike in land values as developers, speculators and investors see another windfall in their favour? I hope that people consider the situation as objectively as possible and realize our neighbourhoods continue to be affected by top down decisions. Thank you for your coverage to important topics, Carol.
Carmen…. I disagree when you say peoples voices do not matter anymore. Did you read my comment? The people of South Delta beat a big developer 2 times recently. Delta Mayor & Council listened to the people who voted them in and denied 2 applications.