45 E 16th Ave rezoning application

Thank you for your questions.

The minimum recommended size is 90 sq. m (970 sq. ft.) for three bedroom exclusive of in-suite storage to meet minimum standards of livability.

Please refer to the rezoning booklet on page 23 for more information on the bike storage available in the building.

The Vancouver School Board continues to explore options to reduce pressure on schools in this area, monitor development, and work with City staff to help plan for future growth. City staff share key information about housing and job estimates to inform the VSB’s planning for the area and to inform their funding requests for new or expanded schools. Further information on the VSB’s plans can be found in their Long Range Facilities Plan (2021).

The City of Vancouver continues to be a municipal leader in the creation, renewal, and retention of childcare spaces, with a focus on ages 0-5.  The creation of new spaces is often done in collaboration with partners such as the Vancouver School Board in areas where suitable opportunities arise, including the Mount Pleasant and South Main neighbourhoods.  Should the VSB express interest in developing childcare spaces on any of their school grounds we support them wherever possible, however, this decision lies solely with the VSB.  

Moving forward, it is our goal to continue to leverage the tools available to us such as city-owned spaces in new developments or regulations and policies, to meet the increasing need for childcare across the City.

Construction work is regulated by local by-laws and guidelines, and provincial regulations. The Noise Control By-law Section 16 defines when you can make construction related noise.  

Construction-related noise is permitted during the following hours:

Outside of these hours, construction noise is only allowed with a noise by-law exception permit.

This site is within the “Mount Pleasant South Apartment Areas - Area B” (MSAB, Policy 10.23) of the Broadway Plan. At this location, the Plan allows consideration of residential buildings with an allowance for retail and service uses. A maximum height of 20-storeys is permitted. A minimum of 20% of the residential floor area is required to be secured at below-market rents (see Housing (Chapter 12) for details). Below-market rental units will be subject to tenant income testing and monitoring requirements that apply under the Secured Rental Policy, as described in the Rental Incentive Programs Bulletin.

For this area, the Plan seeks to introduce more small-scale retail/service uses. As planning regulate land-use and not specific business types, please reach out to the Business License Office at https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/contact-business-licence-office.aspx for specific information related to Cannabis Retail Stores and whether they could be considered at this location.

Thank you for your question.

Under the Broadway Plan, privately-initiated rezonings must “avoid precluding future opportunities”. To ensure that sites are not “orphaned”, rezoning applicants will be expected to demonstrate that sites that are “left behind” can be reasonably developed under existing zoning with consideration for building massing, building separation, site-specific conditions (such as existing trees), and project economics.

From March 2019 to April 2022, staff undertook an extensive community and stakeholder engagement process to inform the preparation of the Broadway Plan. Over the course of the planning program, over 28,500 engagement touchpoints were counted utilizing a range of in-person and virtual tools and activities. The intention was to reach a broad range of people who live, work, play and learn within the Plan area and beyond. This included 5 surveys, 14 public in-person open houses, and 41 workshop events that focused on neighbourhoods and policy themes.

If you’d like to learn more about the engagement process for the Broadway Plan, please read the engagement summary that was included as part of the 2022 Council report here. 

The sites fall within policy area 10.23 “Mount Pleasant South Apartment Areas – Area B” (found on page 250 of the Plan). Page 251 of the Plan includes a detailed summary table for what the policy allows and design parameters. 

For 45 E 16th Ave, the Broadway Plan Section 10.23.2 states, "there will be a maximum of two towers per block (street to street, including any laneways) in Mount Pleasant South Apartment Area B. For blocks located in both Mount Pleasant South Apartment Area B and another policy area, only towers in Mount Pleasant South Apartment Area B shall be counted toward the maximum."

Thank you for your question. In November 2023, the Province introduced several Bills that seek to increase the supply of housing, including Bill 47, Housing Statute (Transit-Oriented Areas) Amendment Act, 2023. Bill 47 requires municipalities to designate TOAs and allow minimum heights and densities within prescribed distances of rapid transit stations. The Broadway Plan is one of the City of Vancouver’s existing community plans that is focused on delivering housing and complete neighbourhoods close to rapid transit. The Broadway Plan enables heights and densities beyond those prescribed for TOAs. Provincial legislation does not require municipalities to amend existing zoning in TOAs to the prescribed heights and densities. The TOA rezoning policy supplements existing plan policies and options for development.

A site specific shadow study has been conducted for this proposal and can be found in the application booklet linked here.