Feint by Number: 1477

City Conversation #31: 1477 West Broadway is the leading edge of a Vancouver wedge issue called The Broadway Plan

February 26, 2022—Street addresses are just about the only numerical data that Vancouver city staff will release—even City Councillors remain unable to obtain aggregate data that place individual spot rezonings such 1477 in their wider neighbourhood and city contexts. Reacting to that lack of information, the author and several other concerned citizens have been mining hundreds of deliberately separated address-based city web pages to build the bigger pictures that should be available to all. We are trying to evaluate the impacts of more than 300 proposed and already approved spot rezonings introduced since the current City Council was elected in 2018—including this one.

This illustration from the 1477 Application Booklet seems to show about 3,000 additional future apartments in this small area

“Dad, aren’t you being just a bit alarmist?” my son asked as he looked over my shoulder at the computer screen. He is used to my rhetorical excess but enjoys challenging me. “So what’s going on with 1477 West Broadway and why is it the leading edge of a Vancouver wedge issue called The Broadway Plan?”

“The Broadway Plan is currently scheduled to next be considered by City Council in May of this year,” I responded, “but for some reason it appears essential this particular project be considered three months earlier than the Broadway Plan, which is itself being heard by Council a month before the overall Vancouver Plan of which it forms a part. One must ask the question, ‘Why the rush?’ One must also ask if hearing this spot rezoning ahead of the Broadway Plan ahead of the Vancouver Plan is putting not one, but two carts before the horse.”

“So,” he continued for me, “what is the rush?”

I raised my eyebrows as I said, “Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that this proposal includes 4 times as much density as is the case for the current zoning, and is 13 times higher than the maximum height allowed by the current zoning. The proposed 39-storey building will actually shade False Creek at significant times of the year.”

“You mean the residential development in False Creek South, don’t you?” he asked.

“No, I mean even the Creek itself. The applicant’s shadow studies seem to have forgotten that Fairview Slopes does, in fact, slope to the North. In any event, the proposal’s shadows will reach into the Creek for at least 4 months of the year—of course, the dreariest months, obliterating any ray of sunshine that would be appreciated by those walking or cycling along the seawall.”

“If the Broadway Plan is implemented as currently proposed, pretty much all of Fairview Slopes and False Creek South will be in shadow much of the year—not a good look in a cloudy, rainy climate.”

Model of shadows cast by three current Broadway corridor spot rezoning proposals—Credit for rendering to Stephen Bohus, BLA

“Personally,” I continued, “I think this unseemly speed has as much to do with the fact that a private citizen got curious about where the much-vaunted 1400-block Broadway SkyTrain station might be located. Noticing the 1477 project’s excavation seemed very deep for what was initially billed as a mid-rise commercial building, they did a bit of dumpster diving, found blueprints for a 40-storey building with SkyTrain station at this address, two years before the latest high-rise proposal was tabled and at a time when city staff insisted a 40-storey building was not in the cards. I guess that’s a correct statement, since the eventual proposal is for only 39 storeys.”

My son raised his eyebrows but pressed on, knowing that’s the only approach that works with me. “So how is this the leading edge of a wedge called The Broadway Plan? Why is it a wedge issue?”

I pointed him to the illustration at the top of this post. “If the proposal at 1477 has more than 200 apartments (233 to be exact), then simple math tells me that the forest of diaphanous, sepia coloured prisms representing development contemplated by the Broadway Plan totals at least 3,000 housing units—and that’s within one block either way of the 1477 site.” I paused for effect. I love how today’s planners like diaphanous sepia prisms to represent density—just look at the Jericho Lands images. Meanwhile, he looked puzzled.

I continued. “There are about 400 city blocks covered by the Broadway Plan, about 10% (36) within a block either side north and south of Broadway. At the illustrated diaphanous density, we’re looking at more than 50,000 apartments within one block of Broadway—that’s a 16-year supply for the entire city in one strip!”

“But surely Broadway won’t all be lined with 39-storey, 200-unit high-rises” he asked.

“True enough,” I responded, “most will be shorter but will compensate with bigger floor plates. The project recently approved at 14 storeys in my neighbourhood has 164 apartments, about 14 per floor. That makes for just as much shadowing and view obstruction as 1477’s taller, more slender footprint. Noting that the 164-unit building is 14 blocks west of the end of the current Broadway Plan area scope, 15 blocks from the future Arbutus SkyTrain station, I think the sepia density shown for the neighbourhood around 1477 is probably an accurate representation of what the Broadway Plan will bring, also to the streets further east and west of the Plan’s artificial boundaries at Clark Drive in the east and Vine Street in the west. There’s already ample evidence of land value inflation all the way to Alma, which will not help affordability. And we won’t even talk about what’s happening at 1780 East Broadway—well, actually, we will, just not today.” I smiled weakly.

Now to bring it back to his own situation: “Your older walk up studio apartment is just below this sepia tower illustration. How long before they come for you and your neighbours?” He blanched, looked up from the sketch, met my eyes with sadness in his.

“Is there nothing we can do?” he asked with a suddenly small, breaking voice.

Calls to Action

The proposed rezoning at 1477 West Broadway goes to City Council next Tuesday, March 1st. It’s too late for focused comment, but you can tell Council your views by email. There will also be opportunities to speak at the Public Hearing—in-person presentations have more impact than email or by phone, so please consider an in-person appearance.

Opposition to 1477 and the  Broadway Plan in general is being led by the Fairview/South Granville Action Committee (FSGAC), who provided some of the data for this post. If you are also concerned about the Broadway Plan and similar initiatives, consider joining them.

Vancouver’s civic election is in late October of this year. Lots of damage in addition to 1477 can be done by the current Council, city management and staff before that date—and it will continue, and worsen, unless TEAM for a Livable Vancouver elects a majority (6 of 10) City Councillors—less than 6 and not much will change. If you are concerned that what you’ve just read is an example of what’s wrong with our city, and want to bring back its livability, join TEAM and work with us to restore Vancouver as a place we can all afford to call home.

Last Word on the Numbers

Vancouver City Hall refuses to release data about many aspects of housing, so each time I become aware of a new spot rezoning project (359 so far since the last civic election) that affects Vancouver’s future housing supply, I log the details, then update this snapshot, which is current as of the date of publication:

So as of today, in a city that has grown about 1% annually (7,000 new residents per year) over the past 35 years, the city has at least an 18.5 year supply of housing, totalling 59,000+ homes, that’s been approved or likely to be approved, PLUS an additional 18.2 year supply (58,000+) that’s been identified in plans like the Jericho Lands, Senakw’, etc. I’m having a hard time seeing affordability as a supply problem. Just sayin.’

And a bit of humour because we all need it: this post is brought to you by the numbers 1477, 31, 40, 7000 and 1%. The remaining numbers are just not very funny.

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Today’s two question: Do you think city staff should make ALL housing data available to its citizens? And, do you have a Vancouver city address indicated for development about which you are seeking more information? Leave a comment with the address, or email me a legible photo of the city’s blue rezoning or development application sign at bpalmquist@shaw.ca — I will share what I know and how I found it.

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Brian Palmquist is a Vancouver-based architect, building envelope and building code consultant and LEED Accredited Professional (the first green building system). He is semi-retired for the moment, still teaching and writing, so not beholden to any client or city hall. These conversations mix real discussion with research and observations based on a 40+ year career including the planning, design and construction of almost every type and scale of project. He is the author of the Amazon best seller “An Architect’s Guide to Construction.” He is also a member of TEAM for a livable Vancouver, a new political party dedicated to restoring a livable Vancouver starting with the 2022 civic election. City Conversations are generally congruent with TEAM policy, so if you like the ideas that I’m writing about, please consider joining TEAM.