After more than two years of public engagement, the Vancouver City Council adopted the Heights District Plan in one of the more established neighborhoods in the city. The community outreach and planning process resulted in a “community vision for how the Heights District will develop over the next 20 years.”
The city has invested countless hours (and tax dollars) in the engagement process. Neighbors have learned the tactics and language of the planners, forming coalitions to amplify being heard. If we have learned anything from the process, it’s that developer needs are the priority.
We have been faithfully reminded how much the city has “listened,” yet our concerns for adequate parking and reduced building heights don’t work for developers. We should be happy with the grass along the sidewalks as our new park, and a cemetery as green space.
Meeting developer needs includes high-density infill, unspecified amenities, and towering buildings as upgrades for future citizens in our established neighborhoods; 2020 permitted 50 percent of the 20-year need for housing units. We don’t need higher density. City councilors need to end the practice of selling out to developers and become advocates for the citizens who created our great neighborhoods.
