Community group alleges that the Burnaby council’s 2010 zoning amendment introduced drastic and potentially unwanted changes to the city plan
In response to the clear trend towards “supersize density” in Burnaby, a community group petitioned provincial authorities to investigate new condo developments that led to what the group has called the “egregious” flattening of low-cost apartments in Brentwood, Edmonds, Lougheed, and Metrotown.
The Burnaby First Coalition alleged that the council’s 2010 zoning amendment introduced drastic and potentially unwanted changes to the city plan, including the demolition of over 300 cheap apartments since 2012.
“Consultation should have happened before the increases in density,” Coalition chair Helen Ward told The Globe and Mail.
Ward added that the Burnaby council is violating legal requirements on notices regarding the plan changes. In its complaint submitted to the provincial ombudsperson’s office in May, the Coalition maintained that the rezoning application approved by the city government do not take into account the official community plan.
The request for investigation came after Ward’s correspondence earlier this year with deputy city manager Chad Turpin, who noted that the city government followed all the required steps for the new developments.
Over the past few years, Vancouver and the surrounding areas have become a hotbed for home construction amid unprecedented levels of demand, which has consistently outstripped supply in the region’s overheated housing segment.
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The Burnaby First Coalition alleged that the council’s 2010 zoning amendment introduced drastic and potentially unwanted changes to the city plan, including the demolition of over 300 cheap apartments since 2012.
“Consultation should have happened before the increases in density,” Coalition chair Helen Ward told The Globe and Mail.
Ward added that the Burnaby council is violating legal requirements on notices regarding the plan changes. In its complaint submitted to the provincial ombudsperson’s office in May, the Coalition maintained that the rezoning application approved by the city government do not take into account the official community plan.
The request for investigation came after Ward’s correspondence earlier this year with deputy city manager Chad Turpin, who noted that the city government followed all the required steps for the new developments.
Over the past few years, Vancouver and the surrounding areas have become a hotbed for home construction amid unprecedented levels of demand, which has consistently outstripped supply in the region’s overheated housing segment.
Related Stories:
Canadian building permits down by 5.5% in June
B.C. apartments also feeling the pinch of new tax
