More housing must be added to urban areas of West Vancouver, the provincial government says.
On Thursday, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Ravi Kahlon released a statement based on the results of a review conducted by provincial advisors in West Van and Oak Bay – two municipalities that have been singled out as falling behind on building new homes.
In West Van, Kahlon said the district must amend official community plans and zoning bylaws in the Park Royal-Taylor Way area with “additional, sufficient density to support its housing target order.”
“The plan should enable housing that aligns with best practices for transit-adjacent housing as set out for transit-oriented development areas (TOAs) in the province,” he said.
Kahlon added that the district should also amend policy documents to increase density in the communities of Ambleside and Dundarave Village.
The orders follow a two-month review by planner and Capilano University instructor Ron Mattiussi, which looked at development approval processes, land-use planning as well as housing policy and practices.
The advisor’s report notes that there are limited opportunities for developers to consider “any reasonable profit margin,” due to extremely high land values and building costs in West Van.
But part of the municipality's development woes are self-inflicted, according to the advisor.
“West Vancouver’s long history of not supporting increased density has reduced the interest in the development community as they prefer municipalities that support development,” reads the report. “The unusually slow completion of sub-area (local) plans has stymied development in areas where the current council supports appropriate densification.”
The report also highlights planning processes, such as pre-meetings and public hearings, as challenges that “significantly reduce interest” in developing in West Van.
Kahlon said that he’s reviewed the reports and sent letters to each municipality outlining the recommendations.
”In addition, I have notified the councils that I intend to issue the following directives as permitted under the Housing Supply Act, which provides both councils 30 days to submit written comments regarding the directives before they are issued,” he said.
According to the province, the policy updates for Ambleside and Dundarave must be completed by September 2026. A municipal review for Ambleside is already underway. Plans to increase density at Park Royal-Taylor way must be done by December 2026.
No surprises in housing advisor's report, mayor says
West Van Mayor Mark Sager said there were no surprises in the province’s announcement.
“We anticipated that they would name Park Royal a transit density area. That just isn’t a surprise to me at all,” he said.
But for that change to be meaningful, the province has to step up and properly fund transit to the area, Sager said.
“It’s fine to say this is a transit-oriented corridor and hub, and we all understand the practicalities of that, but [we need to] see them step up to the table,” he said.
The provincial advisor’s report notes that the Park Royal area isn’t currently a transit hub, Sager said, but the district “fully supports” it going in that direction.
“Ultimately, there should be some consideration of some way to get [improved] transit to Park Royal,” he said. “If we’re not going to get another crossing, how about some form of rail that gets people there.”
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