West Vancouver council is moving ahead with a plan to add height and removal rental from a project of high rises above the Upper Levels Highway.
At a July 21 meeting, council voted to send an updated proposal for the Beedie Uplands development to a public hearing.
An initial version of the plan, first approved in 2019, involved rezoning the properties at 3861 and 3875 Upland Way as well as 3389 and 3181 Chippendale Rd. to allow up to 620 units in a mix of single-family homes, “cluster housing” and apartment buildings.
Under that proposal, one of the development lots was required to be built as rental – up to 275 homes.
Since the previous rezoning, some of the cluster and single-family homes have been built, but none of the rental units.
Now, developer Beedie Living is asking council to remove the rental requirement and increase the building height on three of the four towers on the site – from 16 storeys to 20 or 25 storeys.
Speaking to council at the recent meeting, staff said the market for rental in that area is struggling, and municipal planners want to see something built there rather than nothing.
Coun. Nora Gambioli, who supported the rental requirement for the project six years ago, said she would like to see a significant portion of the additional $13 million in amenity contributions from the switch to strata go to the district’s affordable housing fund.
“So that we can create rental in another place that is closer to transit and closer to services,” she said.
The public hearing has been set for Monday, Sept. 8 at 5 p.m.
[email protected]
twitter.com/nick_laba
@nicklaba.bsky.social
Want to stay updated on North Vancouver and West Vancouver news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
