How To . . . #5
Rezoning Procedures in Vancouver
Zoning regulates the use and development of property in the city through by-laws approved by City Council, which encourage compatible land uses and buildings. Zoning reflects Council policies based on community goals for the future of the city and its neighbourhoods.
The city is divided into many zoning districts, shown on a map called
the Zoning District
Plan. The Zoning and Development
By-law contains corresponding district schedules for these zoning
districts. A district schedule contains an intent statement about the City objectives for the district, a list of permitted land uses and regulations governing maximum height, site coverage, floor area and related aspects of any development which may be permitted on a site.
Some districts have accompanying Council-approved guidelines for development
applications while other districts are governed by an Official
Development Plan (ODP) or an Area Development Plan (ADP), or a combination
of the two.
Another type of zoning district is the Comprehensive Development District (CD-1). Over 400 sites are governed by individual, custom designed CD-1 by-laws that generally regulate permitted land uses and development. City Council must also approve the form of development in a CD-1 district.
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Rezoning is the term used for any change to zoning by-laws and zoning district plans. All such changes are subject to approval by the City Council at a Public Hearing. Rezoning may occur in three ways:
1. To change the present zoning of a site to a Comprehensive Development District (CD-1). CD-1 zoning is tailor made to a specific site or area. It is intended for unique sites or areas or to accommodate special uses or forms of development which do not fit within a standard zoning district schedule. Council may establish certain conditions (e.g., legal agreements or other arrangements) that must be met prior to the enactment of the CD-1 By-law, and other conditions (usually pertaining to design) that must be met before the approval of the development application.
2. To change the present zoning of a site from one standard zoning district to another. The change in zoning from one district to another, e.g. from RS-1 to RS-5, is referred to as a ‘plan amendment’ and most often occurs as a result of an area rezoning to implement a Community Vision or related area planning program. There are rare instances when an individual property will be rezoned from one district to another, usually because of some anomaly in existing zoning boundaries, such as a split-zoned site, or some other unique feature.
3. To change the text of the Zoning and Development By-law or of an ODP, ADP or CD-1 By-law. A ‘text amendment’ is any change to permitted land uses or regulations in any district schedule, ODP, ADP or CD-1 by-law. A substantial alteration to an approved CD-1 form of development may also require an application to amend the regulations in the applicable CD-1 By-law.
All rezoning applications are reviewed by the Planning Department and are reported to City Council with a recommendation of support or refusal. City Council makes the decision either to approve the application or refuse it.
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A rezoning enquiry begins with a visit or call to the Rezoning Centre (3rd floor, East Wing, 2675 Yukon Street or 604-873-7455) or by emailing planning@vancouver.ca. Rezoning Centre staff will provide advice on applicable City plans, policies or guidelines affecting land use and development of a property. Staff will seek to indicate, on a preliminary basis, whether rezoning might be considered and supported. Staff will also endeavour to identify factors to be considered and issues to be addressed.
If a rezoning proposal appears to have merit, having a community or city-wide benefit, the enquirer is advised to make a written enquiry to the Director of Planning. Rezoning Centre staff will provide enquirers with a list of specific information a written enquiry should contain.
A staff response to the enquiry will ordinarily be returned within 4-6 weeks. Based on this advice, an enquirer would then decide whether or not to submit a rezoning application. If they do wish to proceed, a pre-application meeting with a Rezoning Planner is recommended to discuss the application submission requirements.
Moving from Rezoning Enquiry to Rezoning Application
The preparation of a rezoning application is assisted by a list of application requirements. Prospective applicants are encouraged to meet with the assigned rezoning planner prior to the submission of an application. At this meeting, the rezoning planner will review the list of application requirements for the specific proposal and suggest any meetings with other staff that might be useful in identifying issues or refining the proposal scope as was discussed in staff’s written response to the rezoning enquiry. This includes the suggestion that prospective applicants consult with neighbours about their proposal prior to application submission.
Once all of the application material is ready, the applicant will meet again with the rezoning planner to submit the application. Only complete applications that include all the required documentation discussed during pre-application will be accepted. The rezoning application fee is due in full at the time of submission.
While a rezoning application can be submitted at any time, the enquiry and pre-application service described here provides prospective applicants with the sort of advice which can avoid the waste of time and money on an application that is likely to be refused.
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After an application is received, staff in the Rezoning Centre seek input from various City departments, the public, and advisory groups to the City (such as the Urban Design Panel, Vancouver Heritage Commission, etc.).
Soon after application submission, the applicant is requested to install an information sign(s) on the site to alert the public to the application (details of sign requirements are provided by staff). Staff will also mail a letter to registered property owners within an approximate two block radius of the site to further inform them of the application.
Depending upon the response to the sign and mail outs, the rezoning planner may require an open house be held in the community to provide information about the application and solicit the opinions of surrounding property owners and residents.
The application is then evaluated by Planning staff, taking into consideration the input received from the various City departments, the public and advisory groups. A report is written which provides a complete analysis of the application and a recommendation that it be referred to a public hearing and approved, or that it be refused. If the staff report recommends referral of an application to public hearing and then approval, the report is sent to a regular meeting of City Council.
If the staff report recommends refusal of the application, then it is sent to a meeting of a Council committee where the applicant is given an opportunity to make representations directly to City Council on why the application warrants consideration at a hearing. Council may refuse the application or refer it to a public hearing for further consideration.
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Public Hearing Process
When the City Council has referred a rezoning application to a public hearing (which is a special meeting of Council and generally held once per month), the application will be placed on the agenda of a hearing scheduled within 4-6 weeks of referral.
Publication of a legal notice of the public hearing in a local newspaper occurs two weeks prior to the hearing. As a matter of courtesy, registered property owners within an approximate two-block radius of the site are mailed notification letters, advising of the date, time and place of the hearing. The information sign(s) on the site will be revised to show the public hearing date.
At the hearing, staff make a presentation of the application, give a summary of the analysis, including input from the public, and restate the recommendation. The applicant is then given an opportunity to speak, followed by all members of the public. A decision to approve or refuse the rezoning application is generally made at the hearing, but may be deferred to a regular Council meeting. (Note: There is no appeal process from a Council decision to either approve or refuse a rezoning application.)
Conditions Of Approval
Conditions of approval frequently accompany a staff recommendation to approve a rezoning application. Some of these conditions can be of the type which must be met prior to the enactment of the rezoning by-law, such as legal agreements, site consolidation, servicing costs, transfer of heritage density, provision of community amenity, and dedication of land for future road widenings. For CD-1 rezonings, Council may also establish other conditions, usually pertaining to the form of development, that must be met prior to approval of a development permit for the proposed project.
The time to process a rezoning application can vary, depending on the complexity of the proposal. While the average time required to process applications is six to nine months, this can be extended or reduced depending upon the issues raised, the need for public information meetings, the carrying out of special impact studies, the need for revisions, and the time an applicant may need to complete such revisions.
Eight communities across the city have Community Visions and include policy on rezoning in these areas. They are (in order of date approved by City Council): Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Dunbar, Sunset, Victoria-Fraserview/Killarney, Renfrew-Collingwood, Hastings-Sunrise, Arbutus-Ridge/Shaughnessy-Kerrisdale and Riley Park/South Cambie. West Point Grey is expected to have a Community Vision approved by City Council in September 2007. Each Community Vision contains Vision Directions on how the community will change and grow, including the type and location for new housing, improvements to parks, transportation, services and local shopping areas. Making some of the Vision Directions happen will require rezoning, or amendments to zoning. For most, additional area planning would be required before any zoning changes would be considered, and individual rezonings would not be considered prior to this planning. However, there are some cases where individual rezonings could be considered without additional planning (e.g. Heritage Retention Projects, Social or Affordable Housing Projects, Housing Demonstration Projects, Institutional Uses).
For more information about rezoning in a Community Vision area see the section titled Rezoning Policy in each of the Community Vision documents. Copies of the Community Visions are available through the Planning Department or on line at www.vancouver.ca/visions. [ return to top ]
PHONE
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
General enquiries on Development and Building 604-873-7613
/ 7611
Trades Permits Applications (Plumbing, Gas, Electrical, and Street Occupancy
Permits) 604-873-7608 / 7062 / 7052 / 7600
Enquiries on notification and status of Development
Applications 604-873-7344
Status of Building Permit Applications, except field
reviews 604-873-7611
Subdivision and Strata Enquiries 604-871-6627 / 604-873-7556
Tree Permits and Landscape Plan Review (Enquiries on Tree By-law, landscaping
and tree removal) 604-871-6378
LICENCES AND INSPECTIONS
Inspections 604-873-7601 / 7603
Business Licences 604-873-7568
Secondary Suites 604-873-7945
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
Rezoning Centre (General enquiries on rezoning) 604-873-7455
Heritage Planning 604-873-7506
SUPPORT SERVICES - BY-LAW ADMINISTRATION
Occupancy Permits 604-873-7539
ENGINEERING SERVICES
Building Grades 604-873-7316
Permits Counter 604-873-7216
Development Permit Coordinator (Engineering Requirements) 604-873-7773
IN PERSON
City Hall is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday (*please
note exceptions in brackets)
Development Services
Enquiry Centre - East Wing, 2nd Floor (*8:30 to 4:30; Limited Service on Tuesdays from 8:30 to 10:00 am, due to staff meeting)
Processing Centre - East Wing, 3rd Floor (*8:30 to 4:30)
2675 Yukon Street (11th and Yukon)
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Planning Department
Rezoning Centre & Heritage Planning
East Wing, 3rd Floor
2675 Yukon Street (11th and Yukon) |
Support Services (*8:30 to 4:30)
By-law Administration
East Wing, 2nd Floor
2675 Yukon Street (11th and Yukon) |
Engineering Services
Engineering Permit Counter
Main Building, Main Floor
453 West 12th Avenue (12th and Cambie) |
MAIL
Clearly mark the Department (and division or area of department if
possible) on the envelope and send to:
City of Vancouver
(department name here)
453 West 12th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4
FAX
Board of Variance 604-873-7475
Enquiry Centre 604-873-7100
Processing Centre 604-873-7100
Subdivision and Strata 604-873-7100
Licences and Inspections 604-873-7100
Support Services 604-873-7100
Planning Department 604-873-7100
Engineering Services 604-871-6191
VANMAP ( www.vancouver.ca/vanmap )
A web-based map system providing property information such as, property
lines, zoning information, aerial photos, addresses, parks, etc.
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