Chilliwack councillors blast BC govt., Chilliwack MLAs over forced housing plans that could ban public hearings, usher in paid parking downtown

Under Bill 44, Koole wrote, municipalities are now forbidden from holding public hearings for residential development rezonings, including mixed use development with at least 50 per cent residential, when it is consistent with the Official Community Plan (OCP). In addition, zones that exclusively permit single family houses or duplexes located within the urban development boundary must be rezoned to allow up to 4 units per lot to meet the small-scale, multi-unit housing (SSMUH) requirements of the bill.

Bill 47, Koole stated, sets minimum levels of density and eliminates parking requirements in transit exchange areas or along transit routes with frequent service. In Chilliwack, this only includes the area around the downtown exchange on Spadina Avenue, as there are no bus routes that accomplish a necessary service level to be considered frequent. Around the downtown exchange, Koole stated, the city must now support development up to 10 stories tall, or 3.5 floor area ratio (FAR) on sites within 200 metres of the Spadina Avenue exchange, and up to 6 stories tall, or 2.5 FAR, on sites between 200m to 400m from the exchange. The city must also not require parking for residential use, and the amount of parking provided will be determined by individual applicants.

Once staff finished an overview of the newly enacted legislation, Councillor Nicole Read diplomatically said her biggest concern revolved around the public hearing process for rezoning applications that seem to now be outlawed by the B.C. government.

“This takes the voice out of the community, and it puts it into what’s been sitting there through the OCP,” Read said. “The other concern around this is our downtown parking. Huge concern with developers not having to put in parking spots as we move forward. It looks like we’ll have to charge for parking in the downtown core, which right now is such a nice option to not have to charge our local residents and visitors that come into the community to shop in our downtown stores and support local businesses. That’s something that will probably have to come.”

Image: City of Chilliwack / Chilliwack Councillor Nicole Read expressed concern over the new legislation from the B.C. government.

Councillor Bud Mercer was more pointed and called out the province for a lack of consultation among cities that actually get the job done.

“I don’t think anybody can argue that there’s a requirement for affordable housing,” Mercer said. “There’s people that are struggling, they need housing, and the inventory just doesn’t exist, but the wisdom of what we’re hearing from our provincial government is again to be questioned. It was a knee jerk reaction with lack of any consultation from the cities that actually do this for a living. When they were pressured as to who they talked to before our nominated premier, Mr. Eby, came out with this announcement, the response to consultation was, ‘We did consult with Victoria, Kelowna, and, I believe, Kimberley,’ that’s it. I think Kimberley has one traffic light. That was the consultation done…before this hair-brained strategy was put in place.”

Image: City of Chilliwack / Councillor Bud Mercer blasted the province over a lack of consultation with cities like Chilliwack.

Mercer also said he had no idea where Chilliwack’s two MLAs, Dan Coulter and Kelli Paddon, stood on an issue that will inevitably impact the city.

“Our own two MLAs are completely silent on, by the way,” Mercer said. “We’ve heard nothing from them. We don’t know if we have their support or what they’re saying to government on how this will impact the city of Chilliwack.”

Councillor Chris Kloot said paid parking in downtown Chilliwack and parking passes could likely be a reality now that parking is no longer required for housing around transit-oriented hubs. Not everyone living near a transit hub takes a city bus, for example, and will need to park their vehicles somewhere.

Image: City of Chilliwack / Councillor Chris Kloot called out Chilliwack’s two MLAs for what being “missing in action” on transit-oriented housing legislation. He challenged the provincial government to come see the amazing work being done by city planning staff.

“I’d challenge this government that they’re welcome to come to our planning department to see how fast they move, and what amazing staff we have,” Kloot said. “A council that definitely has an open mind in absorbing growth. What is clear to me, the province is conducting itself in a condescending manner. They think they know what is best for cities across this province; they don’t feel they don’t need to engage with the cities. To be clear, the language the province is using is, public hearings are prohibited, meaning screw you all. I really think our MLAs (Coulter and Paddon) are missing in action when it comes to this. Not connecting with the city that they represent, ridiculous.”

Councillor Jeff Shields called the government’s imposition of housing rules “disgraceful.”

“This is just a lack of planing, and a lack of consultation,” said Councillor Shields, a member of council for five years now. “It’s disgraceful actually what they’re doing and how they’re just telling us what to do. It’s not the way provincial and municipal governments should work together. I look at our role as municipal government, and we don’t try to make housing; we try to make neighbourhoods, we try to make a city. To the provincial government, everything’s just housing, no forethought. I’m disgusted like everybody else in this room.”

Image: City of Chilliwack / Councillor Jeff Shields said the province’s approach to forcing in new housing rules around transit hubs was disgraceful, and said provincial and municipal governments should work collaboratively.

by Mike Vanden Bosch

Chilliwack councillors blast BC govt., Chilliwack MLAs over forced housing plans that could ban public hearings, usher in paid parking downtown

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