The West End Residents Association and the West End Neighbours are not rival factions, according to WERA president Brent Granby.

Speaking by cellphone today (July 28), Granby said WERA has “no opposition” to what WEN, an emerging community group, is doing to address redevelopment proposals in the neighbourhood, including those being put forth under the city’s controversial Short Term Incentives for Rental Housing program.

“Everyone in the West End is entitled to their opinion,” Granby said. “We are a small group. We don’t speak for the West End.”

WEN spokesperson Randy Helten has been leading the charge recently against major spot rezonings in the West End, calling for greater community consultation and adherence to existing community plans.

According to Granby, “Randy worked on a couple of projects with us that he’d worked on over the last couple of years.”

These were in the areas of emergency-preparedness and food security, he said.

“Then, on the redevelopment ones, he wanted to go in a different direction to where we wanted to go,” Granby added. “I think that’s how the West End Neighbours started.”

When the Straight asked what these differences were, Granby would only say, “Our sole focus when we came upon this was that we wanted to facilitate a responsible and respectful discourse in the changes that are happening in our neighbourhood. We wanted to concentrate on what we think the critical issues for the city of Vancouver are, and that’s around affordability, ecological sustainability, and livability.”

WERA’s “agenda” when discussing the rezoning proposals, according to Granby, is: “How is it going to lessen people’s dependence on cars?”

Granby pointed out that 80 percent of the West End population is made up of renters.

“I’d love to know what young renters think about the development in the West End,” Granby said. “Unfortunately that’s a difficult group to tap in terms of social engagement.”