One of the more contentious neighbourhood-planning processes will come to a head Thursday afternoon (November 4) at a meeting of Vancouver city council’s planning and environment committee. If the politicians approve city staff’s recommendations, it will transform a significant chunk of Kingsway into a mid-rise urban village and introduce four new zoning categories in the area.

A report to council defines Norquay Village as an area bisected by Kingsway and bounded by Gladstone Street to the west and Killarney Street to the east. It’s home to more than 10,000 people, mostly living in single-family homes and secondary suites. If the plan is approved for the area, which extends north-south between East 29th and East 41st avenues, the population will reach 17,200 over the next 25 years.

Reading the planning department document, one might conclude that the Kingsway strip of low-rise buildings and the nearby single-family homes are on the verge of becoming an affordable, livable oasis. If council approves the recommendations, the report says it will bring a “greater degree of affordability and variety for families”. The plan will also lead to “the revitalization of Kingsway to support local shops and services, encourage local residents to meet daily needs within walking distance, and increase the opportunities to engage in community life”, according to the report.

A key aspect is the proposed redevelopment of the city-owned 2400 Motel site, which would include a 16-storey and a 12-storey tower. The nearby Eldorado Motel would be the site of a 22-storey tower, two mid-rise buildings, and a 3,500-square-foot daycare.

Not everyone is impressed. In an opinion piece posted on Straight.com earlier this year, city hall watchdog Ned Jacobs maintained that residents want a “walkable neighbourhood centre”, with community amenities mainly concentrated on East 33rd Avenue between Slocan and Nanaimo streets.

He claimed that instead, staff had pushed for six- to eight-storey buildings along a 1.35-kilometre stretch of Kingsway. “In more than four years the Norquay process has produced nothing but frustration and mistrust, and now it is not even about planning—it is about control,” Jacobs claimed.

The staff report downplays this type of criticism. “Although in Staff’s opinion, discontent with the plan is not widespread or a majority within the community (based on observed overall public commentary throughout the process), discontent with the Plan from specific participants has been vocal, and through connections with groups from other neighbourhoods [it is] contributing to a city-wide impression of difficulties with the plan process,” wrote city planner Neal LaMontagne in the report to council. “Staff have had to adapt to ensure the process remained open and balanced, with all voices feeling comfortable and supported/valued in continuing to participate.”

Some long-time residents have objected to the possibility of having to pay higher property taxes as a result of higher assessments in the future. LaMontagne, on the other hand, claimed that this is “not a serious concern” for most households. He pointed out that property-tax averaging can alleviate the impact of higher taxes, and that provincial tax deferrals are available for seniors and low-income people.

The four new housing zones in the plan are “Duplex/Infill/Small House”, which will cover areas farthest from Kingsway; “Traditional Rowhouse”, which will permit five units spread over two lots; “Stacked Townhouse”, which will be in areas within walking distance of Kingsway and the 29th Avenue SkyTrain station; and “Transition/Low-Rise Apartment Zone”, which will be across the rear lane from properties facing Kingsway.

The planning department has also asked council to consider permitting four-storey apartments adjacent to Norquay Park and along a section of Earles Street north of Kingsway. Council will also consider amending the proposed neighbourhood-centre plan to increase the “base building heights” along Kingsway to eight to 10 storeys, “and taller on special sites”.

That’s up from the original plan for six to eight storeys, which Jacobs so heavily criticized. “The proposed policy reflects a balance between community concern about height and character and the desire for revitalization along Kingsway and improved building quality and urban design,” LaMontagne concluded in the report.

He acknowledged that these higher building heights and the possibility of four-storey apartments on Earles Street and beside Norquay Park were not presented to neighbourhood residents during open houses in June. Therefore, the planning department has recommended that if council votes in favour, further consultation be conducted during the “implementation plan”.