A public hearing into a proposal to relax building height restrictions in Vancouver’s Chinatown is set to reconvene next month, after city councillors heard from about 15 of nearly 120 registered speakers Thursday (March 17).

The council chambers were packed for the first night of the Historic Area Height Review hearing Thursday, with Chinatown business and community groups endorsing the plan, and social housing advocates raising concerns about the potential impacts of new condo towers on the area’s low-income community.

Shirley Chan, the past chair of the Chinatown Historic Area Planning Committee, told council that Chinatown organizations are “exhausted” by years of planning.

“I see the number of vacant storefronts, and vacant buildings that are in Chinatown, which for me as someone who grew up in the area, makes me feel very sad,” Chan told councillors.

During a staff presentation, council heard there had been “hundreds” of meetings held among community groups supporting the plan over the last decade.

The HAHR policy involves a proposed increase in the maximum building height to 120 feet, or 12 storeys, in certain areas of Chinatown South, and five buildings of up to 150 feet, about 15 storeys, along Main Street between Keefer and Union.

Ivan Drury and Sid Chow Tan, board members of the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council, said the low-income Chinatown residents they have spoken to in recent weeks weren’t aware of the towers proposal.

Drury presented Mayor Gregor Robertson with 1,000 petition signatures from people opposing the height study.

Jean Swanson, coordinator of the Carnegie Community Action Project, told council she’s concerned about maintaining affordable rent prices for SRO tenants, and preserving shops that serve low-income seniors in the neighbourhood.

“What’s going to happen to business taxes when the value of the property goes up because of new allowable heights?” she asked. “The stores that serve the low-income people are really vulnerable and...if the stores are vulnerable, so are the people who shop in them and need the fresh food and the cheap prices.”

Henry Tom of the Vancouver Chinatown Merchants Association said small businesses in the area are “resilient” and predicted stores catering to the low-income community will remain.

Jordan Eng, vice-president of the Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Association, dismissed concerns that small businesses would be pushed out of the neighbourhood.

Eng presented petition signatures from 145 Chinatown merchants and 1,020 other people in favour of the heights study, and 70 letters of support. He also gave council letters of support from former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell, former Victoria mayor Alan Lowe and MLA Richard Lee.

“The HAHR encourages development, which will bring more residents to Chinatown of all income groups,” he said. “A broader group of residents ultimately mean the ability to provide a wider diversity of goods and services for local and regional consumers.”

The public hearing will reconvene on Tuesday, April 5.