The City of Vancouver is proposing the blanket rezoning of two-family areas in Kitsilano and Kensington-Cedar Cottage.

Its objective is to create more housing choices in these neighbourhoods.

These new options are laneway houses, secondary suites within two-family lots, and additional opportunities for infill and multiple conversion dwellings.

But there will “trade-offs”, according to a city staff report to council.

One impact is the loss of trees.

There will also be less areas for green spaces.

“While an effort will be made to retain trees where feasible, there may be tree loss to allow for infill and new buildings,” Dan Garrison, assistant director for housing policy and regulation, wrote in the report. “New landscaping will be provided but there will be less green space due to increased site coverage and parking requirements.”

Privacy will also take a hit.

“Since more limited infill development has occurred in these RT [two-family] neighbourhoods over the years, residents enjoy a high degree of privacy,” Garrison noted. “Additional duplexes, infill to more lots, and laneway houses, will mean that there will be more people living in the rear yards of properties which can be expected to raise issues of overlook and privacy.”

It will be more difficult to find street parking.

“While these areas are highly walkable and transit accessible, people still own vehicles and additional housing options will place more pressure on street parking,” Garrison wrote.

A number of character homes will also be demolished for new development.

“These changes will be balanced to achieve the best outcomes, but some objectives conflict and trade-offs would be required to accommodate more housing choice in neighbourhoods across Vancouver,” Garrison wrote in his report.

The wholesale rezoning of two-family areas in Kitsilano and Kensington-Cedar Cottage will be subject to a public hearing on September 18.

Council is also scheduled on the same day to hold a public hearing on the city’s plan to mass rezone more than 67,000 single-family lots for duplexes.