Summary#
Vancouver City Council approved in principle a rezoning for 5229–5249 Ash Street, on the west side of Ash between 35th and 37th Avenues. It would change the site from R1-1 to a site-specific CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) district, allowing a six-storey rental building with 63 homes; the stated goal is to add rental housing.
The rezoning is not yet in force: Council has not enacted the CD-1 by-law, and its approval in principle does not require the City to enact it.
- The proposed maximum floor space ratio (FSR, floor area compared with site area) would rise from 0.70 to 3.06, and maximum height from 11.5 metres to 21.4 metres.
- All 63 homes would be market rentals, secured by a Housing Agreement and covenant for the longer of 60 years or the life of the building.
- The project must meet the required mix of unit sizes. The proposal has 52% two-bedroom homes; the policy minimum for family units is 35%.
- Council instructed the City’s legal director to prepare a Housing Agreement by-law. A related Subdivision By-law amendment would be brought forward when the CD-1 by-law is enacted.
- The owner must provide a Tenant Relocation Plan for eligible tenants before a development permit is issued. One of the site’s two existing tenancies is eligible under the City’s policy.
What it means for you#
- Nearby residents: If the rezoning by-law is enacted and the project proceeds, two existing houses would be replaced by a six-storey rental building. The report says 23 trees are proposed for removal, with about 14 new on-site trees and four new City-owned trees proposed; final numbers are to be confirmed at the development-permit stage.
- Renters and people seeking housing: The proposal would add 63 market-rental homes, not below-market rentals. The report says the homes would be secured as rentals for the longer of 60 years or the building’s life.
- Existing tenants: The applicant must submit a relocation plan for eligible tenants before the development permit. The materials do not set out the plan’s specific terms.
- The public: Council approved the proposal unanimously in principle. That decision alone does not give the owner a legal right to build or oblige the City to enact the zoning by-law. The applicant bears costs incurred to meet rezoning conditions.
Money#
The City expects the project to pay $1,626,514 in development cost levies, based on December 2025 rates; no City cost estimate is provided.
- The project is exempt from a community amenity contribution under the City’s policy for this type of rental project.
- It is not subject to the City’s public art policy because its proposed floor area is below the policy’s threshold.
- Parking and loading requirements will be finalized at the development-permit stage.
What is unclear#
- Whether and when the City will enact the CD-1 by-law; Council’s approval in principle does not guarantee enactment.
- The final rents, and how they may change over time, are not stated.
- The final design, parking and loading spaces, and tree numbers will be settled later.
- The specific tenant relocation measures are not provided.
- The materials do not estimate the City’s costs or state when construction would begin.
Case for#
- City staff say the six-storey height fits the Cambie Corridor Plan and the site’s context. They support the proposed 3.06 FSR, above the Plan’s suggested 2.5 FSR, as a modest increase that generally aligns with urban-design principles.
- Staff say the project would add 63 secured rental homes and meet the required family-unit mix.
- Residents who commented supported new rental housing and more density; some said the neighbourhood was ready for growth.
Case against#
- Residents who raised concerns said the project has no below-market rental homes and questioned whether rental tenure would be secured. Staff say the Housing Agreement and covenant would secure all 63 homes as rentals, but they would remain market rentals.
- The proposal’s 3.06 FSR is above the Plan’s suggested 2.5 FSR. Staff support the increase, but the materials do not give the final rents or show how the added density affects nearby residents.
- The report says 23 trees would be removed and none retained. The number of replacement trees is not final.