426 West 14th Avenue and Yukon Street rezoning Q&A Oct 2-15, 2024. 18-storey tower proposed under Broadway Plan. Shadow studies are incorrect.

*400 block West 14th Avenue looking east. Proposed 18-storey tower is located at the southwest corner of Yukon Street (on photo, right side).*

The City of Vancouver is holding an online Q&A session regarding an 18-storey tower proposed at 426 West 14th Avenue at the southwest corner of Yukon street. The online consultation runs between October 2 and 15, 2024. We’ve included a series of renderings of a simple model to show the general massing of the proposed rezoning in the Broadway Plan context in the above slideshow.

This rezoning would contain a total of 134 rental units with 20% of the unit below market. A total building height of 60.5m (197 ft.) and a floor space ratio of 5.5 are requested. 73 parking spaces are proposed in 3 underground levels. The shadow studies included with the application are incorrect (it’s not the first time either). Here’s a comparison:

*Compare the direction of the shadow from the application (left) and with our shadow study (right). Both times are March 21 at 10am (spring equinox in 2024 was on March 19).*

The current zoning for the site and surroundings is RT-6 (multiple dwelling, 0.75 FSR, 3-storeys / 10.7m). There are a number of similarities with the general context of this rezoning when compared to rezoning applications for towers at 2156-2172 W14th Avenue , 121-129 W 11th Avenue and 469-483 E 10th Avenue. The applicant is Stuart Howard Architects Inc.

A local community group has been created to deal with this tower application and towers being proposed in the rest of Mount Pleasant. On Facebook, “Save Mount Pleasant” – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1028178638489049/. Website: www.save14thandyukon.com, or by e-mail directly to save14thandyukon@gmail.com if people want to join their e-mail list. They welcome people to contact them whether they are directly affected by this project or are in the neighbourhood near other projects.

The rezoning represents a big jump in density and height from the current RT-6 zoning, and it is on a residential side street. Under the previously-approved (supposedly “30-year”) Mount Pleasant Community Plan (passed in 2010, implementation plan passed in October 2013), the zoning for this area would not have changed. However, in 2022, the Council majority revoked the Mount Pleasant Community Plan and imposed the Broadway Plan – a top-down document written by staff without formal community involvement (no Community Liaison Group, Citizens’ Assembly, Working Group, etc.). (Voting for the Broadway Plan was Kennedy Stewart (then independent, ran in 2022 with Forward Vancouver), NPA (which has morphed into ABC under Ken Sim), OneCity, and Vancouver Greens. Only Colleen Hardwick who later ran for reelection in 2022 with TEAM and Jean Swanson of COPE voted against the Broadway Plan, citing many reasons. The current Council majority under Ken Sim, ABC Vancouver, OneCity, and Vancouver Greens, is in the process of turbocharging the Broadway Plan. City staff are now writing a report, which largely ignores public concerns expressed during the June consultation, going to Council in November 2024. BC Conservatives have vowed to retract some of the BC legislation that is driving this turbocharging of density and towers going to Council in June. Election is Oct 19.)

*North and east elevations for 426 W 14th Avenue rezoning*

*Rezoning site at 426 West 14th Avenue and Yukon St. Note the canopy cover from the street trees that extends onto the fronting properties.*

*In order to test the general massing of the proposed rezoning, we built a simplified 3D model using the plans and elevations submitted with the application*

There is a concurrent rezoning Q&A for another rezoning application in Mount Pleasant at 254 East 12th Avenue (see our post here for more information on this other tower proposal). The proposed tower for 426 West 14th Avenue is the first application in this general part of the Broadway Plan (Cambie and 14th), further information about other rezoning applications is available in our interactive map:

The City of Vancouver published the design proposed for an 18-storey tower at 426 West 14th Avenue, 3015 & 3025 Yukon Street on August 21, 2024. This application was received by City staff eight months ago, on December 19, 2023. We’ve included several context photos of the site and area further below.

Context photos