Applause and cheers followed city council鈥檚 8-3 vote Tuesday to reject a 12-storey condo proposal for Chinatown that deeply divided the community and raised concerns about gentrification, culture and affordable housing.
An overflow crowd at city hall of both supporters and detractors of Beedie Development Group鈥檚 proposal for 105 Keefer St. listened for an hour as Mayor Gregor Robertson and 10 councillors gave reasons for their decision.
In a rare move, Vision 麻豆传媒映画Coun. Raymond Louie cast the only vote from his party in favour of the project, which called for 106 market condos, 25 apartments for seniors, a recreational and cultural space and room for business on the ground floor.
鈥淚n a time where our city is struggling for social housing, it is a challenge for me 鈥� and it should be a challenge for all of you, council 鈥� to vote against social housing,鈥� Louie said. 鈥淚 will not 鈥� I will not vote against social housing.鈥�
NPA councillors Elizabeth Ball and Melissa De Genova joined Louie in supporting the project while their NPA colleague, Coun. George Affleck, opposed the rezoning application.
The decision may mean the project as proposed is dead but Beedie still owns the property and could apply again to build another development at 90 feet tall, which is allowed under the city鈥檚 current policies and doesn鈥檛 require a public hearing.
The proposal before council Tuesday was for 118 feet tall and technically allowed under council鈥檚 polices, as long as additional height 鈥渟upported innovative heritage, cultural and affordable and social housing projects.鈥�
Houtan Rafii, vice-president of residential development for Beedie, said outside city hall that he respected council鈥檚 decision and looked forward to working with the community on what the future of the site may hold.
Some councillors suggested the provincial and federal governments help purchase the land to retain the property for something that would keep with Chinatown鈥檚 culture and history.
Housing activists have also called for a social housing building that would be rented at welfare rates. A land swap with the developer was also mentioned.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been defeated today and that鈥檚 what we know,鈥� said Rafii when asked about the suggestions and whether Beedie would proceed with another project at 90 feet tall. 鈥淲e鈥檙e disappointed, we think it鈥檚 a loss for Chinatown.鈥�
Vision Coun. Kerry Jang was the first member of council to state his reasons for opposing the project. Jang said a recent trip to Hong Kong, where he and his wife visited a garden that was surrounded by highrises, convinced him of the need to vote against the condo proposal.
He said it was too tall and would block out the views of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden 鈥� across the street from the proposed development site 鈥� where he visited on the weekend.
鈥淚 looked up and said, 鈥榃ow, it鈥檚 a beautiful view of the sky,鈥� Jang said. 鈥淚t embodies everything a classical Chinese garden should have, except for the fact the building would intrude into that view.鈥�
Jang and several other councillors pointed out the division in the Chinese community among leaders and accused some of the younger people who opposed the project of disrespecting Chinese seniors who supported it.
鈥淪eeing people bully, seeing people boo [Musqueam Indian Band councillor] Howard Grant, seeing that kind of behaviour, and having social media make assumptions about our position and treat us with disrespect here in the council chambers 鈥� that did not make it easy for me to make this decision,鈥� said Vision Coun. Heather Deal. 鈥淚n fact, it was very difficult to shut that out and focus instead on the merits of the argument made on both sides.鈥�
Fred Mah of the Chinese Society Heritage Building Association, who opposed the project, said outside council chambers that he was happy with council鈥檚 decision.
鈥淭hat site is very important to Chinatown,鈥� said Mah, who agreed with suggestions that senior levels of government should look to purchase the site, or work a land swap with the developer.
Mah pointed out that when the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts are demolished, the area of the proposed site will effectively be an entrance to Chinatown.
鈥淲hatever is created there has to have some Chinatown character, and it shouldn鈥檛 be so high, and it shouldn鈥檛 be so massive,鈥� Mah said.
Longtime housing activist Jean Swanson was moved to tears after the decision, saying she was proud of the young people and seniors who turned up at the hearings and fought against the proposal.
鈥淚鈥檓 over the moon,鈥� said Swanson, who was surprised by the vote. 鈥淚 never thought I鈥檇 see Vision vote against a developer, I never thought I鈥檇 see Vision split, I鈥檇 never thought I鈥檇 see the NPA split.鈥�
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