Housing

Implementing the Official Community Plan Housing Estimates

Accurate as of July, 6, 2023

Adopted in 2018 after a two-year public engagement process, West Vancouver’s Official Community Plan (OCP) is – among other things – the District’s “official” growth management tool. It provides a policy framework to guide the development of an estimated ~5,000 net new homes over a 20+ year time horizon (2018 – 2041) in a way that supports the District’s social, economic, and environmental objectives.

As a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the District’s OCP requires regional Board approval, which it received in 2018. For context, ~5,000 housing units would represent around 1% of all growth anticipated for the region by 2041. Importantly, the figure of ~5,000 net new units is an estimate, and growth in the District will ultimately be determined by area planning processes, the review of development applications, market forces, and Council decisions.

The following sections summarize the progress towards meeting the District’s housing estimates organized by the OCP’s housing policy sections, as these are the policies that guide Council’s decisions. Net new unit counts are based on the number of new residential units (enabled through a Council approval and with an issued development permit) minus the number of residential units that existed on the site prior to the approval.

For information about ongoing development proposals in various stages of the review process, i.e. not approved and subject to change, please see the dedicated Development Applications webpage.

The Official Community Plan and further information on the OCP’s review process are available here.

Regenerating our neighbourhoods with an estimated 300-400 new sensitive infill units

The OCP provides enabling policy to expand subdivision, coach house, and duplex opportunities. The primary implementing initiative to this end was the Neighbourhood Character Working Group. After their two-year citizen-led process, Council adopted zoning bylaw amendments to enable smaller houses on smaller lots and facilitate coach house development.

Coach house counts below are captured according to approved form and character development permits, including one-storey plus basement, two-storeys with or without a basement, or any coach house requiring a variance.

Further information on Coach Houses and associated form and character guidelines is available here.

Further information on the Neighbourhood Character Working Group’s two-year process is available here.

The following table summarizes approvals since the OCP’s adoption:

Subdivision Rezonings Approved 1 net new unit
Single Family Dwellings Approved 4 net new units
Coach Houses Approved 10 net new units
Duplex Houses Approved 7 net new units
Total Approved 22 net new units
Estimate % Complete 5.5 %

Expanding missing middle housing (e.g., triplex, townhouse, mixed-use) options with an estimated 300-350 new units

The OCP provides enabling policy for Council to consider rezonings for these housing types primarily along the Marine Drive transit corridor and in site-specific instances (e.g., adjacent to parks, schools, and existing multifamily).

The following table summarizes approvals since the OCP’s adoption:

Triplex Approved 0 net new units
Townhouse Approved 0 net new units
Mixed–Use Approved 0 net new units
Total Approved 0 net new units
Estimate % Complete 0%

While not a net new rezoning application (because the development rights were in place prior to the 2018 OCP), a proposal at 2452-2497 Marine Drive did receive a development permit for form and character, consistent with OCP policy 2.1.5 (mixed-use development on commercial use sites). For convenience and information, this project includes 55 residential units. Further information on this project is available here.

Respecting character and protecting heritage

The OCP provides enabling policy to incentivize housing that respects neighbourhood character and encourages the long-term protection of valued heritage properties, such as converting single-family homes to multifamily use and infill options.

The following table summarizes the number of protected heritage properties since the OCP’s adoption:

Protected Heritage Properties 1 existing unit
Total Protected 1 existing unit

Associated Infill Approved 1 net new unit
Total Approved 1 net new unit

Strengthening our centres and corridors through local area plans

The OCP provides directional policy to undertake and guide planning initiatives that strengthen key centres and corridors through local area plans (LAPs), with separate planning processes to determine area-specific built-forms, heights and densities, and the associated number of net new housing units.

Estimates 500–750 net new units.
Prepared concurrently during the OCP process, the Marine Drive LAP and Design Guidelines were adopted in 2017 after an 18-month public engagement process.

The following table summarizes approvals since the OCP’s adoption:

Apartment Units Approved 563 net new units
Total Approved 563 net new units
Estimate % Complete 75%

The Marine Drive LAP and Design Guidelines are viewable here.
Estimates 200-300 net new units.
After two years of public consultation, the Horseshoe Bay LAP and Design Guidelines were adopted in mid-2021. In late-2021 subsequent neighbourhood zoning amendments were adopted, enabling missing middle forms of ground-oriented housing, allowing infill, multiplex, and row houses in the neighbourhood area.

The following table summarizes approvals since the OCP’s adoption:

Infill Complete 4 net new units
Multiplex Complete 0 net new units
Rowhouses Complete 0 net new units
Townhouse Approved 0 net new units
Apartments Approved 0 net new units
Mixed-use Approved 0 net new units
Total 4 net new units
Estimate % Complete 1.33%

The Horseshoe Bay LAP and Design Guidelines are viewable here.

Advancing housing affordability, accessibility, and sustainability

OCP policies support advancing housing affordability, accessibility, and sustainability through a variety of criteria. This OCP section also includes a policy to guide the use of District-owned surplus lands to increase the availability of more diverse and affordable housing.

Renter Units Approved 214 net new units
Seniors Housing Approved 47 net new units
Supportive Units Approved 0 net new units
Total Approved 261 net new units

Future neighbourhoods

The OCP sets out policies to manage new development in the Upper Lands through the preparation of Area Development Plans. Planning for Cypress Village and the protection of Eagleridge is underway.

To review this process, please visit the main project page here.

Implementing housing approved prior to the 2018 OCP

The 2018 OCP incorporated previously adopted policies and guidelines to respect past planning initiatives, development rights, and Council decisions. While the housing units guided by these policies are not part of the 2018’s estimated ~5,000 net new units (because they are not “new”, they reflect previous decisions and development rights), the two main such examples are summarized below for convenience.

Rodgers Creek and Evelyn Neighbourhoods were approved through larger area-specific rezonings as phased developments around a decade before 2018 OCP adoption. The build out of each neighbourhood is being guided gradually and incrementally, with many housing units yet to receive permits.

The Evelyn Neighbourhood Area was rezoned in 2007, enabling capacity for 350 net new units including single and duplex dwellings, terraced cluster, and apartment buildings. In the decade and a half since original approval, building permits have been issued for 211 of these units (buildings constructed or approved for construction). For more information, please view the project page here.
The Rodgers Creek Neighbourhood Area was rezoned in 2008 to enable zoning capacity for 736 net new units. In the decade and a half since original approval, building permits have been issued for 185 of these units (buildings constructed or approved for construction). In 2020, a rezoning was approved to provide additional zoning capacity of up to 481 net new units that increased the variety of housing options and secured rental housing. For more information, please view the project page here.