OneCity Mayoral Candidate William Azaroff penned an open letter to Vancouverites on the contentious Villages Plan.
My fellow Vancouverites,
City Hall, and neighbours in nearly 14,000 blocks of Vancouver are currently wrestling with what it means to grow Vancouver over the next 30 years, and at the core there is uncertainty and even fear from the idea that the City is forcing transformation instead of empowering community building.
When I secured OneCity’s nomination for Mayor I committed to doing politics differently, and that’s why I’m writing this letter.
I’ve knocked on a lot of doors and talked to thousands of people over the past few months. And some of those people live in areas directly affected by the new Villages Plan that Council is deliberating.
I have spoken to homeowners who feel they haven’t been informed by the Villages Plan, have not been consulted and are sick and tired of the City deciding what Vancouver needs to look like and then pretending to consult, only to end up at the place they would have ended up anyway.
I have spoken to young people and renters who are worried they won’t have a place in this city. And who are desperately trying to hold onto the one they have now.
People hate fake engagement, and the way engagement has rolled out has been detrimental to democracy. It erodes public trust and confidence and leads people to give up on participating in their City.
People need to feel respected and listened to.
Many homeowners worry that their main source of retirement savings or their inter-generational gift to their children, the equity in their homes, will drop and they will lose out because of decisions made at City Hall. They don’t believe that planners at the City have the competence or good intentions that would engender trust and goodwill.
Many renters want the dignity of owning a home, or at least having a space large enough to raise a family or build a life. That means we need to build missing middle housing in more neighbourhoods.
I get that people are distrustful and even fearful of change. Most people I speak to support new housing and truly want their kids to be able to afford to stay here, or have options to be able to downsize and age in place without leaving their beloved neighbourhoods.
But in virtually every conversation where I show up at their door unexpectedly, people engage in a respectful, reasonable conversation about their community and neighbourhood. They feel a sense of belonging that is, frankly, enviable, and they understandably want to preserve.
As I listen to them and understand their concerns, we engage in meaningful dialogue and I can sense their anxiety drop. They go from their head and shoulder poking through the doorway, to coming out on their front step to have a full one-on-one conversation with me.
They want to know what I think, and as Mayor what I would do differently. And I tell them that I believe that there are many good things in the Villages Plan. The What makes a lot of sense to me, but the How needs a bit of a shake-up.
OneCity's proposed improvements to the Villages Plan include:
- Permissive zoning instead of required upzoning, letting neighbourhoods lead the way on four- to six-storey housing and ground-and-second-storey commercial space where they want it, rather than mandating the same design everywhere.
- Quarterly and Annual monitoring of pace of change and change of use so that we can measure and manage the supports we need for these new villages.
- Three months of public conversation during the election, starting now, on how Vancouver grows over the next 30 years.
- A comprehensive consultation on Centres and Villages Plans delivered within six months of a OneCity majority, completed no later than April 2027, positioning Vancouver to secure federal and provincial funding for the parks, pools, and community amenities our neighbours need.
- More affordable commercial space, supporting small businesses by making fuller use of second-storey commercial opportunities the current plan leaves off the table.
The concept of walkable communities where people can live and go out for dinner, get some groceries, perhaps grab a coffee in their little village is something they like. They like their village because it’s grown organically.
We talk about the difference between changes being required versus being permitted. That if they decide to redevelop their home, they won’t be required to build a multi-plex but they will have options they’re permitted to build.
They want genuine engagement, where they can express what they like and propose changes to parts they don’t. This is the kind of engagement we used to do and actually brings in input to make plans better and, as a result increase confidence and acceptance of change amongst the residents. This kind of engagement can move us to a place we can move forward together.
We need to stop doing things to the residents of Vancouver and learn how to do things with them again.
This is how we grow our city. I want to work with all the people of the City, to hear their hopes and dreams, as well as their challenges and fears to find the best and optimal path forward to maximize opportunities and grow in a way that makes sense.
Ultimately, my concern goes beyond the villages and urban planning. It cuts to the very heart of people's confidence in our democracy. People need to feel that their elected officials and the people who work at the City have their best interests at heart. We need to grow in a way that respects differences and listens to people. But in the end, we do need to grow and do things differently.
Above everything, I believe in the people of Vancouver. You deserve a voice, a place, and a future, and I hope to work with you to build it.
In community,
William Azaroff
OneCity Candidate for Mayor
