Vancouver council votes to rezone school land for apartment building

Parents are scrutinizing a decision by Vancouver City Council to rezone land at an elementary school for apartments.

Vancouver city council has voted to rezone a section of land that served as a basketball court at an elementary school in East Vancouver to make way for an apartment building.

On Thursday evening, council heard from staff, the developer and public speakers regarding the rezoning process on a portion of land at Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary School on East 49th Avenue.

At the public hearing alumni Ishaan Lal spoke against it, adding the school is in need of more green space for students.

The school currently has a large gravel field next to a parking lot.

“I believe we deserve something better, something greener,” Lal said.

“Fleming does not have a real field. There’s no grass to run on. No soft place to fall.”

99-year lease

The land is owned by the Vancouver School Board which led an engagement and disposition process.

It eventually entered into a 99-year lease with Vittori Lanark Holdings Ltd. for $8.5 million.

Heman Mehta, the chair of the Fleming DPAC and a parent whose children attend the school, called both the VSB’s and city council’s decisions short-sighted.

He said the school has over 400 students and is only expected to grow.

“Where are all these kids going to fit?” he said.

“It’s not a matter of 99 years. We’re actually talking about the next generation.”

Mehta added if the school outgrows its capacity the only place to put portables will be on the gravel field, impacting students’ outdoor recreational time.

“Because that piece of land that we dearly need is now going to be gone,” he said.

Below market units

Vittori Developments plans to build a six-storey, mixed-use apartment building with 20 per cent of the units below market.

At the public hearing, ABC Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung said while she felt for the community members who spoke in opposition of the development, there’s a growing need for housing.

“We have a low vacancy rate in the city as a whole,” she said.

“We’ve heard that it’s low particularly in this neighbourhood.”

Mayor Ken Sim, Coun. Pete Fry, and Coun. Rebecca Bligh were absent for the vote, while Coun. Sean Orr and Coun. Lucy Maloney voted in opposition of the rezoning.

“We know that we’re going to be having more people move into this neighbourhood,” Maloney said.

“We’re going to need to preserve that public open space. It’s another short term decision where we don’t know the long term consequences.”