Renovating the existing City Hall too expensive, city looks for other options

During its meeting on Sept. 9, Burnaby City Council held a second vote for a third reading of a bylaw regarding the sale of city-owned properties 5168, 5180, and 5192 Sidley Street to a private developer. If the project moves ahead, the land will be used to develop 22 new two-bedroom townhouses. 

On Aug. 26, the motion was defeated by a majority in council. Councillors Alison Gu, Maita Santiago, Daniel Tetrault, and Pietro Calendino had opposed the motion. 

“I will be voting in opposition to this bylaw due to the sale of city-owned property that is attached to it. I believe that these are great properties that we should be keeping for the public benefit to develop affordable housing through the Burnaby Housing Authority or something else. I don’t think we should be selling it,” Gu said at the Aug. 26 meeting. 

The properties are within walking distance of bus stops and the Royal Oak SkyTrain station, which means they are within the province’s designated transit-oriented areas. According to the new provincial legislation, cities should allow high-rise apartment buildings of 12 storeys or more in transit-oriented areas. 

At the Sept. 9 meeting, Mayor Mike Hurley brought back the motion for reconsideration, saying that he was absent at the previous meeting and that, as the mayor, he has special authority to introduce a reconsideration vote without council approval. 

Hurley said the three-storey townhouse development comprises “some of the types of housing that we really need in our city.”

“Some people say we can have higher density in that location, but that would require at least two further properties,” Hurley said. 

He added that the city has already made a deal with the developers and that it is important to honour that deal. 

“It always seems important to me that we stick by the deals that we make whether we like them or not after the fact,” he said. 

Gu, Tetrault, and Santiago opposed the motion again.

“I do agree that there is a need for a more diverse level of housing, and townhomes being a part of that. But, given the circumstances here of the nature of being so close to transit and the dire need for more housing, I don’t think that’s the best use of public land and doesn’t maximize its potential,” Tetrault said.  

Coun. Sav Dhaliwal spoke in favour of the sale for similar reasons to Hurley saying that investors need to be confident that the city would not go back on its deals. 

“When you invest something, you cannot really be worried about whether the city is going to take it away. That is what this would mean,” Dhaliwal said. He also agreed with the mayor that the city needs more townhouses. 

Santiago spoke about her reasons for opposing the motion. 

“I think especially in this particular case, considering its close proximity, I think it’s a four-minute walk to the Royal Oak SkyTrain station and considering the new provincial legislations in place,” Santiago said. “I agree that we’re in dire need of housing, I think in particular what we need is affordable housing and I believe that as elected councillors our highest duty is to serve the public interest and in this particular transaction, I’m not able to support it.” 

Coun. Richard Lee joined those in favour of the project saying it would not be fair to the investors who have negotiated in good faith with the city for several years. In the end, council voted 5-3 in favour of the motion. 

Renovating the existing City Hall no longer an option

During the meeting on Sept. 9, Hurley announced that council decided not to renovate the existing City Hall premises and instead to build a new City Hall in the Deer Lake area. The resolution was approved during a closed council meeting. Hurley read out the resolution during the Sept. 9 meeting.

“Based on the policy advice and recommendations provided to Council regarding the new City Hall project to date, the option to renovate and retrofit the current City Hall building is not considered as an option due to cost, operational impacts, and the fact that the end product will be an aging building that is too small and does not meet inclusivity, accessibility or environmental sustainability standards,” the resolution said. “That staff be directed to proceed with preparing cost estimates, schematic designs and feasibilities for other options to have the new City Hall be located at the Deer Lake area.”

The resolution also directed staff to report back in an open council meeting before 2025. More details about the resolution and the decision will be published in the minutes of the Sept. 9 council meeting when the agenda for council’s next meeting is published. 

Council considers changing short-term rental bylaw 

Coun. Richard Lee proposed that city staff explore changing the current short-term rentals bylaw. The city’s bylaws allow homeowners to rent out their primary residences for a maximum of 90 days while present in their home, or they can rent out their entire residence for a maximum of 28 days during their absence. To operate a short-term rental, homeowners need a business licence and have to be living in the property. 

Lee’s recommended amendment to the bylaw would allow homeowners renting out their secondary suites to long-term tenants to rent out other rooms within their residences on a short-term basis. 

“I think it’s something the city can do to help homeowners pay their mortgages. In most cases, they need that kind of income,” Lee said. 

Lee said that he had received these requests from residents asking for these amendments. 

Dhaliwal said that city staff were already looking into the city’s short-term rental bylaws and will try to align the bylaws with the province while ensuring that short-term rentals do not affect the stock of available long-term market rentals. He recommended that the council refer the motion to the Planning and Development Committee. 

Gu agreed with Dhaliwal that staff would need to look at the city’s short-term rental bylaws as a whole. 

Hurley said that while he agreed with Lee’s motion, he also agreed with Dhaliwal that the city would need to revise its short-term rental bylaws in general. 

“The right way to do it is send it back to committee, come back with possibly even more changes that what you’re seeing,” Hurley said. 

Lee said there was some urgency because some homeowners were already waiting to know whether they could rent out additional rooms as short-term rentals. Council referred the motion to the Planning and Development Committee.

This piece was made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.

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