City staff presented proposed updates to the Comprehensive Plan and Title 20 land use code to accommodate projected population growth and comply with state housing mandates. Key zoning changes discussed include transitioning single-family areas into mixed-use and medium-scale zones, shifting to minimum rather than maximum density requirements, and relying on development impact fees to incrementally fund infrastructure improvements like sidewalks. Additionally, officials explicitly clarified that the city did not support expanding the Vancouver Urban Growth Area (UGA) into surrounding agricultural lands.
Building_development
Vancouver City Council · May 11, 2026 · 1:19:26–1:19:48 · Watch on CVTV ↗
Keywords: capital facilities UGA comprehensive plan zoning annexation traffic impact density infrastructure
What was said
1:18:26 is served by infrastructure. We have existing infrastructure and I know some people may -- I think what we think of as sufficient, it depends on who we are. Certainly not having sidewalks and not having bike and small mobility lanes on a major corridor is a thing and that's why it's on our list of projects and we will come to it someday. But it doesn't mean we'll have the resources at that time to do every upgrade we'd want without contributions from development. >> Okay. Okay. That's where I am tonight. Thank you. >> Well, first of all, thank you, Sid -- did you -- oh, you changed your mind. >> New thoughts come up as we continue to talk. I just wanted to -- something that hasn't been said yet that I think is important to
1:19:21 know that almost every workshop we've had, we bring this up is when something -- when the zoning changes, it doesn't mean it immediately flips over. It's about opportunity and being in a housing crisis, not having enough units, making sure that we're applying, as you said, this framework equitably across the whole city provides an opportunity to build housing, but it doesn't -- it's not an immediate flip. And so every neighborhood is pitching in. And we need to build within our city limits. So we're not -- we're building smart and we're building up. And that's not contributing to sprawl and that fight that's happening over other county friends. So -- and so I just wanted to mention that, since it hadn't been brought up yet. And again, thank you so much for all the work that you've done. >> Yes. Years and years and years of work. We absolutely appreciate it.
1:20:20 Counselor, thank you for bringing up. Many council members on Vancouver City Council live in neighborhoods that will be medium scale. So I, too, am one of those. Shumway is in that neck of the woods also with a large area of mixed use. So we have it around us and we'll have more. Rebecca, a question was made in the community, two of them.
Evidence (1 match)
direct keyword 1:19:26–1:19:48 capital facilities, UGA, comprehensive plan, zoning, annexation, traffic impact, density, infrastructure
oh, you changed your mind. >> New thoughts come up as we continue to talk. I just wanted to -- something that hasn't been said yet that I think is important to know that almost every workshop we've had, we bring this up is when something -- when the zoning changes, it doesn't mean it immediately flips over. It's about opportunity and being in a housing crisis, not having enough units, making sure that we're applying, as you said, this framework equitably across the whole city provides an opportu