Rethink the Stadium Road Neighbourhood development
Rethink the Stadium Road Neighbourhood development
Why this petition matters
UBC is in the late stages of planning the Stadium Road Neighbourhood (SRN) development. Despite a petition signed by 400+ UBC residents in May asking UBC to respect the density and height limits as set forth in the provincially-approved 2010 Land Use Plan, the development continues to expand in scope. Current plans call for up to 1.8M sq. ft. of developable space, nearly two times the approved limit, and 4 – 5 very tall towers that breach the approved height limit and may reach up to 36-storeys.
The most recent SRN plans presented to stakeholders do not reflect views of the majority of stakeholders consulted and reflect a university bent on deriving revenue from land development at the expense of the wider mission of the university. Rather than building a sustainable community – including housing that Faculty and Staff can afford to purchase – that will reinforce and extend this publicly-funded institution’s core mission for teaching and research, UBC is rushing to maximize revenue by building luxury towers that will reduce social cohesion amongst UNA residents and dwarf the surrounding low-rise rental units set aside for Faculty and Staff.
We are further concerned that residential development is already outpacing meaningful planning for amenities and services. Schools, in particular, are not keeping up with demand, and the number of residents continues to grow rapidly with projects already under development. In addition there are problems with transit, road capacity and congestion, parking, access to medical care, fire and police services, and shops. Together, this is part of an underlying issue of lack of representation on the UBC Board of Governors for the growing UNA population which must be addressed in the near future.
We, the undersigned, respectfully request that:
1. UBC’s Board of Governors not approve any plan for the Stadium Road Neighbourhood that exceeds limits to density and building heights approved in the 2010 Land Use Plan; and further, that any plan should give substantial priority to affordable housing for Faculty and Staff over luxury condos;
2. The BC Government not approve any change to UBC’s Land Use Plan that increases density in excess of funded plans for schooling and transit, and that does not give substantial priority to affordable housing over luxury condos.
Decision Makers
- David Eby
- UBC Board of Governors