LANSDOWNE: City Ignores LRT Lesson: BENN
Saturday columnist Ron Benn says the new Lansdowne bylaw is way too early:
The effect of changing the zoning bylaw, and in particular increasing the height limit from 11 stories to 40, is to establish in law, to the benefit of the property owner (the city) the right to build to that height.
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Putting aside the inherent conflict of interest, approving this change before council has fully addressed the Lansdowne 2.0 plan is premature.
This appears to be a continuation of the culture of circumventing the statutory role of council oversight. The LRT Commissioner presented the lesson. City management and some, but perhaps not all, of our elected officials have chosen not to learn it. Sigh.
To read the post to which Benn refers, click here.
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This is a perfect example of why the City’s Economic Development group should not be reporting to the same senior manager as the City’s planning department. There is an inherent conflict of interest in having the same ultimate manager request zoning changes for the sake of economic development and then be responsible for the department that recommends the approval of the zoning changes.
Ron:
The thing is, these guys know what they are doing is rather sketchy but they just do it in plain sight.
I’m not sure the lessons of the LRT were learned at city hall.
Business as usual.
cheers
kgray