Vancouver 'view cones' adjusted to allow more housing, work space

Vancouver's skyline is seen from Queen Elizabeth Park in this undated image. (Shutterstock)

Vancouver city council has voted in favour of updating – and in some cases removing – so-called "view cones," which limit developments blocking mountains views.

A staff report was presented to council earlier this week, which suggested eliminating or reducing some of the city's decades-old view cones could add approximately 200 million extra square feet for future housing, hotels and office space. https://bc.ctvnews.ca/vancouver-considers-putting-housing-before-mountain-views-1.6952385

On Wednesday, council voted to update view policies, particularly ones the city says are already partially or fully obstructed. Fourteen public view cones were removed entirely, while 11 of the remaining 24 were updated.

The view cones policy has been around since 1989, and was introduced to ensure the positions, heights and styles of new buildings, were tightly regulated to preserve mountain and ocean views.

"For residents, visitors and newcomers, Vancouver’s views provide a vital connection to nature and shape our city’s unique identity," Mayor Ken Sim said in a statement Wednesday. "As our city grows, we're taking a balanced approach to updating decades-old policies that will allow our iconic views to evolve as we work to deliver the housing and job space Vancouver needs."