Vancouver City Council agrees to consider "thin streets" - News1130 interviews Mortgage Broker Jessi Johnson

Vancouver City Council agrees to consider “thin streets” – News1130 interviews Mortgage Broker Jessi Johnson

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A local mortgage broker says Vancouver’s thin streets idea will lower property values.

Jessi Johnson says it’s a bad idea. “Aesthetically, I think it will probably look terrible. I think we have a beautiful city and there are other alternatives we should be looking at instead of this.”

City Council has agreed to consider thin streets as part of its affordable housing plan at yesterday’s council meeting. The plan calls for small homes built close together. To make room for them, properties would expand out onto the road, making the street thinner and leaving less room for cars.

“Thin streets are an idea that has some merit, and it has certainly gotten a lot of attention, but I want to be clear – this is not something we’re going to force on any neighborhood,” says Mayor Gregor Robertson in a release.

“If it’s going to happen, there needs to be community buy-in,” adds Robertson.

He says it’s only being considered in Marpole, the West End, and Grandview-Woodland for now. Johnson says people who own corner lots in those neighborhoods should be paying attention.

“As an owner in the city, anything that can potentially affect the value of a property should be concerned,” explains Johnson. “At the same time, I honestly think all properties within the area of this proposed housing will be affected and I don’t blame them for being upset.”

See the article online here: http://www.news1130.com/2012/10/04/vancouver-city-council-agrees-to-consider-thin-streets/