Public hearing in West Vancouver to limit certain businesses in Ambleside and Dundarave

The District of West Vancouver wants to make businesses in Ambleside and Dundarave more diverse by regulating street-level space in commercial areas.

A public hearing is scheduled for May 6 at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Hall Council Chamber via electronic communication facilities.

A proposed Zoning Bylaw Amendment would restrict certain businesses, such as schools, fitness centers, health care offices, pet care establishments, and veterinary clinics, to utilizing no more than 20% of the ground floor width on each block face within the three zones in the area.

The proposal also seeks to limit the number of pharmacies, allowing only five in Ambleside and one in Dundarave. Aside from these, the District aims to differentiate financial services from institutions like banks or credit unions. Financial services would be barred from occupying ground-floor locations within the AC1, AC2, and C2 zones.

Senior Community Planner Linda Gillan noted that “existing businesses that do not comply with the proposed conditions of use would become legally non-conforming and would be able to continue operating from their current premises.”

The proposals stemmed from the community’s concerns about the lack of business diversity in the neighborhood’s commercial areas.

The Ambleside and Dundarave Business Improvement Association (ADBIA) has noted ongoing concerns regarding the business mix in Ambleside and Dundarave, particularly the prevalence of less “active” or vibrant business premises on the ground floor and related impacts on the street-level liveliness of these retail areas.

The Ambleside and Dundarave Business Improvement Association echoed these concerns, particularly regarding the prevalence of less “active” or vibrant business premises on the ground floor and the impact on the street-level liveliness of these retail areas.