British ColumbiaParents are frustrated with a recent Vancouver city council decision to rezone a portion of land owned by the school board to allow a six-storey rental building.Vancouver council voted to rezone the school’s basketball courts to allow for a 6-storey rental buildingLauren Vanderdeen · CBC News · Posted: Nov 17, 2025 11:36 PM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The southern portion of Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary School in Vancouver will be rezoned to allow for a six-storey rental building. (Google Maps)Parents say they are frustrated with a recent Vancouver city council decision to rezone a portion of land owned by the school board to allow a six-storey rental building.While the Vancouver School Board (VSB) announced it would dispose of the southern portion of land at Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary more than a year ago, the rezoning decision came to council Thursday last week.The development at 1401-1455 East 49th Ave. is expected to include about 87 rental units, with 20 per cent of the residential floor area rented at below-market rates, according to a city staff report.The VSB leased the land, which currently houses basketball courts, to developer Vittori Lanark Holdings Ltd. in a 99-year, $8.5-million deal.The lease terms include that priority access to vacant rental units would be provided to VSB staff, according to the report.But Heman Mehta, chair of the Fleming Elementary parent advisory council, said the decision to rezone part of the school property just doesn’t make sense. “[We’re] trying to explain to them that their numbers are outdated and flawed,” said Mehta, who has two children at Fleming.”If you’re going to give away this piece of land for 99 years, we’re already 22 students over capacity — how are we supposed to grow within this school?”He noted Fleming is estimated to have 646 students in its catchment area in 2043, or 133 per cent of its capacity, according to updated enrolment projections released earlier this year.Mehta is concerned that if the school needs future portables, the only land available will be the soccer field.Heman Mehta, PAC chair of Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary School in Vancouver, is opposed to the rezoning and disposition of a site on the south of the school grounds. (CBC News)He said while he’s not opposed to new rental housing, it’s likely that families who move into the new units will find it difficult to get into local schools.And he doesn’t make much of the lease price: “How can you give away such precious land for $7,000 a month?”School board response unsatisfying to DPAC chairThe VSB acknowledged the parents’ concerns but said its numbers are sound.”The updated projections show that we have sufficient space in the Fleming area to accommodate students now, and into the future,” the VSB said in an emailed statement.The Vancouver School Board said its projections indicate there is enough space in the Fleming area to accommodate students now and in the future. (Justine Boulin/CBC)The VSB said the lease was finalized after extensive public engagement and that it is pleased to see the conclusion of thorough processes to support student learning and Vancouver’s housing needs.But other district parents have concerns about the public engagement process.Melanie Cheng, chair of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council, said other than two public information sessions in 2021, parents didn’t hear about the plan again until 2024 when the school board passed the disposition.”Parents are concerned because we’re left in the dark,” she said.”They need to start talking to communities and planning so that there is sufficient infrastructure.”Cheng said she’s concerned about other subdivision applications pending for other schools in East Vancouver.”We see this as a short-sighted decision that was made prioritizing capital and not necessarily looking at the growth in the community [or] the needs of the community.”Councillors vote in favour of rezoningCouncillors stressed their decision was not related to the land disposal, as that decision lay with the school board and not the city.ABC Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung said she recognized the parents’ disappointment in the lease, which she described as “extraordinarily low,” but added councillors are responsible for considering the development application on its merits.”We really do need housing,” she said, noting the neighbourhood has a lower vacancy rate than the citywide average.Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung voted in favour of a six-storey rental development on land owned by the Vancouver School Board. (Ben Nelms/CBC)Mehta expressed disappointment that the rezoning passed and said decisions shouldn’t be made with only 10 years’ foresight.“You need to make decisions for the next two or three generations — at least.”ABOUT THE AUTHORLauren Vanderdeen is a web writer for CBC British Columbia. She formerly worked for community newspapers, including the Burnaby Now and New West Record. You can reach her at lauren.vanderdeen@cbc.ca.
After controversial land deal, Vancouver school’s basketball courts are set to become rental housing
