English Bay rezoning application goes before council

A proposal to create more rental housing overlooking English Bay will go before Vancouver city council tonight.

Beach Towers Investments wants to buildfour new buildingsin the area ofthe 1600 block of Beach Avenue, whichwould fill the space between towers the companyalready owns there and provide 133 new units.

Christine Ackermann, president of the West End Residents Association,says any development plans should be designed to suit the people already living in the neighbourhood.

"We don't oppose more rentals, but what we want is affordable rentals for our community," she said.

"[In]our community, the median income is only $38,500 a year. That translates to roughly $950 a months for a one-bedroom apartment."

Ackermann says the new units would start afew hundred dollars above that and go upto more than$2,200 a month.