---
title: "Court dismisses challenge to 229 rental homes approved near Cambie and 29th"
description: "A B.C. Supreme Court judge dismissed the Cambie Corridor Neighbourhood Association's challenge to a 229-unit rental project approved without below-market homes, and ordered the association to pay court costs."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/news/cambie-corridor-court-ruling-september-25"
last_updated: "2026-09-26T06:49:53.494Z"
---

A B.C. Supreme Court judge dismissed a neighbourhood association's legal challenge to a 229-unit rental housing project approved for Vancouver's Cambie Corridor, Daily Hive Vancouver reported on September 24, 2026. Justice Morellato of the Supreme Court of British Columbia found the City of Vancouver's approval process was fair and City Council's decision was reasonable.

The ruling came in a case brought by the Cambie Corridor Neighbourhood Association against the City and developer Sightline Properties. The judge ordered the association to pay court costs to both parties.

## What council approved

City Council unanimously approved the rezoning in July 2025 for 230 secured purpose-built rental homes on land at 520-590 West 29th Avenue and 4510-4550 Ash Street, about a 10-minute walk south of the King Edward Canada Line station. The total unit count was later reduced to 229 during the development permit process, which was approved and issued in December 2025.

Developer Sightline Properties had originally planned to build 46 upscale townhomes on the site, with anticipated sale prices of $2 million to $2.3 million each, according to the court ruling. The developer obtained permits in 2022, demolished the existing houses, and began excavation, but a weakening housing market left it without any pre-sales. Sightline then shifted to a rental housing proposal following provincial legislation that encouraged more density near SkyTrain stations.

## The below-market housing question

The Cambie Corridor site sits in a transit-oriented area where City policy called for at least 20 per cent of net residential floor area to be provided as below-market rental housing, with rents at least 10 per cent below the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's citywide average. Sightline initially included a below-market component in its proposal, but City staff later recommended approving the project as all market-rate rental housing.

City staff concluded that the rezoning would not generate enough additional land value to support below-market rents, because the site's existing zoning already allowed more density than many other properties in the transit-oriented area. The developer had also already paid a $1.2 million contribution tied to additional density from an earlier townhouse project.

The association argued that residents could not properly review the removal of below-market homes without access to the developer's financial projections and the City's detailed financial analysis. Justice Morellato rejected that argument. The judge found that residents had access to the same materials councillors considered, including a City staff report disclosed seven weeks before the public hearing. "Council's method and process of decision-making were transparent and fair," the ruling states.

## The political element

According to the court ruling, the association's July 2025 fundraising letter described the legal challenge as designed to "align with the 2026 election cycle and allow for policy changes." Sightline cited that letter in court as evidence that the challenge aimed to delay construction.

Voters who want to compare how parties and candidates would approach housing decisions can read party platforms at [/parties](/parties) and find candidate profiles at [/nominations](/nominations). The municipal election is October 17, 2026.

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